Community Corner

Letter: Tell Rep. Frelinghuysen To Support Gun Background Checks

Do you have something to say about a local issue? Then send a letter to the editor by emailing it to mike.donofrio@patch.com.

The following letter to the editor was written by Mandi Perlmutter. 

West Essex area residents have been shaken by recent crimes in our area, several involving firearms. Message boards in the community have revealed fears that our neighborhoods are becoming more dangerous.  Some residents have suggested that New Jersey's restrictive concealed carry permitting should be modified to make it easier for New Jerseyans to carry guns.

Encouraging more guns is reactionary and dangerous; we must work to stop the import of guns used in crimes rather than add firearms to volatile situations.

New Jersey has the highest level of illegal gun importation of any state in the country. Approximately 75 percent of crime guns in our state are purchased in other states. In fact, Newark Police Director Samuel DeMaio was recently quoted as saying that almost 800 crime guns were obtained by Newark law enforcement in 2013 — none of them were actually purchased in Newark.

As illegal guns continue to flood New Jersey streets, it is likely that we will feel the effects in our communities more and more frequently.

Many of us might disagree about what should be done to make our community, our state and our country safer from gun violence. However, we should all agree that illegal guns have no place on our streets and we need to do more to keep them out.

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11), the Congressman who represents the West Essex area, is one of six congressmen from the state who has not supported the expanded background check bill currently pending in the House (legislation that would make it harder for illegal guns to be brought into our state).

You can call Rep. Frelinghuysen at 202-225-5034 and tell him you want him to do his part to make our community safer from illegal guns.

More information about gun reform efforts can be found at www.momsdemandaction.org and www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org.


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