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MAIG
Sends Letter to Congress
On January 24, 2013, the coalition, Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG),
sent a letter addressed to Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader Reid,
Leader Pelosi, and Leader McConnell in support of legislation that
would close the loophole that allows the purchase of guns without a
background check.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that nearly 80 percent of
those who used a handgun in a crime said they had acquired it from an
unlicensed seller.
The Fix Gun Checks Act (HR 137) would institute reforms, they say would “do
nothing to interfere with the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding
Americans, and the reforms enjoy overwhelming public support –
including among gun owners.”
What the legislation is targeting are the 40 to 48 percent of
guns sold by unlicensed “private sellers” to prohibited gun buyers who
exploit the vast “private sale loophole.” By seeking out private
sellers who do not have to comply with the background check at gun
shows and over the Internet, gun purchases can be made that would
otherwise be prohibited.
Fix Gun Checks Act
The legislation would take two critical steps:
- Requiring an instant criminal background check for
every gun sale, and
- Ensuring that the background check system contains
the records of individuals who are already prohibited by current law
from owning a firearm.
The bill makes exceptions for transactions between family members and
other sales that are unlikely to put guns in the hands of prohibited
purchasers.
The MAIG letter concludes: “More than one million Americans have
joined our coalition’s call for common-sense reform of our gun laws. We
urge you to start by fixing the nation’s broken gun background check
system.”
Letter signed by
Thomas M.
Menino
Mayor of Boston
Coalition Co-Chair |
Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of New York City
Coalition Co-Chair |
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Posted: January 31, 2013
Nancy J Conrad
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