Violence prevention is the name of the game not just in New Jersey but throughout the country. The recent school shooting in Newtown sparked intense motivation within lawmakers all over the country. The Obama administration has even already announced its intention to limit access to certain firearms.
Now, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has announced that he wants the issue of violence and guns looked at in his state. A task force called NJ Safe will study issues related to incidents of violence such as mental illness, guns, addiction and more. After about two months of research, the task force will present recommendations meant to make New Jersey a safer state for all, including school children.
Gov. Christie faces great pressure to strengthen the already strict gun laws in the state. He so far is refusing to make any rash changes to the law, even after New York has done so this week. The NJ Safe task force is his way of addressing an issue that so many of his constituents are passionate about.
With the legal changes in New York, the president's recent announcement regarding assault weapons and now a controversial NRA ad, it is nearly impossible to get away from the topic of gun violence. There are more than two sides to the issue. What is important is for New Jersey and for lawmakers everywhere to fall on the side of justice, the side of not just supposedly protecting society from violence but protecting it from unreasonably losing certain rights as well.
Weapons can be used for bad. They can be used for good, too. And a good person can wind up in legal trouble related to a firearm. Our criminal defense firm helps those charged with weapons offenses protect their freedoms.
Source: The Star-Ledger, "Christie announces task force to reduce violence in N.J.; calls NRA commercial 'reprehensible,'" Christopher Baxter, Jan. 17, 2013