-- Question for PH candidates: Will you work to ban Home Occupation Gun Sales?
We have seen two horrific mass shootings in just the last four
weeks – one in a movie theater in Aurora, CO where 70 people were gunned down by a mentally ill shooter (12 died), and one at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin
where 10 were gunned down by a white supremacist (six died).
This has become the new norm for life in America where on
average 20 mass shootings occur every year. Some will argue that this is the price we all must pay to protect Second Amendment "freedom and liberty". What kind of freedom and liberty is this? We aren’t free if we live in a society where we can be randomly mowed down with an assault weapon at any time, by anyone, anywhere: at school, church, temple, mosque, the movies, work, our homes, on the street, at the
mall, etc., etc.
As Americans, we are better than this! And we must hold our
elected officials responsible for stopping the carnage. The Brady Campaign is
calling on both President Obama and Governor Romney to present their plans to
address the issue of gun violence at the upcoming Presidential debate. http://www.bradynetwork.org/site/Survey?SURVEY_ID=6441&ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS
As residents of Pleasant Hill we can act locally. Gun violence prevention starts with our cities. Last May, we were shocked to learn that the City had approved a home occupation business permit for a local resident to sell guns and ammunition from home, supposedly (but never confirmed) entirely over the Internet. This was done without any public hearing or notification of the neighbors.
We have seen that the Aurora shooter purchased four guns and 6,000 rounds of ammunition over the Internet within weeks leading up to the massacre. We also
learned of a man in Washington DC who was expecting a new TV to be delivered to his home and instead received a new assault rifle that was left on his
porch http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/19230886/labeling-error-blamed-for-rifle-delivery-instead-of-tv These examples demonstrate how unregulated the Internet is for weapons and ammuntion sales.
It is clear that cities must take responsibility for oversight of gun sales. According to the Contra Costa Times (Aug. 17 http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_21338070/east-bay-candidates-file-dozens-local-offices) the following candidates are running for
three seats on the Pleasant Hill City Council: Ken Carlson, Jeremy Cloward,
Matthew Rinn, Jim Bonato, David Durant (i), Michael Flake, Tim Flaherty, Jim
Bonanto, Jessica Braverman.
They will be asking for your vote. Join us in asking them where
they stand on banning Home Occupation Gun Dealers.
How about it candidates? Will you work to enact and implement a local ordinance banning Home Occupation Gun Dealers in Pleasant Hill? Please respond to this blog and let the citizens of Pleasant Hill know where you stand.
