Kate Stayman-London / CREDO Action – 2009-06-11 00:01:39
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/gunshow_loophole/?r=3852&id=4475-513211-s6DOThx
(June 10, 2009) — Today’s shooting was a tragedy. The gun violence has to stop. It’s time to close the gun show loophole.
Close the gunshow loophole! Criminals and corrupt gun sellers can avoid the background checks required by the Brady Bill at gun shows and other events. Rep. Lee should take swift action to close this egregious loophole.
First the murder of Dr. George Tiller by an anti-choice extremist. Now the murder of a security guard at the Holocaust Museum by a white supremacist.
These are two horrifying acts of right wing domestic terrorism in as many weeks. No wonder the Department of Homeland Security issued a report last month labeling “rightwing extremism” the “most dangerous domestic terrorism threat in the United States.”
And, as we all know, these acts of terrorism were carried out with guns. Scott Roeder, who’s being held for the murder of Dr. Tiller, has a history of mental illness and threatened violence against abortion providers a week before he allegedly shot Dr. Tiller. James W. von Brunn, who allegedly killed a security guard at the Holocaust Museum, has his own white supremacy website and is a convicted felon (he stormed the Federal Reserve Bank in 1981).
Why is it so easy for domestic terrorists to get hold of guns?
Here’s one way to make it harder. The Brady Bill requires criminal background checks before the purchasing of guns. But there’s a tremendous loophole for gun shows and similar events — a loophole that criminals know only too well how to exploit.
Currently, there’s a bill in Congress to close this loophole — H.R. 2234, “To require criminal background checks on all firearms transactions occurring at gun shows.” We need this law to reduce future attacks like those on Dr. Tiller and at the Holocaust Museum, but it won’t go anywhere without significant support in Congress — and right now it has only seven sponsors.
• Click here to tell Rep. Lee to co-sponsor H.R. 2234. We need swift action to keep criminals from getting more guns.
Thank you for working to build a safer world.
Kate Stayman-London is the Campaign Manager for CREDO Action from Working Assets
Stop domestic right wing terrorists from getting guns.
First the murder of Dr. George Tiller by an anti-choice extremist. Now the murder of a security guard at the Holocaust Museum by a white supremacist.
These are two horrifying acts of right wing domestic terrorism in as many weeks. No wonder the Department of Homeland Security issued a report last month labeling “rightwing extremism” the “most dangerous domestic terrorism threat in the United States.”
And, as we all know, these acts of terrorism were carried out with guns. Scott Roeder, who’s being held for the murder of Dr. Tiller, has a history of mental illness and threatened violence against abortion providers a week before he allegedly shot Dr. Tiller. James W. von Brunn, who allegedly killed a security guard at the Holocaust Museum, has his own white supremacy website and is a convicted felon (he stormed the Federal Reserve Bank in 1981).
Why is it so easy for domestic terrorists to get hold of guns?
Here’s one way to make it harder. The Brady Bill requires criminal background checks before the purchasing of guns. But there’s a tremendous loophole for gun shows and similar events – a loophole that criminals know only too well how to exploit.
Currently, there’s a bill in Congress to close this loophole – H.R. 2234, “To require criminal background checks on all firearms transactions occurring at gun shows.” We need this law to reduce future attacks like those on Dr. Tiller and at the Holocaust Museum, but it won’t go anywhere without significant support in Congress – and right now it has only seven sponsors.
Sign this petition today to tell your representative to co-sponsor H.R. 2324. We need swift action to keep criminals from getting more guns.
THE PETITION:
“We write to urge you in the strongest possible language to co-sponsor H.R. 2324. Domestic terrorists like those who murdered Dr. George Tiller and a security guard at the U.S. Holocaust Museum can only too easily purchase guns at gunshows and similar events to avoid criminal background checks like those required by the Brady Bill. Two acts of domestic terrorism in as many weeks are horrifying, but tragically, these are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to gun violence in the U.S. We need to make it harder for criminals to get guns. Please do your part to help by co-sponsoring H.R. 2234.”
