VOA标准英语2013--Senate Gun Debate Moves to Judiciary Committee

（单词翻译）

Senate Gun Debate Moves to Judiciary Committee

Mass slaughters¹ of children in Connecticut, movie-goers in Colorado, college students in Virginia, and congressional constituents² in Arizona have amplified³ calls for action.

First to speak at the hearing: former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head during the 2011 Arizona shooting rampage.

“We must do something. It will be hard, but the time is now. You must act," she said. 

Gun control advocates want to ban military-style assault weapons, limit the size of ammunition⁴ magazines, and require background checks for all gun purchases. 

Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson said, "Allowing 40 percent of those acquiring guns to bypass checks is like allowing 40 percent of passengers to board a plane without going through security. Would we do that?”

But gun rights defenders⁵ say new firearms regulations and restrictions⁶ are not the answer. 

Wayne LaPierre, who heads the National Rifle Association, said, “Proposing more gun laws while failing to enforce the thousands we already have is not a serious solution for reducing crime. Nor do we believe that government should dictate⁷ what we can lawfully⁸ own and use to protect our families.”

At times, the hearing dissolved into chaos⁹.

Some argued a balance must be struck: preserving the right of Americans’ to bear arms while ensuring public safety. 

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy said, “Lives are at risk when responsible people fail to stand up for laws that keep guns out of the hands of those who use them to commit murder, especially mass-murders.”

Others fear Congress will react impulsively¹⁰ to the Connecticut school shootings. 

Republican Senator Ted¹¹ Cruz said, “Unfortunately, in Washington, emotion often leads to bad policies.”

Passionate¹² views exchanged at the hearing mirror deep divisions across the nation on firearms. Analyst¹³ Anthony Cordesman sees a bumpy¹⁴ road ahead in the gun control debate.

“This will be very political, extremely polarized. Public opinion will remain confused and divided, swinging up and down depending on who manipulates it best," he said. 

The nation’s attention has been focused on gun violence since the tragedy at Newtown. All sides of the debate are keenly aware that another mass shooting could occur at any moment.