Going After Crime and Guns

The National Rifle Association and the Brady Campaign have finally agreed on one thing, supporting a law enforcement program in Richmond, Virginia that targets gun crimes. After the Supreme Court’s decision that struck down any restrictions on individual gun ownership caused officials to get a little worried. They were worried that there could be a rise in gun violence. But in fact they have seen a drop of 31% in gun crimes in the last ten years. Richmond is one of the easiest places to buy a gun, but the state severely punishes those who commit gun crimes. The project entitled “Project Exile” involves a series of local, state, and federal law enforcement partnerships. The focus is on the most violent part of the city by cracking down with harsh punishments for crimes involving guns. Richmond is the only city with “Project Exile” but officials are trying to push it to other cities, such as, San Francisco and Chicago. The NRA challenges most gun laws that will affect them but support the cause for “Project Exile.” NRA Executive Vice President, Wayne LaPierre says, “Leave the good people alone and lock up the bad people and dramatically cut crime.” He supports this project because the people that are being punished are drug dealers, gang members, and felons. It’s good to see action being taken on the street to combat such a huge problem. I know that we don’t live in a perfect world but we can do our best to make the best of it.