Jason Demond
New member
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION
We are not "gun haters". But we hate what guns are doing to our communities, our schools, our families and, most especially, our children. Guns do not bleed. Children do. Every day we lose nearly 13 children to gun violence in this country. A classroom every other day.
This debate is not about guns. It's about our children. Whatever you may think about the 2nd Amendment, our children do not have "a right to keep and bear arms." In fact, it's not about anyone's right to own a firearm. It's about everyones right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." It's about the responsibility that we all have for keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, children and other prohibited purchasers. It's about the simple things that gun owners and non-gun owners alike can do to prevent children and other prohibited purchasers from getting guns.
We stand for these basic principles:
No child should have unsupervised access to a firearm.
No handgun should be sold without a safety lock.
No gun should be sold without a background check. No exceptions.
There should be a minimum waiting period of 72 hours on all handgun purchases to provide for a "cooling off" period and to give police time to complete a thorough background check.
No one should be able to buy more than one handgun per month. The only people who need to buy more than twelve handguns per year are professional gun traffickers who make a living reselling guns to children and criminals.
No more semi-automatic assault weapons. No more ammunition clips holding more than 10 rounds. We don't need more killing power on our streets.
If we do all these things, not a single law-abiding adult would be denied a firearm for self-defense, for recreation or any other legitimate purpose. Not a single one. But we might just save the life of a child and spare some family a lifetime of sorrow. Is that too much to ask?
Aaliyah David Duchovny Ricki Lake Fred Rogers
Krista Allen Sandy Duncan k.d. Lang Ellen Y. Rosenberg
Joel J. Alpert, MD Christine Ebersole Denis Leary Renee Russo
Suzy Amis Marion Wright Edelman Spike Lee Robin Ruzan
David Arquette Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds John Leguizamo Meg Ryan
Kevin Bacon Missy Elliott Gerald M. Levin Rabbi David Saperstein
Alec Baldwin Nora Ephron Davis S. Liederman Susan Sarandon
William Baldwin Ahmet Ertegun Lisa Linde Herb Scannel
Sarah Ban Breathnach Gloria Estefan Tara Lipinski Vincent Schiraldi
Drew Barrymore Melissa Etheridge Rob Lowe Kyra Sedgwick
Carol Bayer Sager Mia Farrow Madonna Jerry Sienfeld
Richard Belzer Sally Field Howie Mandel Russel Simmons
Tony Bennett Carrie Fisher Camryn Manheim Rena Sofer
Candice Bergen Fannie Flagg Barry Manilow Louise Sorel
Robert Bernstien, PhD Doug Flutie Marla Maples Mira Sorvino
Peter Bogdanovich Rick Fox Amanda Marshall Britany Spears
Jon Bon Jovi Tom Freston Penny Marshall Kevin Spirtas
BOYS II MEN Andy Garcia Mase Harry Dean Stanton
Jim Brady Geraldo Prema Mathai-Davis David Steinberg
Sarah Brady Richard Gere John McDaniel Patrick Stewart
Benjamin Bratt Estelle Getty Brian McKnight Sting
Beau Bridges Kathie Lee Giffford Kyle McLachlan Sharon Stone
Christie Brinkley Paul Glaser Ed McMahon Meryl Streep
James Brolin Brad Gooch Paul Rabbi Mentiaff Barbra Streisand
Albert Brooks Nancy Lee Grahn Natalie Merchant Trudie Styler
James Brooks Dr. Lorraine E. Hale Bette Midler The Temptations
Bonnie Bruckheimer Deidre Hall Shane Minor Vinny Testaverde
Betty Buckley Ethan Hawke Mary Tyler Moore Jonathan Taylor Thomas
David Canary Anne Heche Mike Myers Marlo Thomas
Kate Capshaw Marilu Henner N SYNC Uma Thurman
Stockard Channing Whitney Houston Kathy Najimy Steve Tisch
Josh Charles Della M. Hughes Mick Nichols Mice Torrez
Cher Helen Hunt Stephen Nichols Shania Twain
Terri Clark Grace-Lynne Ingle Jack Nicholson Dick Van Dyke
Jill Clayburgh John Ingle Rosie O'Donnell Joe Volk
Rosemary Clooney Francesca James Julia Ormond Bob Walker
Judy Collins Norman Jewison Sarah Jessica Parker Ruth Warrick
Jeniffer Connolloy Keyshawn Johnson Richard Parsons Sigourney Weaver
Kevin Costner Richard Karn Michelle Pfeiffer Victor Webster
Walter Cronkite Lainie Kazan Sydney Pollack Harvey Weinstein
Sheryl Crow Diane Keaton Dennis Quaid Jann Wenner
Julie Cypher David E. Kelly Aidan Quinn Vanessa Williams
Bob Daly Barry Kemp Colin Quinn Rita Wilson
Matt Damon Margaret Kemp Elizabeth Bracco Quinn Henry Winkler
Stuart Damon Chaka Khan Bonnie Raitt Peter Yarow
Linda Dano Kevin Kline Peter Reckell Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie
Patrika Darbo Michael E. Knight Paul Reiser Ahmet Zappa
Clive Davis Ed Koch Mary Lou Retton Diva Zappa
Gavin de Becker Jonathan Kozal Debbie Reynolds Dweezil Zappa
Ellen Degeneres Lenny Kravitz Anne Rice Gail Zappa
Rebecca DeMornay Lisa Kudrow Natasha Richardson Moon Zappa
Phil Donahue Rev. Wallace Ryan Kuroiwa Kathy Rigby
Fran Drescher Wally Kurth Tim Robbins
Richard Dreyfus Chistine Lahti Julie Roberts
We are not "gun haters". But we hate what guns are doing to our communities, our schools, our families and, most especially, our children. Guns do not bleed. Children do. Every day we lose nearly 13 children to gun violence in this country. A classroom every other day.
