An Open Letter to President Obama & Members of Congress Forty-three years ago, following the shootings of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Congress passed a law to prevent dangerous people from possessing guns. The 1968 law bars felons, the mentally ill, drug abusers, and other dangerous people under federal law from possessing guns. In 1993, Congress passed the Brady Bill, named for President Reagan’s press secretary James Brady, who had been critically wounded in the assassination attempt on President Reagan. The Brady Bill created a system of background checks that helped to make real the purpose of the 1968 law. But in the wake of the tragic shooting in Tucson, it is clear that the system is flawed and too many dangerous people are still able to buy guns. In Tucson and at Virginia Tech, the killers should have been barred from buying guns, but their records were not in the background check database as they should have been. At Columbine High School, the shooters went around the system by getting their guns through a purchase from an unlicensed seller at a gun show. Altogether, in the years since 1968, 400,000 Americans have been murdered with guns. That’s 34 Americans each and every day. IT’S A NATIONAL CRISIS THAT CALLS FOR A NATIONAL RESPONSE. WE MUST FINALLY FULFILL the PROMISE MADE AFTER THE KING and KENNEDY ASSASSINATIONS. We need leadership from the President and Congress to fix the broken background check system by taking two important steps: • Ensure the names of all the people who should be prohibited from buying a gun are in the system • Close the loopholes in the background check system by requiring a background check for every gun sale We can’t wait for yet another tragedy before we do something about this. Together, we can honor those we have lost by making sure we do something to prevent another tragedy from happening again. Sincerely, Michael R. Bloomberg Martin Luther King, III Thomas M. Menino Kathleen Kennedy Townsend Mayor, New York City President and CEO, King Center Mayor, Boston Former Lt. Governor, Maryland Co-chair, Mayors Against Eldest Son of Martin Co-chair, Mayors Against Eldest Child of Robert F. Illegal Guns Luther King, Jr. Illegal Guns Kennedy Mayors Against Illegal Guns Carolyn Floyd, Kodiak, AK Harriet Pruette, Neptune Beach, FL Johnny DuPree, Hattiesburg, MS Sally Burns, Delanson, NY Matthew Bloomfield, Russell Gardens, NY Michael Kolomichuk, Lakemore, OH Kirk Wilson, Carlisle, PA John Mark, Liverpool, PA Kenneth Danser, Timblin, PA Sam Jones, Mobile, AL Andre Pierre, North Miami, FL Harvey Johnson, Jackson, MS Barbara Alberti, Depew, NY Leonard Wurzel, Sands Point, NY LaVerne Mitchell, Lincoln Heights, OH Donald Baumgarten, Castle Shannon, PA William D. Hart, Lykens, PA William Allar, Tremont, PA Ron Davis, Prichard, AL Myron Rosner, North Miami Beach, FL Michael Pembleton, Sunflower, MS Paul Rickenbach, East Hampton, NY Carolyn Stevens, Scarsdale, NY Jo Ann Toczek, Linndale, OH Barbara Schlegel, Catasauqua, PA Randy Schlegel, Lyons, PA J. David Cutchineal, Tullytown, PA Omar Neal, Tuskegee, AL Darla Lauer, Oak Hill, FL Mark Kleinschmidt, Chapel Hill, NC Jeffrey Kaplan, Ellenville, NY Brian