Dear Lucas,
Gun violence kills thousands of Americans every year, and a lot of it can be prevented by closing loopholes in background check laws.
Imagine: both the Tucson and Virginia Tech killings were perpetrated by people who shouldn't have had guns.
Unfortunately, the shooters weren't reported to the National Do-Not-Sell List for Gun Purchases, as they should have been. They fell through the cracks, and now scores of innocent lives have been tragically lost.
We're sponsoring the Fix Gun Checks Act in Congress to close the loopholes that allowed these tragedies.
Our legislation requires a background check for every gun sold in America. Period. It makes sense, and it will save lives. But we need your help to build the outpouring of support it will take to get new gun control legislation passed right now.
In 1993, the United States created a gun check system that took a giant step toward keeping our communities safe. But this system remains far from perfect.
Reporting by states and federal agencies is often lax, leading to millions of missing records in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Private sales at gun shows can occur without any check at all.
As a result, gun sellers end up providing weapons to dangerous individuals, like felons, drug abusers, and the mentally ill -- with deadly consequences, as New Yorkers like us know all too well.
By strengthening our national background check system, we can save lives and prevent injuries. Because the gun lobby is so influential in this country, the only way we can do it is with a huge outpouring of support from people like you nationwide.
This bill is just too important to ignore, so please act today. Sign our petition at www.GunChecksSaveLives.com now.
We're certain that the Fix Gun Checks Act will make a positive difference for many Americans. But even if we only save a single life, it will have been worth your petition signature.
Sincerely,
Kirsten Gillibrand, Chuck Schumer, Carolyn McCarthy