NJ Mayors Group Converges On Cranford to Send Message About Guns
Mayors Against Illegal Guns gathered for a press conference this morning to tell legislators, enough is enough.
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Cranford wasn't the only town where officials from the advocacy group Mayors Against Illegal Guns were gathered today. From Vermont to New Mexico, members of the 800-strong coalition of elected officials gathered to voice their frustration to Washington and push legislators to support laws that ban violent assault weapons, makes gun trafficking a federal crime and increases the background checks on potential gun owners.
"It has nothing to do with the Second Amendment, it's about gun violence," said former N.J. Gov. Jim Florio, who joined the group of local legislative leaders and law enforcement officials. Florio took much of the credit for getting tough with N.J. gun laws in the 1990s.
"We formulated this issue in terms of whether the people in the state thought it was in the public interest to have more access to Uzi's and AK-47s."
A group of a dozen New Jersey mayors will embark on a trip to Washington, D.C. this week to talk to Congress and advocate for a set of changes in response to events of mass gun violence across the country, most recently, the massacre of innocent children in Newtown, Conn., which occurred exactly one month ago.
"We've had enough calls and emails, we're going to go and sit face-to-face with Congress and their staff," said Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr, who will be headed to Washington on Wednesday. "For now is the time for them to crackdown on gun violence."
According to the group, there are 33 Americans murdered with guns everyday.
Florio blamed gunmakers for the lack of movement in new gun legislation in the wake of several mass killings.
"The real motivation for this whole thing is profit. Gun manufacturers, gun dealers, they're the driving force behind this," he said. "Many legitimate sportsmen, many legitimate hunters are embarrassed by the NRA, whose answer to gun violence is to say we should have more guns. That makes no sense."
Perhaps the most personal testimonial for gun control came from the parent of a victim in the Virginia Tech shootings six years ago. Michael Pohle, a Flemington man who says his son's head was nearly shot off in the massacre said there needs to be something done about the prevalence of high-powered guns, because they are becoming bigger, and deadlier.
"My son was killed with a semi-automatic handgun. The weapon of choice now, have evolved, it is now a high-capacity semi-automatic rifle. Next, are we talking about shoulder-powered rocket launchers which are perfectly legal to buy and sell at a private sell without a background check," he said.
Pohle took Congressman Leonard Lance to task for his attention to gun control.
"I am very sorry to say my Congressman in Hunterdon County, Leonard Lance, has been silent," said Pohle. "All he has done is put an occasional note on his website saying he is open to the discussion. He is a coward. This demands action."
Lance, who wasn't in attendance, later issued a response to Pohle. The Congressman said he emailed with Pohle following the Newtown shooting and wrote about his support for "reducing gun violence in America." In an email from his press office, Lance said he was committed to "crafting a comprehensive, bipartisan response to these recent senseless acts of mass violence."
“I look forward to reviewing the recommendations put forth by the President's working group on gun violence and stand ready to work with Mr. Pohle and others toward the common goal of keeping firearms out of the hands of those in our society who wish to do harm,” said Congressman Leonard Lance.
There are three things the coalition of mayors are urging Congress to consider:
- Requiring criminal background checks for all gun sales, including private sales and gun show sales. Currently, only licensed dealers are required to check.
- Ban on military-style and assault style weapons and high-capacity magazines. "They have no other purpose other than to kill human beings in mass quantities," Sen. Ray Lesniak said at the event. "There is absolutely no reason for them to exist."
- Increase gun trafficking charges to federal crime.
One sentiment at the event, which was expressed by Pohle, and is clearly the basis of the coalition's stance on gun control and gun violence is that enough is enough.
For more information on the efforts of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the group created a website www.DemandAPlan.org.
b paterson
7:48 pm on Monday, January 14, 2013
This trip and advocacy would be a feather in the cap in upcoming elections. So it would be interesting to find out how many mayors are taking the day off, how many are democrat or republican; and how many work in government meaning they can easily get the day while getting paid with our taxmoney. Couple of items, if they indeed work at a primary job inside govt. I hope they take a vacation day for this trip.
Not to dismiss this impt issue of gun violence but I bring this item up to also address another heavy issue of those who are "connected" may have an easy patronage job in govt. Those mayors with jobs in private sector may possibly not get free to attend or will have to take a vacation day. There is qeustionable politics behind everything in NJ, we all just have to be vigilant and informed about what agenda may be behind this.
marie higgins
8:02 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Can we focus on the issue at hand!
New Providence Taxpayer
12:47 am on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Talk about taking a day off, we have a mayor in New Providence who takes every day off because he hasn't gone to work in almost 2 years. Look at his mug in the picture to the left of the podium, unshaven, serious looking chap, but let's face it, he had nothing better to do he literally has a lot of time on his hands, but he should try to get a job one of these days, maybe after his next vacation.
Westfield Taxpayers
9:04 pm on Monday, January 14, 2013
How many of this group are liberal dems?
The right to bear arms has little to do with hunting, but the preservation and defense of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness! Especially from bad governments like British Kings, Russian Tzars, Maoist tyrants, and Nazi secret police.
How could we have fought and won the American Revolution without private weapons. Yes, G Washington and Henry Knox bought muskets and cannon. No mention of high capacity clips.
How many rounds will you need to fend off an attacker, or group of attackers in your home? Wouldn't you rather have at least as good a weapon as the criminal, who doesn't have any restrictions on what hardware he brings against you?
