(The political cartoon above is by John Sherffius in The Boulder Camera.)The following missive is from Mayors Against Illegal Guns. I agree with it, and I don't understand why all Americans don't agree with it. Do we really want terrorists to be free to buy guns in this country?
Under our current law, a suspected terrorist on the FBI's No-Fly List can't board an airplane -- but they can still legally purchase guns and explosives.
This loophole, known as the “Terror Gap,” is a threat to public safety that Congress needs to address immediately.
The events in Boston last week reminded us that people on the FBI's terrorist watch lists -- such as Tamerlan Tsarnaev -- can be extremely dangerous.
We don’t yet know how Tsarnaev purchased his gun, but we do know that people on the FBI's terrorist watch lists tried to buy guns and explosives 1,453 times between February 2004 and December 2010.
Suspected terrorists should be prohibited from purchasing guns and explosives just like felons, domestic abusers, and the severely mentally ill. And we should require a criminal background check for all gun sales to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.
For more than five years, legislation -- originally drafted by the Bush Administration -- has been pending in Congress that would close the Terror Gap. But the NRA has fought to keep this dangerous loophole open.
It’s time for Congress to stand up to the gun lobby and put public safety and national security ahead of a special interest.
Thank you,
Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Demand Action: Click here to tell Congress to close the terror gap.
