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  |  Twitter 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