美国国家公共电台 NPR--Republican Rep. Jacobs won't seek reelection after he changed his stance on guns

Republican Rep. Jacobs won't seek reelection after he changed his stance on guns

Transcript¹

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Republican Rep. Chris Jacobs of western New York. Jacobs decided² not to seek another term in Congress after his support for gun control drew the ire of GOP colleagues.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

There has been another shooting, this one outside Birmingham, Ala., at a church. Two people are dead and a third wounded. Police say a gunman, who's now in custody³, opened fire last night on a small group meeting inside the church. It is just the latest in a series of shootings that's prompted Congress to try and take action. Republican Congressman⁴ Chris Jacobs represents communities in western New York, not far from the Buffalo⁵ grocery store where a gunman killed 10 people in a racist⁶ attack. After that shooting, Jacobs said he would back a federal ban on assault weapons. Days later, he dropped his reelection bid. Our co-host, Steve Inskeep, asked him why.

CHRIS JACOBS: I represent the suburbs of Erie County, where Buffalo is. So I don't represent where the massacre⁷ happened, but I grew up in the city, consider it, certainly, my hometown. And I knew one of the individuals who perished. But more so, many of my colleagues that I served on the school board with were African American, who knew many of those people. And so, you know, as I said, I hope I'm being compassionate⁸ when I've heard of incidents and - that have happened around the country over the years. But it's certainly markedly different when it happens in your hometown. And I spent a lot of time the next couple of weeks talking to a lot of people on this issue of gun control and many in law enforcement, many supporters of the Second Amendment⁹.

And I view myself as a supporter of the Second Amendment. I was the Erie county clerk. The clerks in New York state run the pistol permitting division. So you know, I spent a lot of time helping¹⁰ people avail themselves of the Second Amendment right. But when I talked to people on - that were supporters of the Second Amendment, their view that no additional restrictions¹¹ were merited, you know, their rationale that I listened to them just didn't ring true. And, you know, look; I'm very supportive of, you know, more security in our schools, of - we certainly do have a mental health crisis in this country. We need to work on that.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Right.

JACOBS: But to leave guns off the table, any sort of gun control, I just thought was intellectually dishonest.

INSKEEP: If I can ask, what did you then propose?

JACOBS: So I - you know, I'm in the midst of - or was in the midst of running for reelection. And the part of the district outside Erie County, where Buffalo is, is quite rural, big supporters of gun rights. And I just felt I needed to be honest where my head was at, you know? I said publicly that I've thought a lot about this. And my views have altered here. And if an assault weapons ban came to the House floor, I would vote for it. And then I said, I'm not sure if it will. I don't think it will. I don't think it'll pass the Senate, but I would vote for it. But in lieu of that, here are some other things that I think could make a difference. And I said I would be supportive of the idea of raising the age for assault weapons to - from 18 to 21, also, the magazine limit, that I would support a magazine limit. I don't know why anybody needs a magazine with 50 rounds in it.

Then one issue specific to what happened in Buffalo at the supermarket where the massacre happened - the retired¹² police officer, Aaron Salter, who was the security guard at the supermarket, he tried to take out the shooter. But the shooter had military-grade body armor on his body and on his head, a helmet. And with - Aaron Salter's gun could not take him out. As a result, he was murdered. And then the majority of the other murders happened in the store. So if that individual did not have body armor, things could be a lot different. So I'm co-sponsoring legislation here in the House to put restrictions on who can obtain body armor. I don't know why any person under the sun can get it. I think you should be, you know, law enforcement or a security guard or something related to a rational reason. But that - I don't think everybody should get that. So that's something I'm working on as well.

INSKEEP: What kind of response did you get from your party?

JACOBS: It was pretty resounding¹³. You know, I was, I believe, on a pretty good path towards victory in my election, my primary, which is in August. And every Republican-elected official that had endorsed¹⁴ me withdrew their endorsement¹⁵. Every committee - party committee did the same. The Republican and Conservative Party started circulating petitions to put other people to run against me. So it was a pretty swift response.

INSKEEP: And they didn't just say, we disagree with you. They said, you are now unacceptable to us.

JACOBS: Right. So you know, I think that's - you know, I've said this is a problem I think we have in our party is, clearly, I've verified any question that - you know, the issue of guns, you have to have a one-size-fits-all view on this. And if not, you're not acceptable to the Republican Party right now. I would say, you know, on the Democrats¹⁶, it might be something like abortion¹⁷. So I don't think that is good for either party, to have that kind of view that you have to adhere 100% to a dogma. And I think it's one reason that things don't work here in Washington and why we're so polarized. So you know, I'm not abandoning my party. I will continue to fight for what I believe. I want to do anything I can the time I'm here remaining in Congress and outside Congress to make sure I can say that I did everything I can so no other community needs - has to go through what Buffalo is going through right now or what those parents who lost their beautiful children - happened in Uvalde and the many, many other tragedies.

INSKEEP: Congressman Jacobs, thanks for taking the time.

JACOBS: Thank you very much, appreciate it.

MARTIN: Republican Congressman Chris Jacobs from western New York state.

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 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

4 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

5 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。

6 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

7 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

8 compassionate   

adj.有同情心的，表示同情的

参考例句：

• She is a compassionate person.她是一个有同情心的人。
• The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.慈悲的法官从轻判处了那个年轻罪犯。

9 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

10 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

11 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

12 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

13 resounding   

adj. 响亮的

参考例句：

• The astronaut was welcomed with joyous,resounding acclaim. 人们欢声雷动地迎接那位宇航员。
• He hit the water with a resounding slap. 他啪的一声拍了一下水。

14 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 endorsement   

n.背书；赞成，认可，担保；签(注)，批注

参考例句：

• We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.我们很高兴给予该产品完全的认可。
• His presidential campaign won endorsement from several celebrities.他参加总统竞选得到一些社会名流的支持。

16 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。