評論
打印
The good news is there’s already a growing consensus for us to build from. A majority of Americans support banning the sale of military-style assault weapons. A majority of Americans support banning the sale of high-capacity ammunition clips. A majority of Americans support laws requiring background checks before all gun purchases, so that criminals can’t take advantage of legal loopholes to buy a gun from somebody who won’t take the responsibility of doing a background check at all.
令人欣慰的是在這問題上我們已經逐形共識。大多數美國人支持禁止出售軍事攻擊性武器，大多數美國人支持禁止出售高容量彈匣，大多數美國人支持在購買任何槍支前要求進行背景調查，這樣犯罪分子將不能利用法律的漏洞從，那些不愿承擔背景調查責任的人手中獲得槍支。
I urge the new Congress to hold votes on these measures next year in a timely manner. And considering Congress hasn’t confirmed a director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms in six years -- the agency that works most closely with state and local law enforcement to keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals -- I’d suggest that they make this a priority early in the year.
我敦促新一屆國會明年對這些措施及時進行投票。并考慮到六年來國會一直沒有確認酒精、煙草和軍火機構的負責人——這些機構在減少犯罪分子獲得非法槍支上與國家和當地執法部門展開最親密的合作。我提議將其作為年初的首要任務。
Look, like the majority of Americans, I believe that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. This country has a strong tradition of gun ownership that’s been handed down from generation to generation. Obviously across the country there are regional differences. There are differences between how people feel in urban areas and rural areas. And the fact is the vast majority of gun owners in America are responsible -- they buy their guns legally and they use them safely, whether for hunting or sport shooting, collection or protection.
像大多數美國人一樣，我相信第二修正案保證個人擁有武器的權利。這個國家對槍支所有權有著很悠久的傳統，這種傳統世代相傳。但顯然在全國地會有所差異，城市和農村對待槍支的感受也有不同。事實上，在美國絕大多數槍支持有者是責任的——他們合法的購買槍支并安全使用，不管是用于狩獵還是運動射擊、收藏或保護。
But you know what, I am also betting that the majority -- the vast majority -- of responsible, law-abiding gun owners would be some of the first to say that we should be able to keep an irresponsible, law-breaking few from buying a weapon of war. I’m willing to bet that they don’t think that using a gun and using common sense are incompatible ideas -- that an unbalanced man shouldn’t be able to get his hands on a military-style assault rifle so easily; that in this age of technology, we should be able to check someone’s criminal records before he or she can check out at a gun show; that if we work harder to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, there would be fewer atrocities like the one in Newtown -- or any of the lesser-known tragedies that visit small towns and big cities all across America every day.
但是你知道嗎，我打賭大多數——絕大多數——負責任的、守法的槍支擁有者會首先表示，我們應該能夠控制極少數不負責任的，違法分子購買戰爭性武器。我敢打賭，他們肯定不認為使用槍支和常識是不同的觀念——一個失常的人不應該那么輕而易舉的獲得軍事化突擊步槍。在這個科技時代，人們在槍展上購買槍支結賬離開前，我們應該能夠核查他們的犯罪記錄。如果我們能更加嚴厲的控制危險人物擁有槍支，紐敦類似的暴行將會越來越少，美國每天發生的任何鮮為人知的悲劇，無論在小城鎮還是大城市，也會越來越少。