U. Stratton, Schenectady, NY Patricia Fallot, Louisville, OH Marilyn Becker, Chalfont, PA Thomas A. Bell, Mahaffey, PA Adam Forgie, Turtle Creek, PA Patrick Hays, North Little Rock, AR Buddy Dyer, Orlando, FL John R. Bost, Clemmons, NC Mark Olson, Fayetteville, NY Diana Smith, Seneca Falls, NY Joseph M. Cicero Jr., Lyndhurst, OH Ronald Lockwood, Cherry Valley, PA Gerard McGlone, Malvern, PA Thomas Micozzie, Upper Darby, PA Carl A. Redus, Jr., Pine Bluff, AR Frank C. Ortis, Pembroke Pines, FL Bill Bell, Durham, NC Charles Weiss, Flower Hill, NY John Patterson, Sherman, NY Donald Kuchta, Macedonia, OH Wendell Butler, Chester, PA Eric B. Phillips, Manheim, PA Jeffrey Steffler, Wampum, PA Jane Kennedy, Campbell, CA Norman Edelcup, Sunny Isles Beach, FL Patricia C. Dunn, Greenville, NC Andrew Hardwick, Freeport, NY Joseph P. Shay, Sherrill, NY Cornelia M. Dettmer, Manchester, OH Paul McKenna, Churchill, PA David Sturgess, Manor, PA Esther Cotner, Washingtonville, PA Cheryl Cox, Chula Vista, CA Robert Wishner, Sunrise, FL Charles Meeker, Raleigh, NC John Diamond, Glens Falls, NY Carl Wright, Sloatsburg, NY Bruce G. Rinker, Mayfield Village, OH Richard L. Lattanzi, Clairton, PA James D. Schiliro, Marcus Hook, PA Carolyn T. Comitta, West Chester, PA Robert Wasserman, Fremont, CA Daniel N. Dietch, Surfside, FL Victor Varela, Ronda, NC Dorothy Vorce, Gouverneur, NY Karen Strickland, South Dayton, NY Gary Starr, Middleburg Heights, OH Harry Kelly, Clarks Summit, PA Russell LaRew, Marianna, PA Donna M. Frankenfield, W. Conshohocken, PA Sukhee Kang, Irvine, CA John Marks, III, Tallahassee, FL Dennis Walaker, Fargo, ND Ralph J. Kreitzman, Great Neck Village, NY Patricia DuBow, South Nyack, NY James B. Waller, Minerva, OH John Hartman, Cleona, PA James Frazier, McDonald, PA Ralph Harrington, West Elizabeth, PA Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles, CA Beth Flansbaum-Talabisco, Tamarac, FL Chris Beutler, Lincoln, NE Barbara Moore, Greenwood Lake, NY Mark Epley, Southampton, NY Domenic Chappano, Mingo Junction, OH Richard P. Corkery, Coaldale, PA Weslee Clapper-Krepps, McKean, PA Frank Schmidt, West Hazleton, PA Rob Schroder, Martinez, CA Pam Iorio, Tampa, FL Jim Suttle, Omaha, NE Martin Natoli, Hagaman, NY Neil McGovern, Speculator, NY Susan C. Renda, Moreland Hills, OH Frank C. Kelly, Collingdale, PA John Christopher Soff, Meadville, PA John W. Dindak, West Homestead, PA Paul Eaton, Montclair, CA Lois Frankel, West Palm Beach, FL Donald Groesser, Ralston, NE Emery Cummings, Jr., Hammondsport, NY Noramie F. Jasmin, Spring Valley, NY Mike Porter, Mt. Gilead, OH Allen Gyorko, Confluence, PA Angela Adkins, Midland, PA Mary E. Popovich, West Newton, PA Jennifer Hosterman, Pleasanton, CA Kasim Reed, Atlanta, GA Ronald Jones, Beachwood, NJ Michael Kohut, Haverstraw, NY Edward Stewart III, Sylvan Beach, NY Bob Diebold, Newark, OH John Haberland, Coraopolis, PA Ethel I. Kellerman, Milesburg, PA Dick Vargeson, Westfield, PA Gayle McLaughlin, Richmond, CA Earnestine D. Pittman, East Point, GA Jason J. Varano, Berkeley Township, NJ Wayne J. Hall Sr., Hempstead, NY Stephanie A. Miner, Syracuse, NY Daniel R. Brooks, North College Hill, OH Mark J. Thomas, Cornwall, PA