Show Tag 2 The Utah Statesman Wednesday April 1 1981 Will shooting of Reagan trigger hand gun control? Presidential line of succession discus by Sam Lucero Moments after the news of the assassination attrmpt on President Reagan many thoughts ran through the minds of the American by Wayne Adair In Dallas there's a pawn shop with a sign on the door thate savs “Guns don't cause crime any more than flies cause gar-bai?- chat John N anux k Hinckley purchsvHi one of which he alledgedly used to revolvers two wound President Ronald Reagan press secretary James Bradv a Washington police officer and a Secret Serv ice agent on Monday Now following the attack in Washington the question of hand gun control seems particularly pertinent Just after the first reports concerning the shooting were aired Kent E Robson USU associate professor in the languages and philosophy department and a vocal proponent of gun control reuerated his stance on the volatile issue "It is utterlv insane to allow everyone to buv and keep a hand gun in his possession" Robson said “I would like to see some more severe licensing and registration procedures for all hand guns He said he hojietf this most recent assastnation attrmpt would make Congress realize the necessity for stringent hand gun controls However Andy Kendzie spokesman for the National Rifle Association categorically disagreed with Rofison’s position on gun control “I think if you look at it rationally there is nothing to give credence to gun control efforts" Kendzie said "I don’t see how any gun control art could have helped (stop the Reagan shooting) Kendzie further stressed that the answer to curbing violent crime is dealing harshly with criminals who use a firearm in the commission of a violent act not penalizing ‘'law-abidin- g regulagun owners and dealers by imposing It ai in that shop v public Who would have succeded Reagan if he had died? Who would make the country's decisions if he was disabled? Even more important who would have been in control if an attempted missile attack had occured? If Reagan had died from the bullet wound to his chest the order of succession to the presidential position would have automatically gone to Vice President George Bush If something had happened to Bush after assuming the presidency the nest in line for the thief position would be the Speaker of the House of Representatives After the Speaker of the House members of the presidential cabinet would follow according to which post was historically formed first If Reagan had bren seriously wounded and was in a state of unconsciousness or if he frit he could not manage his position effectively his authority could have temporarily been turned over to the vice praideat According to Peter Galdrria sc tence instructor'! USU men! of the Constitution the 25th mw which tmtsxd in 1967 allows the vice president to tbt command under these circumstances Galdrrisi said that if the d a majority of cabinet members tell Cotgres I that the president is unable to cany tub j would brawn duties the j president "He (the president) can also submit to the Speaker of the House staling hn disability" said Galdensi “When he M well enough be can write another note ah vicr-prad- speaker" Bush was en route to Washington D C moments after the assassination attempt Reagan occurred At the same time tap was temporarily disabled while under anesthesia during surgery Bush maintained full communication wd Washington on his returned flight froiTnt and according to Galdrrisi Bushwmkib been in charge of “pushing the buttcs'Ti military crisis had occured over-restricti- tions" on firearms Robson responding to Kendzie’s claim said "The problem is that we don’t have any federally consistent gun laws Although Washington lias fairly strong gun control laws the gun (mltrgrtily) ucrrf 10 ahoot Rrsfsn wu purchased in DsJlu and transported info Washington " Robson cited homicide figures compiled by the FBI that show some 70 percent of all murders in the United States occur brtween family members or close friends who have no previous criminal record “The scenario is almost always the same" Robson said "Family members go out for the evening have an argument when they get home grab a hand gun and commit murder in the heat of the moment" Peter F G alder isi instructor in the political science department at USU said the success of gun control is largely in the hands of Ronald Reagan Lie said that Reagan would have to come out for gun control if it were to have a chance in passing Congress U'f' ' - j Motive sought in attempted murder of Reag W Pierce teItl'L definie moiv for becwW pwc Monday at- - pnychologkal he nwdsys ion in "ST v0'lW anyone want to dent of the United States? Whm hm or sue h a person’s background to motivate premeditated murder? I such a sociopathic or completely mentally health?! control of his actions? "A person trying to wipe out a power figure is sually someone who feels very inadequate" observed USU psychology professor E Wayne Wright PT°n “ P M off the coup of enP the centurv He Who a bpgget p heas someone important and by shoot i n g him he (Hinckley) can make a place for himself in history He may be enjoying the publicity" Riley said She leaches the social psychology deviance and criminolgy courses offered by the USU sociology department Although hesitant to make specific speculations psychiatrist Curtis Canning said “there are a whole gamut of possible motives from anger to JJJJf!?® o a seriously distorted perception of the evem ls mH totally out of character with °°ur children on the TV or ary Pom" Canning com- mcmed i “Znz:° uhony syrsr rk been Sociology Assistant Professor figures charged Monday with attemnReagan and assault inga seem oray rowd tonight s!l-1" “i i° to by making “itmTTed Pallia Jtht dkates that his alleged motive may have been his obsession for actress Jodie Foster SEwJSE’'r'1" Pic- - f““d yX The letter addressed to Foster no University student expressed Hincklri go out and do something to get himseu cldey reportedly explained in the believed Reagan had slighted Foster "I’m going to do it for you" It was definitely a psychotic event iZr ing responded clarifying that Minrkkyl1 mental status icm ni mo "a puzzle for Canning defined the term “psyc0 of mind which makes it difficult for function in the same social reality wi "He did not look schizophrenic to u Wright commented Tuesday aftenwotVT from broadcast reports he had seen very violent and did not look the that would be psychotic" Wright Wright who has been commissioned give psychological therapy to criminal predicted a possible schizophrenic Hinckley such as the fulfillment of a from Cod For example may have to continue Use Hinckleytrend among peculiar presidents to die while in office if £ year ending in zero (1860 1920 I9W pF iic |