Recently, a woman heard an vandal break into her home. She snuck with her twin children into the attic. The bad guy came after them, where she shot at him six times. She hit him five times, and then held him at gunpoint with her empty pistol while they escaped. Said vandal, got up, drove away, and was caught when crashed his car into a tree. She, and her kids, are lucky that she can bluff with an empty pistol. I'll bet she's now getting a decent Glock with a 14 round clip.
Just incase that guy comes back with a friend or two.
marie higgins
8:02 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
we are talking about background check enforcement and Assault Weapons ....not legally purchased hand guns..pay attention to the specifics.
Bo
9:32 pm on Monday, January 14, 2013
I love all the pompous cops photo-op grandstanding and railing about "gun control." All probably received their firearms training through programs developed by the NRA's law enforcement training group. Hey, cocaine and crack are illegal. It's still around. Why don't you march on Trenton and add that to your list of "enough is enough?"
Westfield Taxpayers
8:00 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
We "Demand a Plan" to balance the budget and pay down the debt!
We "Demand a Plan" for Voter Photo ID.
We "Demand a Plan" for an easier and more equitable tax code.
Brian Holt
3:43 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
AGREED 100%
firedup49
11:19 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I agree 2nd : )
HL
9:31 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
funny all this gun control pops out so fast---- anything else....nah! Can we agree this is all a diversion?
Craney Ford
1:36 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I received my gun training through the NRA as a kid. My youth membership came with targets and a book on gun safety. In my family we learned to clean guns before we were allowed to fire them.
Now I never have time for target shooting or hunting and the time I have to myself could be better spent doing something that gets me some physical exercise. I think a lot of people are like me - shooting sports aren't that popular.
This is death for firearms manufacturers. If you take care of a good gun, it will last generations. Terrible sales model! And if people were to buy a gun for skeet or hunting, they would probably buy one every 10 years or so? (As opposed to a good bow, where the technology improves dramatically every couple years.)
With gun manufacturers losing business every year, they came onto a new model: military-style weapons. Civilian versions of the weapons they produce for military customers. Through proxies, they promoted a message that gun ownership was necessary for patriots! It was important in case, say, UN Troops come to confiscate your guns. Or in case "civil society" breaks down and you need your guns to shoot marauding outsiders! The more guns the better. Not to mention 50-round clips and other accessories.
The NRA is now the industry spokesman for these gun manufacturers. With their safety lessons and targets you get political propaganda in support of the gun industry. Its not good for this country and it's a shame.
HL
9:31 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
umm how'd those gun free zones work out in turkey, uganda, russia, germany, south africa, guatemala china uganda cambodia ? nope it could never ever happen in the USA
J. Tivoli
11:19 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
One should read the Constitution and appreciate that the founding fathers made the right to bear arms the 2nd Amendment, not the 5th, or the 10th. They made free speech #1, followed by the right to bear arms #2, before your right to be safe in persons, places and effects (4th), not quartering soldiers in private residences (3), and the right to remain silent (5). Just maybe - our founding fathers had better foresight and intuition than the current batch of politicians we are getting our monies worth of these days, especially in Cranford as reported in another article having the 9th highest tax rate in Union County??
Wake up folks, when you "ban" and e strict something, you make it more lucrative and accessible to the criminal underworld. Look no further in your history books than Prohibition and the 18th & 22nd Amendments. If banning alcohol did not work, why should be think that banning guns and other things like marijuana & drugs will work?
firedup49
11:19 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
All politics, a bunch of losers. These school shooters all had mental issues and or on drugs to help their mental issue. They were not registered gun users.
Why are we not including the mental issues, and the problem of the stolen illegal guns. Why are we demonizing responsible register gun owners.
I am not a gun owner or a member of the NRA. Just thinking clearly
firedup49
11:19 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
All politics, a bunch of losers. These school shooters all had mental issues and or on drugs to help their mental issue. They were not registered gun users.
Why are we not including the mental issues, and the problem of the stolen illegal guns. Why are we demonizing responsible register gun owners.
I am not a gun owner or a member of the NRA. Just thinking clearly
Super
11:19 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Anyone with a gun in New Jersey knows that there is already a "criminal background checks for all gun sales, including private sales and gun show sales" in New Jersey. All guns bought and sold go through a licensed dealer.
Also "high-capacity" magazines are already illegal in New Jersey, New York, Maryland, California, Hawaii.
So, if the New Jersey legislators want to put these laws on the books, they need to take them off the books first.
Or maybe just stop playing politics and learn the law.
Concerned Mom
3:21 am on Monday, February 4, 2013
It is appalling to see New Providence Mayor Jaime Brooke Hern standing there 4-square alongside my fellow party members as though he is one of us. He is not! He may claim to be against gun violence, but it is a bit hard to accept from someone rumored to own several guns himself.
Bigger issues to worry about
5:17 am on Monday, February 25, 2013
Are you saying that he should not be allowed to owns gun at all. As long as they are legally registered and bought through legal means, it is his law abiding right.
Please stop trying to project your thoughts on my rights. Are all Democrats against the rights that this country was founded upon?
HL
9:31 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
"I support banning all assault and military style weapons. You don't need and Uzi to hunt deer" question in the poll...thats not misleading at all---- UZI's good luck getting one of those, automatic firearms are already off the table..... assault spoons, pens, wasp spray, gas cans, ... military---exactly---style.... If I have designer style jeans, are they suddenly designer jeans- no just made to look that way-same for the firearms...sheeps in wolfs clothes------- it sad we have to waste so much energy on something so ridiculous---- lock up the criminals and change the way we treat the mental ill to something which includes monitoring and treatment rather then throwing pills at them and calling them cured.