美国国家公共电台 NPR--New York has tough gun laws, but that didn't prevent Buffalo's mass shooting

New York has tough gun laws, but that didn't prevent Buffalo¹'s mass shooting

Transcript²

There have been two mass shootings in New York since April. NPR's Rachel Martin asks gun control advocate Nick Suplina, if tougher gun laws would have made a difference.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

New York's governor, Kathy Hochul, says her state has some of the toughest gun laws in the country. But those laws did not prevent 10 deaths in Buffalo. Would tighter restrictions³ have made a difference? We're going to bring in Nick Suplina now to help answer that question. He's senior vice⁴ president for law and policy with the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety. Nick, thanks for being here.

NICK SUPLINA: Thanks for having me.

MARTIN: The accused Buffalo shooter had a history of threatening violence. And under New York's red flag law, he shouldn't have been able to buy a gun, right? But he did.

SUPLINA: Yeah. Well, you know, New York does, in fact, have some of the toughest gun laws in the country. And that matters. New York also has one of the lowest per capita gun law rates in the country. So laws relating to guns and access to guns matter. And in some ways, the Buffalo case is a tragic⁵ proof point of that because the extreme risk law that's in place in New York could have - and we're still trying to understand why it was not used here - but could have prevented this tragedy.

MARTIN: Explain what that is, the extreme risk law. Is that the same as the red flag law?

SUPLINA: That's the same thing, yeah. So extreme risk laws or red flag laws are laws that can be used to temporarily deprive somebody of a firearm who poses a risk for themselves to others. They're active in 20 states across the country and can be used to prevent suicide, but also acts of mass violence like this. So this shooter, who had made a threat at his school, who was detained by state police, was a prime candidate for use of that law. And it could have stopped this incident from happening.

MARTIN: OK. And as you point out, authorities are trying to figure out why those laws didn't stop this from happening. I mean, the gun shop owner who sold him the weapon said he ran a check and it raised no red flags. So clearly, there's some questions that need to be answered. But can we talk about how this shooter changed his weapon, right? I mean, investigators⁶ say the magazines used for ammunition⁷ in the Buffalo attack weren't allowed to be sold in New York and that the gun had been modified. How do you stop that from happening?

SUPLINA: Well, you know, one culprit here that too often avoids scrutiny⁸ is the gun industry itself. The weapon that was purchased in New York was easily modified. And it needn't be easily modified. But gun manufacturers continue to make deadly weapons that can be changed easily. YouTube doesn't help the problem by offering online tutorials about how to do that. And then an out-of-state trip by the shooter allowed him to obtain this high-capacity magazine. The fact is that the industry is creating these high-powered weapons, these workarounds for state laws and has been shielded from any liability or any culpability⁹ here. And I think it's time, in a situation as tragic as Buffalo, to start asking the question, when will we hold the industry accountable for its role in our gun violence crisis?

MARTIN: Are you satisfied with how New York state government has held the industry accountable?

SUPLINA: Well, you know, New York, in its last session, passed a first of its kind law that may allow increased liability for the gun industry. And so that's an enormous step forward. I think, in our conversations about incidents motivated by white supremacy¹⁰ and racism¹¹, as this one, must also recognize that if we don't address the firearms and the firepower that we're putting in the hands of these hate-filled individuals, you know, we're not going to address the deadliness of this problem. I think New York is ready to do more. I think that law was an incredible first step. But as a country, we need to really reconcile, why are we giving the gun industry a pass?

MARTIN: The Supreme¹² Court is expected to issue a ruling in June that could force eight states, including New York, to loosen concealed¹³ carry laws. From your perspective, what's at stake here?

SUPLINA: Wow. I can't really overstate the urgency of that moment. Gun laws in those eight states, which is about 1-in-4 Americans, by the way, covered by one of those laws, the Supreme Court is - should uphold the New York state law. But if it doesn't, it's taking a huge risk with American public safety. It's threatening states' rights to produce their own public safety. And we will see an increase in gun violence as a result should the Supreme Court strike that law.

MARTIN: Nick Suplina with the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety. We appreciate your time this morning. Thank you.

SUPLINA: Thank you so much.

1 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

6 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

8 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

9 culpability   

n.苛责，有罪

参考例句：

• As if the estrangement between them had come of any culpability of hers. 姐弟俩疏远的责任竟仿佛落到了她的身上！ 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• The offence, as now defined in English law, covers a wide spectrum of culpability. 英国法律规定，违法包括很多种过失行为。 来自互联网

10 supremacy   

n.至上；至高权力

参考例句：

• No one could challenge her supremacy in gymnastics.她是最优秀的体操运动员，无人能胜过她。
• Theoretically,she holds supremacy as the head of the state.从理论上说，她作为国家的最高元首拥有至高无上的权力。

11 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

12 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

13 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。