Roberti Recall: Taking Aim at Courage

To hear his opponents tell it, the campaign to oust longtime state Sen. David A. Roberti (D-Van Nuys) is an effort by grass-roots reformers to clean up corruption and cronyism in Sacramento. But make no mistake: The recall election scheduled for April grew out of a very different issue--gun control. This is inarguable even though the campaign has picked up support from assorted Roberti opponents who were unhappy with him for other reasons.

Angry gun owners, led by the Mission Hills-based Constitutional Rights Federation, are striking back at Roberti for the 1989 Assault Weapons Control Act, a law he co-authored that prohibits 67 models of military-style semiautomatic pistols, rifles and shotguns.

The legislation was passed following the Stockton schoolyard massacre earlier that year in which a gunman killed five children and wounded 30 others with an AK-47 assault rifle, a weapon that, thankfully, is banned under the landmark legislation.

To his credit, Roberti, who has endured verbal abuse and even physical threats from militant pro-gun bullies over the years, continues to fight for rational firearm laws--including a bill before the Legislature to ban high-volume detachable ammunition magazines.

Roberti is the first state lawmaker in 80 years to face a recall vote, which will be conducted at taxpayer expense. Can his opponents truly be interested only in getting rid of Roberti to ensure “clean government�? He’s leaving anyway; his final legislative term ends Dec. 5.

A recall election is intended to remove officials who violate the law, abuse the public trust or become too infirm to carry out their duties. It was never meant to silence those who vote their conscience. Disgruntled gun proponents want to recall the state senator just to intimidate other legislators.

No matter what their position on gun control, voters should realize that Southern California needs a savvy veteran like Roberti in Sacramento in the critical months when decisions on earthquake relief will be made. Whatever its power, the gun lobby can’t help in that matter.