The antis in NY and DC got nothing on MA

[News Shooter]

By Suzanne Smalley, Globe Staff

MacArthur Williams was shot in Roxbury as he changed a tire on his Hyundai so he could go to work the next day. The man who shot him on that September night in 1989 was looking for revenge in a gang dispute, Williams said.

The gunshot paralyzed Williams, now a father of four living in Dorchester. Wednesday, he was among advocates and paralysis patients who urged state legislators to impose a $25 surcharge on all handgun purchases in Massachusetts to fund spinal cord injury research, so that one day he might walk again.

"It’s a privilege to own a gun," Williams said in an interview. "The surcharge, if you know it’s going toward research for a problem caused by gun violence, most people wouldn’t have a problem."

A man paralyzed in a motorcycle accident while serving as a Boston police cadet in 1995 and other advocates also appeared in their wheelchairs before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Health Care Financing to emphasize how critical it is to raise more money for spinal cord research.

Dr. Eric Ruby, a Taunton pediatrician who is leading the effort, said that despite world-class medical talent, Massachusetts lags far behind some other states in funding for such research.

A committee member asked Williams whether legal gun owners, who would pay the fee, are the same people who are shooting others on Boston streets.

Williams said that’s beside the point. ‘"t’s still violence from guns, and they got the guns from somewhere," the 39-year-old answered.

He and other advocates are backing legislation introduced by Representative James H. Fagan, a Democrat from Taunton and a friend of Ruby’s. One proposal would charge gun owners, excluding law enforcement officers, $25 every time they buy a handgun. The other would charge builders $50 for any construction costing more than $25,000.:banghead:

 

[romma]

"It’s a privilege to own a gun,"

It's a right!

 

[SaMx]

Wait, is the $25 dollar surcharge supposed to make people not want to buy guns? They do realize most handguns cost several hundred dollars, right? It's not like an extra 25 is really going to act as an incentive against buying one.

 

[ambush]

The whole idea stinks. How come gun owners have to pay? How about people buying cars and motorcycles, they cause more spinal cord injuries than guns do, I would think. And, as usual, LEO's are exempted....why?

 

[LAR-15]

LEOs get their guns stolen by criminals and used by criminals

 

[Duncan223]

he was shot in a gang-related retaliation shooting?

was he a gang member at the time?

was he a criminal, thug, dealer, pimp at the time?

If he was a truly innocent victim, then I feel for his situation. If he is a gangsta that has "seen the Light" following a horrific, violent event of his own doing, then two damn bad.

 

[cbsbyte]

The sad fact is that Mr Willilams is right in stating that it is a privilage to own firearms in Mass. You see our 2nd Ad rights were gutted by the State Supreme court in the 1970s. The judges sided with the states claim that the 2nd AD was for state funded militias. Since then we have been living on borrowed time.

 

[Thefabulousfink]

Giving $$ to help people walk again = GOOD

Taking away peoples' rights = BAD

Using a good cause to hide the removal of peoples' rights = EVIL


You can spray a turd with perfume, but it's still a turd.

 

[thorn726]

INSANE

ok the list
cars, motorcycles, any object over five feet tall

how many more items can we add a $25 for spinal cord research???

all BATHROOM REMODELS!!!

SLIPPERY TILES!!!

BANANAS!!!!

DIVING BOARDS TRAMPOLINES SNOWBAORDS SKATEBOARDS BICYCLES

the list goes on forever

i work for quadrapeligics

setting aside those born disabled, out of hundreds of clients, it's about
49% car accident
51.99% unbelievably stupid/bizarre accident
man my figures are off- anyway out of about a list of 500, i got one gunshot victim- shot while being robbed because he was a drug dealer.

this is one of the dumber proposals i've heard of, but not that suprising- severly disabled often do end up seeing things through a very small lense so it is understandable the victim would make this incredibly wrong assumption that guns are a leader in spinal injury.

 

[Mongo the Mutterer]

Hmmm, I got a better idea.

How about a gang surcharge... about $1,000 per member per week.

Or a gang "revenge" revenue issue? For $10,000 you can cap a certified member of another gang. Maybe make it into sort of a necklace. Call it "Bang Bling". (put a GPS tracker in it, too, but we won't bother to tell the boys bout dat...)

 

[TargetTerror]

You can spray a turd with perfume, but it's still a turd.

hahahaha. I shall have to remember that one.

 

[hnk45acp]

MA maybe worse but look for NYC to leapfrog over MA after last nights shootings

 

[Standing Wolf]

"It’s a privilege to own a gun," Williams said in an interview. "The surcharge, if you know it’s going toward research for a problem caused by gun violence, most people wouldn’t have a problem."

In plain English, he's a statist parasite.

 

[Cesiumsponge]

He also wants to charge $50 to construction workers on any project over $25,000 because they are a source of spinal injury too.

If this guy was shot in the face, he would be lobbying for mandatory charges from gun owners and boxing matches for messed up face research.

 

[gunsmith]

what?

A man paralyzed in a motorcycle accident while serving as a Boston police cadet in 1995

yet no mention of suing motorcycle companies or tire makers

 

[71Commander]

The whole idea stinks. How come gun owners have to pay? How about people buying cars and motorcycles, they cause more spinal cord injuries than guns do

Because the politican's haven't thought of it yet.

 

[Autolycus]

I cant believe that there are people who want to force others to give to charity. I would commend the committee member who pointed out that it is not legal gun owners who are committing these crimes but who will have to pay for it.

All I cant think of is...

 

[Dorryn]

It wasnt until I became a member here at THR that I learned how good I have it in upstate NY. I have a lot less to complain about in comparison with Illinois, California, and Massachussets.

Nothing like an eye opener to feel more cheerful about your situation!

 

[romma]

It wasnt until I became a member here at THR that I learned how good I have it in upstate NY. I have a lot less to complain about in comparison with Illinois, California, and Massachussets.

One political appointment change, and you may not have it so good from what I understand Dorryn. I have heard horrible stories of people that carried in upstate NY for years, had a new judge assigned to the bench,,, and no more concealed carry for them. All states should keep pushing for Shall Issue!

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

privilege? the 2A says it's a right.

 

[Outlaw Man]

How about a $20,000 surcharge on the price of a new home to pay for research for injured soldiers in Iraq in exchange for not having soldiers quartered in your house?

It's a good cause, and, hey, not having soldiers quartered in your house is just a privilege.



ETA: I'm not being sarcastic about the "good cause" part - in both cases it is a really good cause.

 

[obxned]

Stop the insanity!!!!!

 

[obxned]

By the same logic that “owning a gun is a privilege”, let's put a tax of $1 on each newspaper and magazine, $1/viewer on all radio and TV news programs, and $1 per person for any speech. After all, freedom of speech and freedom of the press are just privileges.