Littleton's Legacy

It's too bad that it sometimes takes tragedy to draw our attention to widespread problems in America, but that has been the case in the aftermath of the Littleton, Colo., massacre last month. In the wake of the shooting, Congress has responded with long overdue gun control measures designed to keep guns out of the hands of juveniles.

At first, Republican Senators were recalcitrant, still operating under pressure from the National Rifle Association. Last week, however, after an intense lobbying effort by gun control advocates and the president, the Senate passed the first significant new gun control bill in years. The bill, which passed 51-50 after Vice President Al Gore '69 cast the tie-breaking vote, mandates background checks for people purchasing guns at gun shows and pawn shops.

The bill would close a major loophole which had allowed juveniles to buy the weapons used in the Littleton shooting. Unfortunately, the G.O.P. measure was not as stringent as the one proposed a day earlier by the Democrats. But it was better than nothing coming from a party which had previously done little more than pay lip service to gun control. The measure is now tied up in the House, where Speaker Dennis J. Hastert (R-III.) has delayed a vote. Hopefully, House Republican efforts to water-down the bill will fail when Hastert allows it to come to a vote in June.

But in addition to positive gun control efforts, Congress is considering troublesome Republican measures that would punish juvenile criminals more severely for their crimes. These bills, if passed, would make it easier to try juveniles as adults and impose longer sentences for juveniles in adult prisons--most notably a mandatory sentencing of 20 years for bringing a gun to school.

These measures are the wrong way to approach preventing another tragedy like the one in Littleton. Juveniles are uniquely receptive to rehabilitation and should not be imprisoned with hardened criminals. Kids who commit heinous crimes must be punished, but they must also be allowed to have a future. The harsher sentencing of juveniles as adults is not a proven deterrent and puts impressionable youngsters in contact with those least likely to help them re-integrate into society.

Both Republicans and Democrats should resist the urge to punish rather than prevent. Republicans must demand, as they did on last week, that their leadership present them with stricter gun control legislation and make stronger efforts to get out from under the nefarious influence of the NRA. Democrats must work actively to pass legislation improving guidance and mental health counseling for juveniles. Littleton's lesson is not one of retribution--it should be one of prevention and education.