Let's get serious about gun reform

Daily Pilot Sept. 21

The following letter is running in the Daily Pilot.  The paper serves a number of Orange County (CA) communities including Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa.

Re "Cook’s Corner, Anaheim Hills and Irvine tragedies highlight urgent need for national gun reform," Sept. 12

I applaud Supervisor Katrina Foley and Grace McNeill for their comprehensive report on the pandemic sweeping across this country.  No, not COVID.  I'm referring to the out-of-control number of gun deaths that occur virtually every day in America.

Beginning in 2016, I have asked Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden to convene a gun summit at Camp David with leaders of the NRA, 2nd Amendment proponents, law enforcement officials and families of victims in attendance.  Today, more than 50 of my friends in Laguna Beach, along with 1,000 people coast to coast, have a clear message for the president:  Because "thoughts and prayers" haven't prevented any mass shootings from occurring, we need a new, national gun safety strategy.

Foley and McNeill concluded their report by saying, "We encourage you to call your local Congress member and urge them to demand Speaker McCarthy bring the Background Check Expansion Act to the House floor for a vote of the United States House of Representatives."  

This is one of many steps Daily Pilot readers can take.  Here's another one:  Join with the good people of Laguna and 1,000 others around the country who are sending a message directly to the White House.  Click here to sign up now … https://chng.it/GPbQNJxzzh

Denny Freidenrich
Laguna Beach