City Council deals with diverse issues

he most recent City Council meeting began with a proclamation awarded to two residents of Flatbush, Brooklyn for their outstanding achievements in a field not well known for its Caribbean American participation: fencing.

Keeth and Erinn Smart were members of the United States Fencing Team at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Keeth Smart, a graduate of St. Johns University, was one of two Americans to compete in the individual men's saber event. He is currently the male 2002 national fencing champion and is ranked third in the world. He is a financial specialist for Verizon while he trains for the 2004 Olympics.

His sister, Erinn Smart, was an alternate in women's foil at the Sydney Games. She won a bronze medal at the 2001 US Senior World Championship and is the female 2002 national fencing champion. She works for Celine, a New York City-based fashion company, while she trains for the 2004 Olympics.

"Erinn and Keeth Smart are true role models for the youth of our community," said Council Member Yvette Clarke. "They have excelled academically and athletically. I look forward to their representation of our nation, our city, the Borough of Brooklyn and Flatbush at the 2004 Games in Athens."

The meeting then moved on to deal with many important issues, including gun laws, domestic violence, gay marriage and the fire code.

Two resolutions sponsored by Council Member David Yassky were passed by the City Council, exerting some much-needed pressure on the federal lawmakers and the gun industry. The first resolution insists that Congress reauthorize and strengthen the Assault Weapons Ban. Gun-makers, however, are trying to get Congress to repeal this ban, allowing them once more to sell weapons designed to maximize lethal effects through an extremely rapid rate of fire. The law will expire in September 2004 unless it is reauthorized.

The second resolution demands that Congress strike down proposed legislation that would make firearms manufacturers immune to lawsuits. If this legislation passes, it will preempt almost 30 suits in New York and across the country that contend that manufacturers’ firearms are used in crimes so frequently their sales strategies amount to a violation of the public’s safety.

"Congress cannot tie the hands of local governments and individuals ravaged by the negligence of the gun industry," stated Yassky. "If gun-makers cannot be held accountable for business practices that put guns in the hands of criminals, this country and this city will lose a crucial method of fighting violent crime."

The resolutions passed overwhelmingly.

Legislation dealing with another specific type of violence was also introduced by Council Member Tracy Boyland. Speaker Gifford Miller and she co-sponsored a local law that would create a domestic violence fatality review advisory board. The purpose of this board would be to coordinate the diverse city services provided to victims of domestic violence. The idea is that if all the different city agencies and city providers communicate more effectively with each other, there is more of a chance of catching the signs of domestic violence before it’s too late.

Boyland noted that New York City has taken many steps to address the issue of domestic violence in the last 20 years. The police are more sensitive to battered women, and the city provides a variety of services to victims through the hospitals, homeless system and, in its own way, the child welfare system. "But still, roughly 80 women die each year because of domestic violence," she said. "This is too much. I hope we can see the day when no one has to die because of domestic violence or any violence within the community."

The Women’s Issues Committee will be scheduling a hearing to address this subject.

Deputy Majority Leader Bill Perkins brought up another matter having to do with domesticity that affects another segment of our population: the gay and lesbian community. He said he is thrilled that the highest court in the state of Massachusetts has confirmed that gay and lesbian people have a right to civil marriage just like anyone else. This entitles them to numerous rights and benefits, including those related to healthcare, property ownership, insurance, tax consequences and child custody. "This ruling sends a strong message throughout the nation that equal rights for the gay community are fundamental and inalienable," he commented. "If they can do that in the Bay state, we should be doing it in the Empire state."

The final legislation introduced was by Yvette Clarke, chair of the Fire and Criminal Justice Committee. Her local law would review the fire prevention code, which, she said, has not been thoroughly reviewed in hundreds of years. "There are still references to barrels and wagons," she pointed out. "This is totally unacceptable in this day and time. A complete review is essential for the public safety."