In 1996, Clinton refined his political attack on guns, and by the fall of 1998, several moderate Democrats won office in part by crafting messages that fell short of outright abolition but added social prescriptions, such as mental health counseling, tougher sentencing and help for overworked parents. Littleton, in a less clear-cut but just as important way, underlines a strong feeling Americans have that there's something wrong with the values in our country. Vice President Gore has echoed Clinton's multifaceted approach, touting not only gun control but also more counseling for students, curbs on violent images in the media and greater parental involvement in children's lives. Anti-gun activists sense a new momentum in Congress for limited additions to current gun laws, ranging from child safety locks to more background checks on gun buyers. But others suggest raw electoral politics may once again intrude.
People do it because they believe it's the right thing to do . . .
On Monday, actor Charlton Heston was reelected president of the organization. Although he had promised in his campaign last year to file the bill in early 1999, aides said he needed another year to rally support against the gun lobby. Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend promised again to push for the childproofing of guns next year. But when asked to revive the near-dead bill, Bush, who in 1995 signed a law permitting concealed weapons, said there was not time left before the legislature adjourns in a month. In the House, in particular, where regional factors play a prominent role in a lawmaker's views, there has been little mention of legislative action.