Letter to the editor: Ending gun violence

“The boogeyman is at my door, he’s turning around in my driveway, he’s trying to get into my car, he’s rolling a ball into my yard.” Illogical, impulsive fear, coupled with the plethora of easily accessible guns, has led to multiple incidents of high-profile gun violence recently. Is this the new norm? Do we have to live like this?

No! Sensible gun laws can prevent gun violence while honoring the Second Amendment. The Pennsylvania House will soon vote on broadly popular, bipartisan gun laws called the Common Agenda to End Gun Violence. A coalition of more than 130 groups endorses this measure. The agenda is not radical. It is popular. It includes:

• ERPOs, a mechanism to empower family members and law enforcement to temporarily remove guns from those in crisis. Eighty percent of Pennsylvanians support this. These “red flag laws” would likely have prevented the recent mass shooting at the bank in Louisville, Ky.

• Lost or stolen gun reporting requiring owners to report loss or theft of firearms within three days. Many guns used in violent crimes are stolen guns.

• Universal background checks on the private sales of long guns that would close the loophole that allows felons to purchase military-style rifles, the weapon of choice for mass murders.

• Safe storage requirements to prevent catastrophes that start with unsecured firearms that affect children disproportionately and can help to prevent suicides.

Harrisburg has not held a single hearing on evidence-based solutions in three years. Your voice could change that. Call your representatives today and ask them to vote for the Common Agenda to End Gun violence.

Marilyn Mulvihill

Sewickley