Hi,
Sandy Hook. Columbine. Red Lake, Minnesota. Essex, Vermont. Lancaster.
Aurora. Virginia Tech. How many more innocent victims must die at the hands
of an antiquated and oft-misinterpreted amendment? Enough.
It's time to stop the violence.
Gun control doesn't have to mean no guns. I'm not suggesting we take guns
away. I'm suggesting we put tighter controls on acquiring and owning them.
Gun show loopholes must be stopped. Ammunition should not be sold online.
Mandatory wait periods should be enforced, during which time a thorough
background check, psychological and medical evaluation, and character
references should be completed.
More accountability should be placed in the hands of retailers. When patrons
refuse wait periods, authorities should be notified. Training and testing
should be mandatory, as should a renewal process that includes many of the
above-mentioned evaluation terms.
Gun owners and non-gun owners need to come together and agree on regulations
that protect the right to own a firearm for sane, responsible adults and
keep them out of the hands of the mentally unstable.
I would hope that we could all agree to submit ourselves to these terms when
it's easier to go to a gun show and pick up a firearm than it is to go to
the local pharmacy and buy cold medication. Acquiring and owning a gun
should be at least as controlled as getting a learner's permit, license, and
privilege to drive a car.
Gun control alone is not the whole of the solution, but it's a start. And if
it keeps guns out of the hands of even one mentally unstable person and
saves one sweet life, it's worth it.
That's why I signed a petition to The United States House of
Representatives, The United States Senate, and President Barack Obama, which
says:
"How many more senseless and entirely preventable shootings have to occur
before we do something about gun control?
As a citizen and constituent of this great country, I am asking that you
take a firm stand and make a positive change by restricting access to guns
and saving lives."
Will you sign the petition too? Click here to add your name:
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/gun-control-now-1?source=s.fwd&r_by=1126864
Thanks!