Submitted by Bob Brody:

Thousand Oaks parent:’I don’t want prayers. I don’t want thoughts. I want gun control.’

Dear Friends,

A 28-year-old veteran walked into the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, California and killed 12 and injured a dozen more with a Glock 21 45 caliber pistol equipped with high-capacity ammunition magazines. According to Gun Violence Archive, the Thousand Oaks shooting was the 307th mass shooting incident in 2018 and there have been over 1800 incidents since the Sandy Hook tragedy.

We have warned all Americans that if a mass shooting can happen in an elementary school in Sandy Hook then it can happen anywhere. Until the federal government puts public safety first by passing a set of comprehensive gun control laws, more and more Americans everywhere will be killed or injured.

When we joined the fight to end gun violece after the Sandy Hook tragedy, we were told words matter. We were told to use “gun violence prevention” instead of “gun control” and use “limit” instead of “ban” because we will get more buy-in.  We were told to abandon the pursuit of a federal ban on assault weapons and embrace the federal background check bill as our legislative priority so that we can build on that success.

Sadly nearly six years later, not a single substantive federal “gun violence prevention” law has been passed. In fact, not a single “gun violence prevention” law has been passed in 24 years. Meanwhile the number of mass shootings and everyday gun deaths and injuries is rising. Too many mothers and fathers are losing their children to gun violence. We need to stop negotiating against our children’s lives and be unapologetic about asking for gun control laws.

The mother of Telemachus Orfanos who was killed at the bar said on local news, “I don’t want prayers. I don’t want thoughts. I want gun control.” 

We agree! Enough with thoughts and prayers. Enough with letting the NRA dictate the narrative and our word choices. Enough with our elected leaders going after the low hanging fruit as their legislative priority. The bottom line is we need strong comprehensive gun control laws to regulate 300 million civilian-owned guns in America.

We urge you to contact your elected congressional representatives at 202-224-3121 to demand a vote on the following gun control measures to reduce gun homicides, gun suicides, unintentional shootings, and mass shootings in our towns and cities across the nation.

1. Background checks on all gun sales
2. Close the Charleston loophole or “delayed denial” where federally licensed dealers can sell guns if three business days pass without a verdict from the FBI
3. Restrict and penalize firearm possession by or transfer to a person subject to a domestic violence protection order or a person (including dating partners) convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor
4. Prohibit firearm sale or transfer to and receipt or possession by an individual who has: (1) been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor hate crime, or (2) received from any court an enhanced hate crime misdemeanor sentence
5. Mandatory waiting period for gun purchases
6. Red flag/gun violence restraining order/extreme risk protection order to temporarily prohibit an individual deemed by a judge to pose a danger to self or others, from purchasing or possessing firearms or ammunition and allow law enforcement to remove any firearms or ammunition already in the individual’s possession
7. Handgun permitting, licensing, training, and registration
8. Ban bump-fire stocks and other dangerous accessories
9. Ban future manufacture and sale of assault weapons, regulate existing assault weapons under the National Firearms Act of 1934, and initiate a federal gun buyback program
10. Limits on high capacity magazines
11. Prohibit open carry
12. Make gun trafficking a federal crime
13. Repeal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) to eliminate the corporate gun industry special protection from civil justice law that no other industry enjoys
14. Fund government research on gun violence
15. Child access prevention/safe storage requirement
16. Provide resources for people with mental illness
17. Microstamped code on each bullet that links it to a specific gun
18. “Smart guns” with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or biometric recognition (fingerprint) capability
19. Limit gun purchases to one gun per month to reduce trafficking and straw purchases
20. Require licensing for ammunition dealers
21. Enhance accountability of federally licensed firearms dealers
22. Digitize the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) gun records
23. Raise the minimum age for gun purchases to 21
24. Ban 3D and ghost guns
25. Prohibit guns in schools and college campuses
26. Report lost and stolen guns

Sincerely,
Po Murray
Chair, Newtown Action Alliance