, 4 F_ ; >. , ichigan Daily -Wednesday, July 10, 1985 -Page 3 Senate begins debate on gun sale law change WASHINGTON (UPI) - The Senate opened debate yesterday on a bill to make it easier to buy a gun, the fir- st major change in federal gun control laws since the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. At issue is legislation supported by more than half the Senate that would allow the interstate sale of guns. A buyer from one state would be able to go to another state to purchase a gun from a dealer as long as the sale did not violate the laws of either state. Another important provision would bar prosecution unless the alleged violator knew he had violated the law. Supporters of the bill maintain that people have been subjected to punishment for inadvertent or unintentional violations of present laws. SEN. EDWARD Kennedy, (D-Mass.) whose two brothers were gunned down by assassins, was expected to introduce an amendment prohibiting the interstate sale of handguns. Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) planned to press for an amendment requiring a 14-day "cooling off" period bet- ween the time an individual applies to buy a gun and ac- tually obtains it. Sen. Howard Metzenbaum (D-Ohio) an opponent of the bill, said it will weaken federal gun control laws and result in the killings of more police officers and innocent civilians. "IT IS NOT a firearms rights bill. It is a guns for criminals bill," Metzenbaum said. While the legislation was likely to pass in some form in the Senate, it faced a tougher obstacle course in the House and was unlikely to see any movement out of the House Judiciary Committee which has a similar proposal under consideration. The legislation supported by the National Rifle Association and the Reagan administration, would be the first change in gun laws since 1968 when Congress passed the Gun Control Act in the wake of the assassinations of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and Sen. Robert Kennedy. BUT SUPPORTERS of the new legislation, the Federal Firearms Owners Protection Act, said the 1968 gun control law placed unnecessary restrictions on law- abiding citizens who want to exercise their con- stitutional right to bear arms. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) .one of the supporters, noted that there is greater use of firearms in cities with tougher gun control laws. Hatch, like other supporters of the legislation, main- tain that tougher penalties are needed for those who commit crimes with guns rather than imposing tougher gun control restrictions on citizens wanting guns for hunting or self-defense. The legislation also is opposed by several law enfor- cement organizations, including the Fraternal Order of Police which says it wants to maintain the current law prohibiting the interstate sale of handguns. FOP President Richard Boyd of Oklahoma City said that with "the resurgence of extremist groups across the United States" it "seems very inappropriate to us" to try to loosen gun sales laws now. False alarm Ann Arbor firefighter chats with his partner outside a 1957 American LaFrance fire engine today. The firemen were taking a break after a false alarm at the News and Information services building. KARAMI UNVEILS NEW NATIONAL PLAN Car bombs kill at least BEIRUT, Lebanon (UPI) - Two suicide ded. Israel radio said 15 Lebanese died. car bombs exploded minutes apart yester- THE DRIVER of a Peugeot or 3 day in southern Lebanon, killing at least five Volkswagen detonated his vehicle at a people, and fighting between rival checkpoint manned by the Israeli-backed militiamen in the northern port of Tripoli South Lebanon Army about 5 miles north of raised the day's death toll to 16. the Israeli border, the radio said. The violence overshadowed an announ- A woman blew up a Peugeot at a second cement by Prime Minister Rashid Karami SLA checkpoint. Israel radio said two of a "new national plan" that calls for the soldiers of the SLA were killed and four rewriting of Lebanon's constitution in a bid wounded. to end 10 years of civil war. All were members of a Druze unit that THE PLAN includes measures to im- operates in the area. The radio said eight to prove security in Moslem west Beirut, at 15 civilians were also wounded, including a hijack-prone Beirut airport and in teenage boy. Palestinian refugee camps where some 625 THE MOSLEM LEADERS, including people were killed in a monthlong battle Shiite Moslem militia chief Nabih Berri and between Palestinians and Shiite Moslems. Druze Moslem warlord Walid Jumblatt, Officials said the two car bombs exploded called for the army to be reorganized and a minutes apart at the northern edge of a 5-to- new constitution written to ensure "a 11 mile wide security zone Israel is main- national balance in government." taining in southern Lebanon. Karami said the new national plan was' Military and official sources said five created following 11 hours of talks in people were killed, including the two Damascus. drivers, and two Israeli soldiers were woun- Under the plan, Karami said security in Lebanon duties in west Beirut, the three Palestinian refugee camps and Beirut International Airport would be entrusted to the paramilitary police of the Internal Security Forces backed by a "special mixed army force." A GOVERNMENT SOURCE said "army force" would be made up of about 5,000 to 10,000 Christian and Moslem troops. The source said President Amin Gemayel agreed with Syrian President Hafez Assad that the task force would be able to call on the Syrian army fro support in the form of "shelling or political shelling" to ensure security. The current constitution, which dates back to 1926, divides parliamentary seats on the basis of six Christian deputies for every five Moslems, although Moslems outnum- ber Christians. The government source said the new document, which could take a year to be written and approved by parliament, would divide parliamentary seats equally between Christians and Moslems. 3 MSA asks Sussman to reject Tanter's proposal (Continuedfrom Page 1) classified research. The guidelines Kock also said the University has controversial issue, she said. National figures who have ten- Sussman has said he will take an of- state that it "will not enter into or been eagerly seeking funds for Kock also discussed a national con- tatively agreed to participate on the ficial stance very soon and MSA's let- renew any agreement ... that limits President Reagan's Strategic Defense ference MSA is co-sponsoring with panel include Ann Ballantine, a ter will make an impact on his open publication of the results of Initiative, or "Star Wars," and Campuses Against Weapons in Space United Nations expert on detente, decision only "if it is accompanied by research .. ." claimed that the University is being that will take place in Rackham James Ison, the director of the SDI; any evidence I have not seen," he INGRID KOCK, hired by MSA last manipulated to support the research. Auditorium on Oct. 4. There will be a and University of Michigan graduate said. "Otherwise it will be redun- June to report on military research at panel discussion with national SDI Hugh DeWitt, a theoretical physicist tant." the University, told the assembly that "Universities are being used to sell experts and workshops by local and from Lawrence Livermore MSA President Paul Josephson said Tanter's proposal should be rejected the idea of 'Star Wars' to Congress," national organizations. 'Laboratory; Michio Kaku, a physics the assembly's concern was based on because of its "secret" classification. she said. Other universities refuse to be "One of the key factors is that it's professor from City College of New past problems with similar research "It could be a really dangerous used politically, and by trying to get not going to be a one-sided conferen- York; and Alice Peppermorland, decisions not based on strict inter- precedent" if the research were ap- money for SDI research, the Univer- ce," Josephson said. "It will be a split director of the Council on Economic pretations of University guidelines on proved, she said. sity indirectly takes a stand on the panel." Priorities.