Perry pushes prayer, not legislation, to fight violence

"As a free people, let us choose what kind of people we will be. Laws, the only redoubt of secularism, will not suffice. Let us all return to our places of worship and pray for help. Above all, let us pray for our children."



— Gov. Rick Perry of Texas



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Gov. Rick Perry recommended prayer rather than changes in gun laws to combat violence in society, following President Obama’s call for increased gun control and enforcement.

“There is evil prowling in the world – it shows up in our movies, video games and online fascinations, and finds its way into vulnerable hearts and minds,” Perry said in a statement issued after the president’s Washington, D.C., news conference on gun violence. “As a free people, let us choose what kind of people we will be. Laws, the only redoubt of secularism, will not suffice. Let us all return to our places of worship and pray for help. Above all, let us pray for our children.”

Perry said few of the recommendations put forth by Vice President Joe Biden’s committee on violence, appointed by the president after the Newtown school massacre that killed 20 children and six adults, had anything to do with what happened in that Connecticut town.

“In fact, the piling on by the political left, and their cohorts in the media, to use the massacre of little children to advance a pre-existing political agenda that would not have saved those children, disgusts me, personally,” the governor said. “The Second Amendment to the Constitution is a basic right of free people and cannot be nor will it be abridged by the executive power of this or any other president.”

State Rep. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, applauded the president’s announcement, calling it a “common sense plan to increase gun safety.”

In a statement, Ellis voiced support for Obama’s call for universal background checks for all gun purchases, reinstatement of the assault weapons ban and a prohibition on high-capacity ammunition clips.

“I also applaud his plan to issue an executive order requiring the Center for Disease Control to study the impact of guns and gun violence on public health,” the lawmaker said. “For too long, science has been bullied into silence on this issue.

Ellis said he planned to file legislation to close the gun show loophole in Texas. Under federal law, unlicensed gun dealers are not required to conduct background checks of buyers. Many of the sales at gun shows are by unlicensed dealers.

“I am also exploring other common sense solutions to keep guns out of the hands of those who should not have them, help law enforcement track gun crime and increase oversight of those allowed to sell firearms in Texas,” Ellis said. “We can ensure public safety while preserving the individual right to bear arms is protected.”

Ray Hunt, president of the Houston Police Officers Union, said the administration’s gun control proposals will not be effective.

“Any gun control laws that are implemented as of 2013 are going to only apply to the honest citizens, they’re not going to apply to the crooks,” Hunt said. “That’s why we have serious problems with it.”

Hunt said any changes in law would be followed by honest citizens, but would have no effect on keeping criminals from obtaining guns.

“I think this is a reaction to a very tragic situation, no doubt about it, but every gun law in effect would not have prevented what happened in that situation,” Hunt said of the Sandy Hook shooting. “That person was mentally ill, he didn’t by the gun himself, someone who was competent bought it.”