The recent mass murders of the 20 children ages 6 and 7, with 6 of their educators in Newtown, Connecticut, has prompted me to put forth a challenge to the NRA. Public sentiment is changing and if the NRA and its membership are unwilling to consider compromise, I fear that responsible gun owners will no longer be able to own guns of the type used in the mass murders in Newtown and Aurora, Colorado, where the 70 people were killed or injured.
We need the help of the NRA, now more than ever, to help protect our second amendment rights.
This is what I propose to the NRA. First, help us ensure that ALL gun purchases require a background check. As cited at Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, csgv.org, only six states require universal background checks on sales of ALL types of firearms sold at gun shows, commonly known as the “Gun Show Loophole”. In addition, we need the NRA to support background checks for all guns sold through “private sales”. Only two out of every five guns sold in the United States required a background check. If we are to protect our children, that is unacceptable.
Second, consider restricting the carrying and use of ALL semi-automatic guns and large magazine clips, to licensed shooting ranges. This will allow sportsman to still own and shoot these guns in a controlled environment. My plan would outlaw keeping these guns in private homes, but I feel that is a small compromise where the safety of our children is concerned.
Link to my podcast “Challenging the NRA”:
Link to my blog: A Mother’s Plea to the NRA, “Please help us protect our children!”
http://joanjerkovich.com/2012/12/26/a-mothers-plea-to-the-nra-please-help-us-protect-our-children/