letter, Daily Local News, 1/24/13

I applaud the West Chester Borough Council for taking a stand to pass a resolution to support three of the common sense gun safety proposals in the national debate after the Sandy Hook tragedy. Although it does not have the weight of law, it is an example of elected officials taking a stand on an issue most find dangerous to their careers. It is very discouraging that many politicians fear that the NRA will make them a target if they stand up for any common sense gun safety legislation, including universal criminal background checks for all private sales, which even 74 percent of NRA members support. Sadly, the NRA leadership does not.

With the public statements of the NRA leadership demonstrating their callous disregard for any gun safety ideas, it is becoming increasingly clear that they really represent the gun manufacturers, not the gun owners of America who do support common sense laws to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.

It is up to all of us to demonstrate to our U.S . representatives, such as Jim Gerlach, Joe Pitts, and Patrick Meehan, that if they do not vote for universal background checks, or banning large capacity magazine clips, or stricter laws for gun fencing and gun trafficking, that it is not the NRA they should fear, it is the voters who will boot them out of office.

TOM BUGLIO
West Chester