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Dear Friends
Dear Friends,
Last week, the Maryland House of Delegates voted to approve a sweeping
gun violence prevention bill that will make Maryland one of the safest
states in the nation.
In the aftermath of the recent horrific tragedies in Arizona where 6
constituents of a congresswoman were killed in a mass shooting, in
Colorado where 12 moviegoers were murdered in a dark theater, and in
Connecticut where 20 children were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary
School, we as a society have an obligation to ensure that such a
massacre never occurs in Maryland. I commend those legislators who had
the courage to vote in support of common sense gun violence prevention
measures as included in the bill passed last week. (To see how your
state delegate voted,
click here.)
The provisions in the bill are straightforward and reasonable.
Require background checks, licensing, fingerprinting, and minimum
training of all gun purchasers:
Research has shown that better regulation of gun sales and
background checks of gun purchasers reduces the number of guns diverted
to criminals. If we can require such measures as licensing and minimum
training before driving a vehicle, we should require them prior to
purchasing a gun.
Ban on military-style assault weapons: I recognize that guns are
a Second Amendment right, and I know that many purchasers use their guns
for sport or personal protection. However, I do not believe that having
military-style assault weapons available to the general public is
necessary for hunting or self-defense. In fact,
mass shootings involving assault weapons more often lead to more victims
than mass shootings that occur through other types of guns.
Prohibition of straw purchases: Straw purchases, that is the
purchase of guns by individuals legally permitted to do so who then
distribute those weapons to those who are prohibited from owning guns,
should be banned. This is a large loophole that must be closed to
prevent legally purchased guns from ending up in the wrong hands.
Require all lost guns to be reported to police: Despite
background checks, it’s inevitable that some guns will end up in the
wrong hands after being lost or stolen. These missing guns should be
reported to police by their owners so that they can be tracked and
traced if found or later used in a crime.
Protecting police officers by banning the use of cop-killing bullets
in crimes: “Cop-killing” bullets were designed for military use to
pierce bullet-proof vests and other armored protection. We do not need
these bullets on our streets being used against police officers who are
protecting our communities.
Prohibit convicted violent criminals from purchasing handguns:
Polls have shown that a majority of people believe that
criminals should be prohibited from legally owning a gun. When
violent criminals commit crimes that shatter the trust of a community
and harm their neighbors, they should no longer be permitted to possess
a gun.
All of these provisions are common sense and rational. In fact, many of
you might be surprised that these restrictions are not currently in
place and were just recently approved last week.
Opponents of stricter gun violence prevention laws contend that better
enforcement—but not reforms—are needed. I think we can do both: let’s
continue to improve enforcement of existing laws, but that does not mean
that we should not enhance the laws in ways that have been shown to
reduce crime and make our communities safer. Unfortunately, critics fail
to see the logic in this approach and continue to block sensible gun
violence prevention measures.
One amendment offered by opponents would have turned the entire bill
into a task force to study possible recommendations for the legislature.
(To see who supported this change, including some Democrats,
click here.) After Newtown, Aurora, and Tucson have become etched in
our collective vocabularies and memories as more than just locations on
a map, it’s time to act on provisions that we know will work in
protecting our communities. I’m pleased to see that a
majority of the Maryland General Assembly agreed and has sent common
sense gun violence prevention legislation to Governor O’Malley to be
signed into law.
Clarence Lam, MD, MPH
Candidate for State Delegate Facebook |
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PS: While preventing gun violence is a serious matter, I can’t
represent your views in Annapolis without your help. Please consider
making a donation of $10,
$25, or $50 so that together we can ensure that our voices on common
sense gun violence prevention continue to be heard!
Authority:
Friends of Clarence Lam | Melissa A. Tarkett, Treasurer