Congress is about to look at a bill that would make possessing a firearm similar to having a driver’s license, meaning that states would be required to recognize the gun laws of other states.
New York City Police Department Commissioner James O’Neill said Sunday it would be “insanity” for the federal government to force one state to recognize another’s gun laws, since states that have strict anti-gun laws would be required to honor other state laws that might be more lenient. New York is notoriously anti-gun.
“I think its insanity,” O’Neill told CBS’s “60 Minutes” in an interview that aired Sunday night. O’Neill said that accidents, suicides and crime could skyrocket if additional out-of-state guns are permitted.
“Right now, we have a good idea of who is carrying guns. If this law passes, all bets are off. Anybody can come into New York City from any state and carry a weapon,” O’Neill said.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. agreed and said: “I think it would be a disaster for New York City and, I think, for major cities around the country. You bring that kind of volume of firepower, even with well-intentioned people, it’s gonna be extremely dangerous.”
Vance said New York should be able to decide its own gun policy.
“I wouldn’t presume to tell the residents of West Virginia what their gun laws should be. They’ve figured out what they want there. But I don’t think they, or Congress, should be having West Virginia’s laws put on New York City,” he added.