Richard Trostle, Mohnton, PA John Henry, Westview, PA Kevin Johnson, Sacramento, CA James Thomas, Jr., Hinesville, GA Dana L. Redd, Camden, NJ Bernard Jackson, Hillburn, NY Ronald Pilozzi, Tonawanda, NY David L. Koontz, Norton, OH Timothy J. Carroll, Dallas, PA John Antoline, Monaca, PA James F. Nowalk, Whitehall, PA Dennis Donohue, Salinas, CA Jere Wood, Roswell, GA Bernie Platt, Cherry Hill, NJ Michael McDermott, Homer, NY John Fitzpatrick, Tuckahoe, NY Larry C. Collins, Ontario, OH Helen R. Thomas, Darby, PA John Dorin, Montoursville, PA Thomas Leighton, Wilkes-Barre, PA Patrick J. Morris, San Bernardino, CA Otis S. Johnson, Savannah, GA Sophie Heymann, Closter, NJ Shawn Hogan, Hornell, NY Beth Greenwood, Tully, NY Kathy Mulcahy, Orange Village, OH Michael Cooper, Deer Lake, PA Maureen A. Piselli, Morton, PA John Thompson, Wilkinsburg, PA Jerry Sanders, San Diego, CA Peter Carlisle, Honolulu, HI Carol Foster, Corbin City, NJ Richard Scalera, Hudson, NY David Roefaro, Utica, NY David T. Handwerk, Orrville, OH Thomas Lloyd, Dormont, PA Raymond Bodnar, Munhall, PA David Perruso, Wilson, PA Chuck Reed, San Jose, CA Frank Cownie, Des Moines, IA Joseph R. Smith, East Newark, NJ Carolyn Peterson, Ithaca, NY Brian Maher, Walden, NY Martin Zanotti, Parma Heights, OH Libby White, Doylestown, PA Thomas Lush, Myerstown, PA Larry Markel, Windsor, PA Miguel Pulido, Santa Ana, CA Richard Daley, Chicago, IL Robert L. Bowser, East Orange, NJ Samuel Teresi, Jamestown, NY Michael Manning, Watervliet, NY Bruce H. Akers, Pepper Pike, OH Philip Krivacek, Duquesne, PA Stephen Szymusiak, Nanty-Glo, PA Dolores Jones-Butler, Yeadon, PA Helene Schneider, Santa Barbara, CA Elizabeth Tisdahl, Evanston, IL Antonia Ricigliano, Edison, NJ Susan Lopatkin, Kensington, NY David Goldsmith, Wesley Hills, NY Daniel Ursu, Richmond Heights, OH Betty Hays, Eagles Mere, PA Joseph Taylor, New Milford, PA John Sanford, Yoe, PA Richard Bloom, Santa Monica, CA Henderson Yarbrough, Sr., Maywood, IL J. Christian Bollwage, Elizabeth, NJ James Sottile, Kingston, NY Scott M. Burto, West Carthage, NY William Flaute, Riverside, OH Louis J. Payne, East Pittsburgh, PA Frances Tkach, New Philadelphia, PA C. Kim Bracey, York, PA Susan Gorin, Santa Rosa, CA Christopher Koos, Normal, IL John F. Bencivengo, Hamilton, NJ Robert Blais, Lake George, NY John Ramundo, West Haverstraw, NY Earl M. Leiken, Shaker Heights, OH Mark A. Pacilla, East Washington, PA Grace Angotti, New Salem, PA Alford Shull, York Springs, PA Ann Johnston, Stockton, CA John A. Spring, Quincy, IL Meryl Frank, Highland Park, NJ Ronald S. Cooper, Lake Success, NY David Carr, Westfield, NY John Smith, Silverton, OH Salvatore J. Panto Jr., Easton, PA Mary M. Hetrick, Newport, PA Joan Derco, Youngwood, PA Melinda Hamilton, Sunnyvale, CA Lawrence Morrissey, Rockford, IL Dawn Zimmer, Hoboken, NJ Anthony Caprino, Lakewood, NY Adam T. Bradley, White Plains, NY Georgine Welo, South Euclid, OH Wayne Murphy, Edgeworth, PA Carol A. Jarvis, Northern Cambria, PA Joseph Riley, Charleston, SC Christopher Cabaldon, West Sacramento, CA Richard Hickman, Angola, IN Paul Anzano, Hopewell, NJ Joshua Mandell, Larchmont, NY Brenda D. Gilberti, Whitesboro,