To the editor of THE EAGLE:
I cannot condemn the Massachusetts state legislature for proposing and possibly passing common sense firearm legislation but we cannot forget that any law passed at the state level is like trying to bail water out of the Titanic with a one gallon pail. The reality is that when a person with a criminal record and/or a history of mental issues can legally obtain a firearm in other states these new proposed standards will mean nothing when that person drives across our border.
On the other hand the organization "Everytown For Gun Safety" founded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is asking all federal candidates to complete a survey on gun issues before the 2014 midterm elections.
The 10 question survey asks for the candidate’s position on issues like keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people while protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens, requiring background checks, prohibiting firearm ownership of convicted stalkers and allowing prosecutors to bring criminal charges when a firearm is not properly stored, a minor accesses the firearm and harm results. You can see the list in its entirety on the group’s website.
The purpose of this questionnaire is not to arbitrarily grade the candidates the way the NRA does but to show the voters where these candidates stand and to convince the candidates that the 80 percent of gun owners, the 90 percent of Americans who are in favor of just simple background checks to make sure criminals, minors and people with psychiatric problems can’t buy guns are aware of how the candidates answered these valid questions and to draw our own conclusions on those candidates that refused to take the survey.
What can be more American than that?