VOA标准英语2008年-Carrying Guns at US Busiest Airport Sparks Cont

A new law in the southern state of Georgia has set the stage for a court dispute over whether guns should be allowed at the nation's busiest airport. Mike Cooper reports for VOA from Atlanta on the disagreement over where firearms can be carried.
　
Handguns on display at B & J Guns in Colonie, N.Y., 26 Jun 2008

The new Georgia law allows citizens with a permit to own a gun to bring their concealed¹ weapons into state parks, restaurants that serve alcohol or on public transportation.

While federal law bans bringing a gun past airport security checkpoints, firearm proponents² argue the Georgia law means they can now carry guns in all other areas of Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin disagrees. She said the city will continue to enforce a no-gun policy in all areas of the airport, which handles 89 million passengers a year.

"It is virtually impossible for us to ensure safety if anyone without training who gets a permit to carry a gun in Georgia is allowed to come into the airport," she said.

Mayor Franklin said she will push for a new federal law declaring all U.S. airports as gun-free zones.

Of Georgia's 9.5 million residents, more than 300,000 have permits to carry a gun. They must undergo a criminal background check, but they are not required to have any practice or training.

When the new law went into effect Tuesday, a gun advocacy group, GeorgiaCarry.org, filed a lawsuit³ in federal district court challenging the airport's firearms ban.

The group's attorney, John Monroe, rejects the city's claim that the airport is a "public gathering⁴" place.
　
US Supreme⁵ Court (file photo)

"It says you can't carry to a public gathering. And then farther on down under H.B. [House Bill] 89 it says, but if you have a license⁶ you can carry on public transportation. So there's an exception built right into the public gathering law," he said.

The controversy⁷ in Atlanta is not directly related to last week's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court striking down a ban on handguns in Washington, D.C. But that decision is widely expected to trigger more legal challenges of restrictions⁸ on gun
ownership around the nation.

 

1 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。

2 proponents   

n.（某事业、理论等的）支持者，拥护者( proponent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句

3 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 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。

6 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

7 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

8 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