美国国家公共电台 NPR--Following the mass shooting in Dadeville, Ala., calls grow louder for gun reform

Following the mass shooting in Dadeville, Ala., calls grow louder for gun reform

Transcript¹

Funerals for the victims of a mass shooting during a Sweet 16 party in Alabama are being held, as some question the state's new gun law that allows 19-year-olds to carry weapons without a permit.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

A week and a half ago, a mass shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party killed four young people and wounded 32 others, mostly teens. Funerals for the victims continue in Dadeville, Ala. The second was held yesterday. And Troy Public Radio's Kyle Gassiott was in Dadeville.

KYLE GASSIOTT, BYLINE²: At school, Philstavious Dowdell made an impact. Friends and teachers say the 18-year-old always had a smile and a wave. He was voted Mr. Dadeville High School. And they lined up on the sidelines to see him play football and run track, like in this video from his Twitter feed.

(CHEERING)

GASSIOTT: Yesterday, flags flew at half-mast at the high school. And the community lined up again, dressed in school colors, black and gold, for Dowdell's funeral.

SHEILA HILL: He was a very, very nice young man.

GASSIOTT: Across the street from the school, Sheila Hill (ph) has gathered with other women for support. Her son was at that birthday party, which was held for Dowdell's sister. Her son wasn't hurt and hid with others until the shooting ended. Hill says he's different now and doesn't want to be away from his parents.

HILL: He usually don't ride with us anywhere because he's 16. But since this happened, when me and his dad leave the house, he's like, I'm going. So he says he OK, but I'm not sure.

GASSIOTT: Six suspects were arrested, many close in age to the victims. Police have not released a motive³, a timeline or the types of weapons used. Annette Allen, Dowdell's grandmother, believes guns are involved in too many shootings like this. She made this plea in the hours after the tragedy.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ANNETTE ALLEN: Put the guns down. Stop being violent. And get along with each other. And put God first, foremost. That what they need to do, learn about God. And they would know not to be picking up guns and shooting, shooting and killing⁴.

GASSIOTT: Alabama's Black legislative⁵ caucus⁶ would like to put more restrictions⁷ on who's able to own guns. In the days following the shooting, State Senator Merika Coleman held a press conference in front of a funeral home near Dadeville. Coleman called for more red flag laws requiring dangerous individuals to surrender their firearms.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MERIKA COLEMAN: Our communities are hurting. Our young people are dying. And they are not looking for speeches or thoughts and prayers. They are looking for action to go along with those thoughts and prayers.

GASSIOTT: But Coleman and others face an uphill battle in a state where gun ownership is nearly 50%, according to a recent study by the Violence Policy Center. The study also ranked Alabama fifth in the nation for gun deaths. In January of this year, a law pushed by gun rights activists⁸, which they call constitutional carry, went into effect in Alabama. It allows anyone 19 years or older to carry a gun without a permit. When Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed it into law, she said, unlike states who are doing everything in their power to make it harder for law abiding⁹ citizens, Alabama is reaffirming our commitment to defending our Second Amendment¹⁰ rights. Regardless of who's able to carry a gun in the state, law enforcement officer Sergeant¹¹ Jeremy Birkett made one thing clear in a press conference in Dadeville last week.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JEREMY BURKETT: This is Alabama. And when you pull out a gun and you start shooting people, we're going to put you in jail.

GASSIOTT: More information about the shooting is expected to be released today, as many of the suspects are scheduled to appear at a court hearing.

For NPR News, I'm Kyle Gassiott in Dadeville, Ala.

(SOUNDBITE OF PHIL FRANCE'S "CIRCLE - REPRISE")

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 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

4 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。

5 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

6 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

7 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

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 abiding   

adj.永久的，持久的，不变的

参考例句：

• He had an abiding love of the English countryside.他永远热爱英国的乡村。
• He has a genuine and abiding love of the craft.他对这门手艺有着真挚持久的热爱。

10 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。

11 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？