Stop The Slaughter

Washington, D.C.--The continuing murder of New Yorkers of all ages by illegal guns smuggled into our city must stop. The craven support given to the National Rifle Association in refusing to stop gun sales is only leading to further death and wounding of innocents, with desolation brought to the families of the victims.

I strongly believe in restricting gun use through "smart gun" technology, extending waiting periods for gun buys, and allowing the victims of gun violence to sue firearm manufacturers and authorized sellers. We must have strict background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows, where rules are lax and anyone can buy a gun.

I repeatedly vote for gun control laws and introduced the Protect Law Enforcement Armor (PLEA) Act, which would ban the Five-seveN handgun which uses bullets that can pierce police officers’ vests.

I proudly wear the 100 percent rating I received from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a campaign devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all of us are safe at school, at work, in our communities, and in schools.

I also proudly wear the "F" grade I received from the NRA. It claims to be only defending the Second Amendment rights but in reality this allows even criminals and the mentally unstable to buy automatic weapons. The latest example of slaughter is the Fort Hood Massacre, and locally, the shooting of Vada Vasquez, a 15-year-old girl innocently walking on a Bronx street when she was shot in the head.

There is no reason for handguns and automatic weaponry to be so easily available. No one needs these weapons for hunting or any other legitimate activity. We cannot allow these weapons to flow freely to gang members and the mentally unstable. Together we must stop gun sales and, consequently, stop the slaughter of our innocents.