AZ: Don't Sell Guns to the Mentally Unstable
- by: Care2.com
- recipient: AZ Speaker of the House Kirk Adams, AZ Senate President Russell Pearce
We may never know what compelled Jared Loughner to open fire on former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, her staff and her constituents. But there is one thing that could have prevented the killings of six people and the injuries of fourteen others: Denying mentally unstable people access to firearms.
Arizona's current gun control laws are even more lax today than they were at the time of Arizona's most famous example of gun violence: the shootout at the OK Corral.
It was clear to his friends, classmates and even his college that Jared Loughner was suffering from some kind of mental illness. He was deemed incapable of continuing to study at Pima County Community College. But this same person was legally allowed to obtain and carry a concealed gun under Arizona state law.
It's time for Arizona to enact common sense gun laws. Tell the Arizona legislature to reform gun control laws to prevent this tragedy from ever recurring.
Dear [Decision Maker],
The shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, her staff and her constituents have thrown the dangers of Arizona's lax gun control laws into sharp relief. The fact that someone who was deemed too mentally unstable to attend community college was legally allowed to purchase and carry a concealed firearm is ludicrous and extremely dangerous.
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Requiring people to provide proof of mental stability before purchasing a firearm is not a violation of second amendment rights, it's a necessary check to make sure guns don't end up in the hands of people who are not mentally competent enough to handle them.
Please take action to prevent more tragedies like the shooting in Tuscon and pass laws that require mental health checks when buying firearms.
