from Concerned Constituent Action Group, hosts of event “Calling on Costello – West Chester: Prevent Gun Violence”, Friday June 23 at 11:30 AM – 1 PM, 21 W Market St, West Chester

According to Everytown Research, 93 Americans are killed with guns on an average day. Common-sense gun control laws could prevent many of these deaths. Under current laws, domestic abusers, the mentally ill, and suspected terrorists—such as the shooter at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, who killed 49 and wounded 53 members of the LGBTQ community—are all allowed to possess guns. In addition, convicted criminals can buy guns online or at gun shows because unlicensed private sellers aren’t required to perform background checks.

The gun lobby has spent tens of millions of dollars (including more than 30 million on the Trump campaign) to gain power in Washington DC. In February, Trump and the GOP-led Congress overturned an Obama-era rule that prohibited certain mentally ill people from buying guns. The NRA and gun manufacturers are now pushing Congress to pass the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017, which would allow gun owners from states with loose (or no) restrictions on concealed carry permits to bring their concealed weapons into all other states, in effect overriding state laws that require safety courses or live-fire training for permit-seekers.

America is a great nation, but a gun homicide rate that is twenty-five times higher than the average of all other developed countries is not something to be proud of. Research has shown that gun violence most frequently afflicts the most vulnerable groups among us, such as low-income people and minorities (National Crime Victimization Survey). One step in the right direction is the Disarm Hate Act (S. 1324 / H.R. 2841), a bill that would prevent anyone previously convicted of misdemeanor hate crimes from purchasing a gun. Closing this loophole in current laws will keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people and prevent more acts of heinous violence”. (5calls.org)