Message from Commissioner Aaronson

We all remember Columbine. We all remember Virginia Tech. Most recently we were horrified by the events that unfolded in Tucson. I cannot help but wonder if in these senseless deaths we lost a future president or a cure for cancer? One thing we know for sure is that a daughter was lost; a young girl who might have grown to be a mother or a wife.

The common underlying factor in these tragedies is the capacity to kill or injure numerous people with one squeeze of a trigger. The weapon used in Tucson had a magazine with at least 30 rounds. It can take only about 10 seconds to fire that many bullets.

I could supply you with statistics in each of these cases of how many times guns were fired or which magazines held however many bullets. But at the end of the day 12 students and one teacher were killed at Columbine, 32 students were killed at Virginia Tech, six were killed at Tucson, not to mention the many injured. People and a nation scarred for life.

Since only the State Legislature can enact a ban on large capacity ammunition feeding devices, I urged my fellow County Commissioners to adopt a resolution enacting such a ban. On March 1st the County Commission adopted the resolution. The logic to me is simple. If a shooter has fewer bullets they will more frequently have to reload. While this would never completely end gun violence, it might afford the opportunity for victims to defend themselves.

In a recent letter of support to my office, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw expressed the following: “We should be able to respect the second amendment while at the same time supporting commonsense regulations. This includes magazines that can hold dozens of rounds of ammunition. The only purpose for the existence of these devices is to be able to shoot as many people as possible as quickly as possible. There is no reason that these devices should be available to the general public.”

I have received both applause and criticism for my position on this issue. For those who have condemned, mostly on the basis that it violates their right to bear arms I say this: criminals will find and use guns. When they do, tragedy can result. Will this resolution call our State Legislators to action? That is my hope. Will that eliminate all gun violence? Of course not. But if it prevents even one death, if it saves a future president or someone’s mother/father/child, then it is worth it and who could argue with that.

As always, I invite your comments on any issue of interest to you.  As your Commissioner, I am here to help you.  You may write me at 301 N. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach, 33401 or call my staff at 276-1310 or toll free at 877-930-2205.  My email address is:  baaronso@pbcgov.org.