美国国家公共电台 NPR--Mayor Eric Adams says gun violence is everyone's problem. Here's how NYC tackles it

Mayor Eric Adams says gun violence is everyone's problem. Here's how NYC tackles it

Transcript¹

The recent spate² of high-profile mass shootings, including in Buffalo³, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas, has fueled some federal efforts to pass gun control legislation.

This week, the House passed a bill that would raise the age limit for purchasing a semi-automatic rifle and prohibit the sale of ammunition⁴ magazines with a capacity of more than 15 rounds. It passed along party lines and is not expected to become law. Meanwhile, Senate negotiators are debating a narrow set of proposals addressing things like school safety, mental health programs and incentives⁵ for states to create red flag laws.

The tragedies have also spurred some changes at the state level, like New York's bill raising the age to buy and own semi-automatic rifles to 21. New York has some of the toughest gun laws in the country — though an impending⁶ ruling from the Supreme⁷ Court could soon overturn its concealed⁸ carry restrictions⁹.

Testifying before the House Committee on Oversight¹⁰ and Reform on Wednesday, New York Mayor Eric Adams — a former law enforcement officer — said it is "high noon in America" and called on Congress to enact¹¹ what he described as common sense gun reform.

Those measures include regulating or banning assault weapons, enhancing background checks and directing more funding to states and localities for healthcare, childcare, education and housing.

"We are facing a crisis that is killing¹² more Americans than war," he said. "A crisis that is now the No. 1 cause of death for our young people. A crisis that is flooding our cities with illegal guns faster than we can take them off the street."

He said while the New York Police Department has taken over 3,000 illegal guns off the city's streets this year alone, "the guns just keep coming."

Adams spoke¹³ to Morning Edition about why gun violence is "everyone's problem," and how New York City is tackling it.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Well, I think that the question is not only New York City, but across the entire country. We are seeing the over-proliferation of guns. We're seeing a system that is currently feeding young people to this type of violence because of the accessibility to guns, lack of supportive services and really not a dual¹⁴ approach of what I call intervention¹⁵ and prevention.

Lax laws in other states are causing the crises in Chicago, the crises in Atlanta, Detroit, St. Louis, New York, San Francisco. They're feeding these guns into our city. We have one gun that was stolen out of a car in Virginia that was used in five incidents, including shooting two people.

On how New York City is addressing gun violence

Intervention is what we're doing on neighborhood safety teams, getting police officers interacting with those who are carrying guns, because we must take them off the streets and get support from the other arms of the criminal justice system ... And you must be on the ground to do that.

We removed over 3,000 guns off our streets [this year]. We're seeing a 30% decrease in shootings and in homicides during the months of April and May. We're seeing the byproduct of the plan we put in place. We're saying to every agency in this city: "Gun violence is everyone's problem, and we all must have a solution to it."

On gun rights advocates' argument that a person is safer if they can carry their own firearm

Well, first of all, it's clear that those who are in states where you have free gun laws, police officers are three times more likely to be murdered by guns in that state. And so when you look at people who state that you're safer because a civilian¹⁶ or an innocent person is carrying a gun, it just is not true.

Guns kill people not only due to violence, but also a substantial number of people who die due to suicide ... People sometimes have a tendency when they carry guns, they feel they should use the gun. Some basic disputes can turn into a gunfight of legal gun carriers, like we're seeing basic disputes on our streets turning into gun fights with illegal gun carriers. It's time for us to realize that our babies are dying because of the fixation of those who are gun manufacturers, and the talking points of the NRA.

On whether Adams, a moderate Democrat¹⁷, sees his gun control advocacy as progressive

I don't use that term, progressive. I don't even know what it means anymore. I am a sensible, pragmatic, elected public official. And what I believe in: making sure we get our guns off streets. I also believe in making sure we rid our dangerous people off our streets.

That is the problem we're facing in America. The far-left that believes no one should be held accountable for their criminal actions is now competing with the far-right that believes that guns should be given to anyone that desires to have one. They are shooting at each other with their dispute, while innocent Americans and New Yorkers are caught in the crossfire¹⁸.

And so I think the overwhelming number of New Yorkers support my beliefs and positions. They believe in pragmatic, sensible gun laws. They surely don't believe that dangerous people should remain on our streets. So let's get rid of the labels of the far-left and the far-right, and let's do what's right for America and keep our children safe.

This interview was produced by Ziad Buchh and Sean Saldana, and edited by Natalie Schachar.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 spate   

n.泛滥，洪水，突然的一阵

参考例句：

• Police are investigating a spate of burglaries in the area.警察正在调查这一地区发生的大量盗窃案。
• Refugees crossed the border in full spate.难民大量地越过了边境。

3 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

4 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

5 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 impending   

a.imminent, about to come or happen

参考例句：

• Against a background of impending famine, heavy fighting took place. 即将发生饥荒之时，严重的战乱爆发了。
• The king convoke parliament to cope with the impending danger. 国王召开国会以应付迫近眉睫的危险。

7 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

8 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

9 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

10 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

11 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

12 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

13 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

14 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

15 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

16 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

17 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

18 crossfire   

n.被卷进争端

参考例句：

• They say they are caught in the crossfire between the education establishment and the government.他们称自己被卷进了教育机构与政府之间的争端。
• When two industrial giants clash,small companies can get caught in the crossfire.两大工业企业争斗之下，小公司遭受池鱼之殃。