This debate is not about guns. It's about our children. Whatever you may think about the 2nd Amendment, our children do not have "a right to keep and bear arms." In fact, it's not about anyone's right to own a firearm. It's about everyones right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." It's about the responsibility that we all have for keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, children and other prohibited purchasers. It's about the simple things that gun owners and non-gun owners alike can do to prevent children and other prohibited purchasers from getting guns.
We stand for these basic principles:
No child should have unsupervised access to a firearm.
No handgun should be sold without a safety lock.
No gun should be sold without a background check. No exceptions.
There should be a minimum waiting period of 72 hours on all handgun purchases to provide for a "cooling off" period and to give police time to complete a thorough background check.
No one should be able to buy more than one handgun per month. The only people who need to buy more than twelve handguns per year are professional gun traffickers who make a living reselling guns to children and criminals.
No more semi-automatic assault weapons. No more ammunition clips holding more than 10 rounds. We don't need more killing power on our streets.
If we do all these things, not a single law-abiding adult would be denied a firearm for self-defense, for recreation or any other legitimate purpose. Not a single one. But we might just save the life of a child and spare some family a lifetime of sorrow. Is that too much to ask?
Aaliyah David Duchovny Ricki Lake Fred Rogers
Krista Allen Sandy Duncan k.d. Lang Ellen Y. Rosenberg
Joel J. Alpert, MD Christine Ebersole Denis Leary Renee Russo
Suzy Amis Marion Wright Edelman Spike Lee Robin Ruzan
David Arquette Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds John Leguizamo Meg Ryan
Kevin Bacon Missy Elliott Gerald M. Levin Rabbi David Saperstein
Alec Baldwin Nora Ephron Davis S. Liederman Susan Sarandon
William Baldwin Ahmet Ertegun Lisa Linde Herb Scannel
Sarah Ban Breathnach Gloria Estefan Tara Lipinski Vincent Schiraldi
Drew Barrymore Melissa Etheridge Rob Lowe Kyra Sedgwick
Carol Bayer Sager Mia Farrow Madonna Jerry Sienfeld
Richard Belzer Sally Field Howie Mandel Russel Simmons
Tony Bennett Carrie Fisher Camryn Manheim Rena Sofer
Candice Bergen Fannie Flagg Barry Manilow Louise Sorel
Robert Bernstien, PhD Doug Flutie Marla Maples Mira Sorvino
Peter Bogdanovich Rick Fox Amanda Marshall Britany Spears
Jon Bon Jovi Tom Freston Penny Marshall Kevin Spirtas
BOYS II MEN Andy Garcia Mase Harry Dean Stanton
Jim Brady Geraldo Prema Mathai-Davis David Steinberg
Sarah Brady Richard Gere John McDaniel Patrick Stewart
Benjamin Bratt Estelle Getty Brian McKnight Sting
Beau Bridges Kathie Lee Giffford Kyle McLachlan Sharon Stone
Christie Brinkley Paul Glaser Ed McMahon Meryl Streep
James Brolin Brad Gooch Paul Rabbi Mentiaff Barbra Streisand
Albert Brooks Nancy Lee Grahn Natalie Merchant Trudie Styler
James Brooks Dr. Lorraine E. Hale Bette Midler The Temptations
Bonnie Bruckheimer Deidre Hall Shane Minor Vinny Testaverde
Betty Buckley Ethan Hawke Mary Tyler Moore Jonathan Taylor Thomas
David Canary Anne Heche Mike Myers Marlo Thomas
Kate Capshaw Marilu Henner N SYNC Uma Thurman
Stockard Channing Whitney Houston Kathy Najimy Steve Tisch
Josh Charles Della M. Hughes Mick Nichols Mice Torrez
Cher Helen Hunt Stephen Nichols Shania Twain
Terri Clark Grace-Lynne Ingle Jack Nicholson Dick Van Dyke
Jill Clayburgh John Ingle Rosie O'Donnell Joe Volk
Rosemary Clooney Francesca James Julia Ormond Bob Walker
Judy Collins Norman Jewison Sarah Jessica Parker Ruth Warrick
Jeniffer Connolloy Keyshawn Johnson Richard Parsons Sigourney Weaver
Kevin Costner Richard Karn Michelle Pfeiffer Victor Webster
Walter Cronkite Lainie Kazan Sydney Pollack Harvey Weinstein
Sheryl Crow Diane Keaton Dennis Quaid Jann Wenner
Julie Cypher David E. Kelly Aidan Quinn Vanessa Williams
Bob Daly Barry Kemp Colin Quinn Rita Wilson
Matt Damon Margaret Kemp Elizabeth Bracco Quinn Henry Winkler
Stuart Damon Chaka Khan Bonnie Raitt Peter Yarow
Linda Dano Kevin Kline Peter Reckell Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie
Patrika Darbo Michael E. Knight Paul Reiser Ahmet Zappa
Clive Davis Ed Koch Mary Lou Retton Diva Zappa
Gavin de Becker Jonathan Kozal Debbie Reynolds Dweezil Zappa
Ellen Degeneres Lenny Kravitz Anne Rice Gail Zappa
Rebecca DeMornay Lisa Kudrow Natasha Richardson Moon Zappa
Phil Donahue Rev. Wallace Ryan Kuroiwa Kathy Rigby
Fran Drescher Wally Kurth Tim Robbins
Richard Dreyfus Chistine Lahti Julie Roberts