By Peter A. Sutters Jr.
It was the 11th anniversary marking the creation of Mothers against Guns and in an elegant celebration at Antun's Catering Hall in Queens Village Friday, there was rejoicing for recently passed gun control legislation along with solemn mourning for those who have been lost to gun violence.”Tonight is not my night,” said Mother Against Guns founder Liz Bishop Goldsmith. “Tonight is for Bullet.”Bullet is the acronym that stands for Believers United Learning Loving Enduring Together, an after-school program whose goal is to teach young people nonviolent methods of conflict resolution.Goldsmith also had reason to celebrate since a package of legislation she and her group pushed hard for was recently signed into law by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was in attendance.The law, know as introduction 144-A, now makes it more difficult to purchase ammunition for guns by requiring a license for a gun that matches the ammo being purchased to be presented by the buyer. It also raises the age from 18 to 21 for purchasing a rifle or shotgun in New York City.Goldsmith thanked the mayor and gave him a ringing endorsement of her own.”I think Mayor Bloomberg is telling it like it is,” said Goldsmith. “This is one mayor who really gives a damn.” Goldsmith founded the group in 1994 following the death of her 27-year-old godson, Purnell Williams, who was killed outside the Jamaica nightclub where he worked as a security guard.Since then the group has expanded and chapters have been established all over the country and in the Britain. Councilman James Sanders Jr. (D-Laurelton), who was the primary sponsor of the bill, also noted the mayor's support on the passage of the legislation.”The City Council and the mayor stood shoulder to shoulder on this issue,' said Sanders.”The bottom line is that guns kill people,” said Blooomberg, who had just come from an event downstairs at the catering hall for the Guardians Association of the NYPD, a black police officers' organization.At both events, he touted statistics that homicides in the city have fallen below 600 for the year for the third year in a row.Bloomberg said he was honored to work with Mothers Against Guns and Sanders on signing the bill, but vowed that there was still work to be done. “We should not stop until we get illegal guns off the streets,” said Bloomberg. “They can't do it alone,” he said pointing to Goldsmith and members of the City Council who were also present. “Everyone in this room, everyone in this city, has to help.”Bloomberg recognized the family of slain Councilman James Davis, a 41-year-old Democrat from Fort Greene who was gunned down in City Call in July 2003 by a political rival, Othniel Boaz Askew.City Council speaker Gifford Miller (D-Manhattan) recalled the time following Davis' murder.”When James was shot, it was a loss for the entire city,” said Miller. “The one person who was a rock was Mrs. Davis.”Before welcoming Thelma Davis to speak, Miller criticized gun manufactures as well as the Bush administration gun control stance .”We all know gun manufactures know where their products are going,” said Miller. “They know they are going to be used in crimes that take away the lives of young and old.”Miller said he wants legislation similar to introduction 144-a, to be passed, along with other reforms, at the federal level. He maintained without that, gun buyers will be able to travel from New York to states with less strict gun laws and purchase quantities of weapons and come back to sell them on the streets of New York at a huge profit. He also took issue with the Bush administration for not renewing the ban on assault weapons.”We in the City Council said enough is enough and we are going to hold them responsible,' said Miller. “We want to put them out of the death business.”The mood of the event quickly turned somber when Thelma Sanders spoke of her life since the murder of her son.”I'm doing better now,” said Davis, speaking softly and holding back tears. “I'm moving along.”Reach reporter Peter A. Sutters Jr. by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by Phone at 718-229-0300 Ext 173.
