Morristown mayor joins national coalition against gun violence

Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty has joined Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a nonpartisan coalition of more than 800 mayors across the nation advocating for measures to curb gun violence in the wake of last month’s massacre of children and teachers in Newtown, CT.

Specifically, the coalition seeks to:

• Require every gun buyer to pass a criminal background check.
• Remove military-style weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines from the streets.
• Make gun trafficking a federal crime.

“It is time to put aside partisanship and address the problem of gun violence,” Mayor Dougherty said in a statement.

“There have been too many families and communities destroyed as a result of senseless violence and the issue cannot continued to be ignored.

“Last year, I joined with Mayor Bloomberg and the coalition of ‘Mayors Against Illegal Guns’ and I fully support this initiative to compel our federal government to act. I am committed to ending gun violence and urging our leaders in Washington that the time for action is now.”

Last week, Morristown Police Chief Pete Demnitz urged a citizen gun-control group to add survival skills–how to recognize and react to dangerous situations–to its portfolio.

The chief told the Morris Area Committee to Reduce Gun Violence (initially named the Committee Against Gun Violence) that “99 percent of the time,” the best option is to flee.

Here is Mayor Dougherty’s full statement:

MAYOR TIMOTHY P. DOUGHERTY JOINS NATIONAL BIPARTISAN COALITION OF MAYORS COMMITTED TO ENDING GUN VIOLENCE ACROSS AMERICA

In an effort to combat the senseless gun violence that claims 33 American lives every day, Mayor Dougherty has joined Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the national bipartisan coalition of more than 800 Mayors. These leaders are committed to protecting their communities by keeping illegal guns and military style weapons off their streets and out of their schools.

Since the horrific mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, more than 100 new Mayors have joined the coalition’s bipartisan ranks. The coalition also has more than 900,000 grassroots supporters, making it the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country.

Members include Democrats, Republicans, and Independents in big cities and small towns. While their backgrounds may differ, on the issue of gun violence they speak with one voice – united for the sake of public safety. The Mayors understand the support for the Second Amendment goes hand-in-hand with the kind of common-sense gun policies that carry broad public support-including among gun owners.

“It is time to put aside partisanship and address the problem of gun violence. There have been too many families and communities destroyed as a result of senseless violence and the issue cannot continued to be ignored. Last year, I joined with Mayor Bloomberg and the coalition of ‘Mayors Against Illegal Guns’ and I fully support this initiative to compel our federal government to act. I am committed to ending gun violence and urging our leaders in Washington that the time for action is now.”

During the President’s next four years in office, 48,000 men, women, and children will fall victim to gun murder. Mayor Dougherty and his fellow coalition members are not willing to stand idly by. They have called on Washington to take meaningful action to address the issue of gun violence in America, and they will continue to do so until progress is made. This includes:

Requiring every gun buyer to pass a criminal background check. Getting military-style weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines off our streets. Making gun trafficking a federal crime.

In response to the Newtown tragedy, the members of the coalition sent a letter to the White House and to the U.S. Congress outlining these three concrete proposals. The letter is attached.

The Mayor is also urging colleagues, constituents and violence prevention advocates to sign the petition at DemandAPlan.org, where the coalition has also launched an online video campaign featuring testimonials from gun violence survivors and family members of victims.

LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA FROM MAYORS AGAINST ILLEGAL GUNS