Commentary

Ending the Assault; Sacred Heartbreak

Ending the Assault

The upcoming September 13 expiration of the federal assault weapons ban will be a welcome relief from an irrational and ineffective law. Passed in 1994, the assault weapons ban (AWB) was supposedly intended to prevent the proliferation of military-style firearms among private citizens. After nearly ten years, the AWB has done nothing to that effect, yet pro-gun control politicians still proudly tout it as a golden piece of legislature.

The biggest problem with the AWB is its definition of “assault weapon,” since it applies this label to firearms based on their cosmetic appearances rather than their engineering or lethality. A gun is automatically classified as an assault weapon if it has two or more of the features on an “evil feature” list: detachable box magazine, flash suppressor, pistol grip, bayonet lug, and grenade launcher rail. Guns that were legally possessed prior to the passing of the ban are exempt. The loophole-ridden AWB incorrectly targets the high-end guns coveted by legitimate hobbyists and collectors, inflating prices and forcing sellers to saw off a few bayonet lugs. These so-called assault weapons are virtually never used in crimes. To put it into perspective, the AWB would be like banning expensive wines to prevent drunk driving.

In its present condition, the AWB is a convenient way for pro-gun control politicians to feel good about themselves, while demonstrating nothing but their own ignorance. The majority of these politicians likely have no idea what kind of weapons it bans, but they can garner public support for it based on its name alone. To those who have never fired a gun, something that claims to ban “assault weapons” naturally sounds like a good idea. Unfortunately, misconceptions about the ban tend to be perpetuated by the media, which commonly describe them as machine guns, which were outlawed in 1934. Even when crimes are committed with guns that have nothing to do with the ban, the term “assault weapon” gets tossed about as if it were a catch-all term for anything unknown and scary.

To reduce gun crime, the enforcement of existing laws needs to be improved. It is not the collector who spends thousands of dollars on a rifle who will commit a crime; it is the gang member who picks up a cheap revolver. Passing laws to restrict possession is a nonsensical strategy when not enough is being done to prevent gun purchases by people ineligible to do so, nor are punishments severe enough for those who do commit gun crime. The AWB is based on such ignorance and so fundamentally flawed that ironically, one can easily support gun control and oppose the AWB at the same.

Sacred Heartbreak

The Sacred Heart Church on Winthrop Street closed its doors this July. Opened in 1939, the small parish was like second home to many residents of the Medford Hillside area. It attracted much media attention in March 2004 when the statue of the Virgin Mary in front of the church reportedly began weeping. Skeptics claimed the tears were really dew, but the constant pile of bouquets and mementos at the base of the statue showed the overwhelming faith in the miracle.

Sadly, the archdiocese of Boston closed the parish due to monetary constrictions following the sex-abuse scandals. They could not afford to keep every church open and pay the large costs of lawyers and settlements. The Sacred Heart Parish was deemed too small to handle the overflow from the closing of other, larger churches, and became a tiny victim of the archdiocese’s troubles.

The families who have attended Sacred Heart for generations are the real victims in all of this. Felling displaced and overlooked, they are now forced to find another church. The famous Statue has been relocated to another Medford parish, St. Clement’s, where many of Sacred Heart’s parishioners have followed.

As for the future of the church building—it is uncertain. Tufts may rent the building, as it is already renting the Catholic Center across the street from the Archdiocese. It would be an even better choice to buy the church, which would provide the University much needed space in an area close to the rest of the academic buildings. Maintaining a property so loved by the Medford community would also be an excellent step in boosting community relations. It was after all, a place where students and residents worshipped together.