美国国家公共电台 NPR--Independent probe of Uvalde shooting is the right call, Texas state Rep. White says

Independent probe of Uvalde shooting is the right call, Texas state Rep. White says

Transcript¹

NPR's Rachel Martin talks to state Rep. James White, an East Texas Republican who supports gun rights, about firearm legislation following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

We are joined now by James White. He serves in the Texas State House of Representatives and is also chairman of the State House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety. Mr. White, thank you so much for your time this morning.

JAMES WHITE: Thank you so much for having me on.

MARTIN: Is it the right call to bring the Department of Justice into this investigation²?

WHITE: Absolutely. It is always right and in order to bring in independent investigatory bodies when there's so much that the people that are being affected³ want to know. So I welcome this investigation, its findings. And it will help us move forward in coming up with ways to make sure these situations do not occur again.

MARTIN: The shooter was 18 years old. He couldn't buy beer or cigarettes. In the state of Texas, though, he could legally purchase an AR-15-style rifle, a second rifle and several hundred rounds of ammunition⁴. Is that OK with you?

WHITE: I would say this - right now, it is constitutional for him to do that. I am not OK with anyone using firearms to endanger Texans. So we'll look at this. But for more than a hundred years, Texans 18 and over have been authorized⁵ or permitted to purchase long arms. But, you know, we will look at this because also what I'm finding out is that most of these - when we have most of these mass shootings, especially when they're on campuses, it's actually youth that are under age of 18 that bring these weapons on campus and that are, actually, maybe students at the campus. So we'll be data-driven. And we'll look at this. And we'll make the right pivots⁶.

MARTIN: After the El Paso mass shooting in 2019, I mean, lawmakers in your state said the same thing - we're going to look at this, we're going to make changes. The legislator talked and talked and then nothing happened. In fact, last year, the state legislature voted to loosen restrictions⁷ on firearms. Has the shooting in Uvalde made you reconsider your support for those changes, because you did support those bills?

WHITE: Yes. Well, if I could put some context to that - one of the measures that we did pass was the lie and try. So the idea is that when you're filling out that form in lieu of the federal background check and you purposely lie in order to mislead someone that's doing that background check on the federal end, we did make that a federal offense⁸ - I mean, excuse me, a state offensive. It was already a federal offense, but we also made it a state offense. And we elevated it to the felony range. When it...

MARTIN: That was one out of several different proposals that were put forth⁹ to the legislature. You also made it OK to carry a revolver without a permit.

WHITE: OK. And that was for Texans 21 and older, OK? In respect to your question again - after the school shootings in Santa Fe, we did pass several school safety measures in response to that. So anything that we considered last session and we passed last session as it relates to constitutional firearms rights did not specifically apply to the tragic¹⁰ event in Uvalde.

MARTIN: You're the chairman of the House Committee on Public Safety. Should the rights of gun owners in your state outweigh¹¹ the rights of children to go to school without getting killed by someone using those weapons?

WHITE: I would say no because here's the deal, using weapons in an unlawful way to take a life - also, in Texas, we do not permit guns on school campuses. In fact, within a 300-foot buffer¹² around school campuses, when you commit a crime with that weapon in possession, it's actually enhanced. So we do not legally, lawfully¹³ permit, unless you're law enforcement, these weapons on our campuses. And, no, I am not OK with people abusing constitutional rights and killing¹⁴ children.

MARTIN: You would not support, then, a measure to allow or encourage teachers to carry weapons then?

WHITE: Well, we have that measure in Texas. Those teachers - and, really, it could be a teacher, it could be administrators¹⁵, it could be staff that's employed at the school. They go through training. They go through a mental background check. So there are heightened protections and provisions for that. So I do support the discretion¹⁶ of local school boards making those decisions.

MARTIN: Even though the presence of more guns in the Uvalde shooting didn't make a difference?

WHITE: Well, what do you mean the presence of more guns in the Uvalde - in what respect?

MARTIN: There were police who were armed who were inside the building. And still, 19 children died.

WHITE: OK. Well, this is - to your point there on the police that were in the building while the children passed away, that's part of the federal investigation, to look at why those officers were in the building and they were not given the go-ahead order to take the shooter out. That will be investigated. But what I'm hearing from Texans around the state is that they would like to see more law enforcement on the campuses protecting these students and teachers.

MARTIN: But close to a majority of Texans also say that they'd like to see stricter gun safety laws. We'd love to have you on to talk more about this. James White serves in the Texas House of Representatives and is chairman of the State House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety. He joined us on Skype. Thank you so much for your time.

WHITE: Thank you.

(SOUNDBITE OF GUSTAV GUSTAV'S "HYACINTH")

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 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

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 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

6 pivots   

n.枢( pivot的名词复数 )；最重要的人（或事物）；中心；核心v.（似）在枢轴上转动( pivot的第三人称单数 )；把…放在枢轴上；以…为核心，围绕（主旨）展开

参考例句：

• The success of the project pivots on investment from abroad. 这个工程的成功主要依靠外来投资。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The novel pivots around a long conversation between two characters. 这部小说是以两个人物的对话为中心展开的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

9 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

10 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

11 outweigh   

vt.比...更重，...更重要

参考例句：

• The merits of your plan outweigh the defects.你制定的计划其优点胜过缺点。
• One's merits outweigh one's short-comings.功大于过。

12 buffer   

n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲

参考例句：

• A little money can be a useful buffer in time of need.在急需时，很少一点钱就能解燃眉之急。
• Romantic love will buffer you against life's hardships.浪漫的爱会减轻生活的艰辛。

13 lawfully   

adv.守法地，合法地；合理地

参考例句：

• Lawfully established contracts shall be protected by law. 依法成立的合同应受法律保护。 来自口语例句
• As my lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, till death parts us. 当成是我的合法丈夫，无论疾病灾难，直到死亡把我们分开。 来自电影对白

14 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。

15 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

16 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。