Women March in Seneca Falls sent letters to federal and state legislators asking them to take positive actions to stop gun deaths. Since the beginning of this year, Everytown for Gun Safety reported 18 school shootings, seven of which were during school hours. According to Gun Violence Archives, the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14 was the 30th mass shooting of 2018.

New York can be proud that it’s a national leader with the SAFE Act, and we applaud that legislation. It helps protect domestic abuse victims, addresses mental illness, keeps schools safe and includes anti-violence provisions. We know there are those in the State Legislature who are working to undermine our security by weakening and even repealing the SAFE Act. We ask that our central New York legislators support the SAFE Act to keep us secure.

At the federal level, we know elected officials are willing to compromise our safety by making it easier for gun owners from other states to carry their concealed weapons into New York. Congressional representatives this session just voted in favor of H.R.38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. They also voted to repeal restraints on persons with certain mental illnesses from accessing guns by voting in favor of H.J.Res.40 in February 2017. That legislation passed and was signed by the president.

We ask that our elected officials support actions that protect New Yorkers from intentional killing with guns and accidental shootings by gun owners.

Mickey Belosi

Auburn, NY