Newspapers / Rocky Mount High School … / April 17, 1981, edition 1 / Page 7
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focus — the Gryphon, Friday, April 17, 1981 — Gun control: a loaded issue that fires emotions in many jt on gun control I’s home I believe that some type of rder,” said senior Cathie Battle. ' said she felt all t not banned. guns should be hould have guns because if somebody 3ur house, you need protection, says enkins. landguns are not necessary except for nt officers with the possible exception ipons,” said sophomore Steve Shriver. purpose rifles serve is for sports or for is regulated by the National Rifle )utlawing guns wouldn’t solve the pro- or the increase in crime.” HOuld be harder to purchase a handgun B easy to hide,” said sophomore Jon Daniels. “But it should be easier to purchase shotguns because they are used mostly for hunting. More people are shot with handguns and high powered rifles than shotguns.’ Uut ot the students surveyed a small percentage feel that guns should be banned. “I think guns should be banned because a lot of people misuse them and because they get into the hands of the wrong people,” said junior Sandra Mills. "1 thmk guns snouia be banned because they are dangerous and they destroy life,” says senior Mary Battle. “I think guns should be banned because 1 don t think anyone is qualified to take another person’s or another animal’s life,” says senior Teri Hurd. “G^ put us on this earth to live, not to kill each other.” Gryphon survey results Of those answering 37% were sophomores, 33% juniors, and 30% seniors. Attitudes towards firearms 1. Is there a handgun in your home? 56»/o Yes 44®/o No 2. Is there a rifle or shotgun in your home? 55«/o Yes 45»/o No 3. For which of the following are the guns in your home used? 41% Self defense 15% Target shooting 31% Hunting 13% Other 4. Which of the following do you know how to use? 28% Handgun 23% Rifle 21% Shotgun 28% Neither 5. Should handguns be banned or forbidden? 21% Yes 79% No 6. Which of the following should be registered? 78% All guns 10% Handguns 3% Rifles 2% Shotguns 7% None *This survey was administered to 221 students picked at random. Firearms used while assaults more often in robberies frequently caused by hand J n North Carolina more robberies are committed with firearms; however, more assaults are commit ted by hand, fist, etc. according to available figures. During the first quarter of this year ending March 31, eight robberies and 23 aggravated assaults were committed in Rocky Mount according to Rocky Mount Police Department records. A knife or cutting instrument was used in one of those robberies and another type of weapon such as a tire iron, axe handle or club was used in another. The six remaining robberies involved firearms. In one case a rifle was used, and in the five others han dguns were used. In the assault cases seven involved knives, five in volved guns, and 11 involved other types of weapons. Handguns were used in four of the assaults and a bb gun was used in another. The Edgecombe County Sheriffs Department reports that one robbery and 20 aggravated assaults were committed in Edgecombe County during the first quarter of this year. A pistol was used in the robbery. ... , Two of the assaults involved knives, eight involv ed other types of weapons, and seven involved hands, fists, etc. Three of the assaults involved guns — in two of Permits easy to obtain ^^'btaining a permit in the Nash/Edgecom^ area for the purchase of a handgun is an easy task if one is older than 18 years and has a good moral character with no criminal record. In the state of North Carolina anyone 18 years ot age and with oositive identification can purchase a shotgun or rifle. However, the state requires one to get a permit before purchasing a handgun. To get a handgun permit in North Carolina, a per son must go to the county’s sheriff department and must meet certain county and state reauirements. The requirements in Nash and Edgecombe Coun ties are that one must be of good moral character and with no police record and must need the gun for pro tection. The person must know a deputy or must have two letters written by prominent citizens them a pistol is known to have been used. These figures do not include those offenses handl ed by the municipal police departments of Tarboro, Rocky Mount, Princeville, Pinetops, and Mac clesfield. There were two robberies and 11 assaults in Nash County during the first quarter of this year accor ding to the Nash County Sheriffs Department. One robbery was a strong arm robbery (no weapon used) and the other involved a knife. Three of the aggravated assaults involved knives, two involved hands, two involved firearms and four involved other weapons. A handgun was used in one of the firearm assaults and a shotgun was used in the other. These figures do not include those offenses handl ed by the municipal police departments of Bailey, Battleboro, Middlesex, Nashville, Rocky Mount, Sharpsburg, Spring Hope and Whitakers. In the Edgecombe and Nash County seats of Tar boro and Nashville, no robberies took place during the first quarter of this year according to those towns’ police departments. Six aggravated assaults took place in Tarboro. Two involved knives, one involved a firearm, and three involved other deadly weapons. In the case in volving a firearm, a victim used a pistol defense against a burglar with a knife. Three aggravated assaults involving separately in each a rifle, a shovel and a knife occurred in Nashville. In 1979, 44 robberies occurred in Rocky Mount. Twenty-seven of those involved firearms, four in volved knives and 13 were strong arm robberies. In that same year, 254 aggravated assaults occur red. There were 49 gun-involved, 38 knife-involved, 128 hand-involved and 39 other weapon assaults. The Police Information Network, part of the state department of justice, reports that in 1979 4,277 rob beries and 18,622 assaults occurred in North Carolina. Of the robberies, 46.3 per cent involved a firearm, 35.3 per cent were strong arm robberies, 11.5 per cent involved a knife and 6,9 per cent involved other weapons. Of the assaults, 31.4 per cent involved use of hands, 27.2 per cent involved firearms, 21.5 per cent involved knives, and 19.9 per cent involved other weapons. Edgecombe County Sheriff Phil Ellis feels more handguns are used in assaults and robberies because they are cheaper to purchase, easier to use and easier to conceal. stating that they feel he is capable of handling a gun. The fee for the permit is $1. The sheriffs office keeps these records on file as proof of purchase and also for some investigations in volving handguns used in crimes. “The state of North Carolina has good laws, and I do not want to see them changed,” says Nash Coun ty’s Sheriff Brown. Mr. Brown went on to pay that he opposed gun registration because in many countries this was the first step in taking guns away from the people who obeyed the laws and left the criminals with guns. Gun shops B&B and Thorne’s sell about eight to ten handguns a month. Most are small caliber hand guns such as 22’s and 32’s. Stories by: Stacy Barbour, Greg Carmean, Bonnie Foust, Chuck Gilley and Cheryl Willia;ms. Chart by; Cheryl Williams. Artwork and Layout by: Janice Braswell and Greg Car- mean.
Rocky Mount High School Student Newspaper
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April 17, 1981, edition 1
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