Stamford Mayor David Martin recently joined Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the national bipartisan coalition of mayors across the U.S. to “fight for common-sense gun laws that will save lives by keeping illegal guns out of dangerous hands.”
The city in the last three years has removed 1,300 weapons, including guns, from the streets. Martin used the forum to announce yet another gun buyback later this month.
Martin was joined by representatives from Mayors Against Illegal Guns, The ENOUGH Campaign, Brady Campaign (named for Ronald Reagan press secretary James Brady, shot along with the president in March 1981), Moms Demand Action, Connecticut Against Gun Violence and Women on Watch.
“Gun violence shakes the foundation of our community,” Martin said. “It tears apart families and paralyzes our neighborhoods. It cannot be tolerated. I stand here today to communicate a simple message: It is time to end gun violence. Enough is enough.”
Members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns include Democrats, Republicans and Independents in big cities and small towns alike, the mayor”™s office said in a prepared statement. “While their backgrounds may differ, on the issue of gun violence they are united for the sake of public safety. The coalition recently announced that it has joined forces with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America ”” solidifying a nationwide movement of Americans working together to end gun violence.”
Since 2011, Stamford Police have seized more than 1,300 weapons through a combination of enforcement and gun buybacks. Martin announced the Stamford Police will hold another gun buyback Saturday, March 29, at the West Side substation.
Every day 33 Americans are killed by guns, Martin reported.
The coalition called on Washington, D.C., to take meaningful action to address the issue of gun violence and, it said, will continue to do so until progress is made. Targeted initiatives include:
Ӣ requiring every gun buyer to pass a criminal background check;
Ӣ submitting records of prohibited purchasers to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System;
Ӣ making gun trafficking a federal crime; and
Ӣ passing stronger laws that keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and protect victims of domestic violence.
Why do we have dumb laws? Look in the mirror. We keep electing politicians who pass them. Criminals are committing violent crimes, not lawful firearms owners. Criminals do not care a whit about laws. Yet Connecticut Gov. Malloy and Stamford Mayor Martin are frantic to pass more ineffective laws that will do nothing to prevent firearms from getting into the hands of criminals.
Either they are ignorant of the facts or they are cynically trolling for votes among the uninformed. They say that every day 33 people in the US are killed by guns. How many of those are justifiable shootings by police and citizens protecting themselves? Studies have found that nearly 5,500 times a day a legally armed citizen prevents a violent crime. I’ll take those odds.
You think criminals show up at guy buybacks?
Not only are politicians pushing more laws that will do nothing to make us safer, they are creating civil unrest that could turn ugly. Last year Connecticut passed a law that owners had to register certain types of rifles. Only 10-15% have complied, making some 200,000 Connecticut residents felons.
Now that’s a really dumb law.