Number One
Call or email the Massachusetts Speaker of the House and thank him for proposing meaningful gun violence prevention legislation- Yesterday Speaker DeLeo proposed the most comprehensive gun legislation Massachusetts has seen in 16 years. The bill includes mandatory background checks for all private sales, mental health compliance with the national background check system, suicide prevention training for police, school officers, physicians and firearm owners and police discretion for issuing firearm identification cards, amongst other provisions. For more information about the bill, see http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/05/27/deleo-bill-pushes-for-stronger-massachusetts-gun-laws/. If we can get this passed by the House and Senate, it will be a huge victory for gun violence prevention and Massachusetts. Call (617 722-2500) or email (Robert.DeLeo@mahouse.gov) Speaker DeLeo and thank him for his courage.
Number Two
Call your state representative and ask them to support Speaker DeLeo’s bill: While we appreciate all that Speaker DeLeo has done, it is going to take a team of Representatives to get the bill to the Senate for a vote. Call your representative and tell them to “Keep Massachusetts a national leader in gun violence prevention, vote in favor of Speaker DeLeo’s bill”. Find your representative here: http://wheredoivotema.com
Number Three
Call your U.S. State Representative and ask them to support more funding for background checks: In light of the tragedies at U.C. Santa Barbara, tonight Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Peter King (R-NY) will be offering a bi-partisan amendment in the US House of Representatives to the FY15 Commerce Justice and Science Appropriations bill (HR 4660). The amendment will increase the National Instant Background Checks (NICS) funding by $19.5 million so that states can get more of their records into the NICS database. Find your Federal Representative here:http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
Number Four
Divest your 401K from publicly traded firearm companies: Firearm companies care about one thing- selling more guns, no matter who the buyer is. From the firearm company’s perspective criminals, teens and violent mentally ill people are just more dollar signs, extricate your profits from theirs. If you’re not sure if your 401K is invested in a publicly traded firearm manufacturer, you can find out here:www.UnloadYour401k.com
Number Five
Don’t shop at Cerberus subsidiaries- Shaw’s, Star Market, Acme, Albertsons, Osco Drug: Cerberus is the parent company of Freedom Group/Remington Arms the largest firearm manufacturing group in the nation. Their products include the firearms used at Newtown, the Navy Yard and the Webster Firefighter shootings. After Newtown, Cerberus promised to sell Freedom Group, however in the 18 months since that shooting, they have done nothing and they’ve watched their profits soar. While Cerberus is a private company, there is something we can do to tell them their behavior is unacceptable- we can stop shopping at their other companies. Cerberus owns many grocery stores including Shaw’s, Star Market, Acme, Albertsons and Osco Drug!