*A LETTER TO DICK
Dear Senator Durbin,
As a lifetime hunter and gun owner I have watched in horror as innocent citizens of this country (of all ages) are randomly mowed down by increasingly lethal and efficient weaponry. I have never belonged to the NRA and find their politics appalling. But, what I also find appalling is the lack of the most basic expertise surrounding firearms, each time one of these mass shootings occurs. You don’t have to be an expert to know that firearms fall into two simple categories: handguns and long guns. The “actions” of these weapons are also simplistic: bolt action, lever action, pump action, revolver, semi-automatic and the illegal “automatic.” Because a firearm has no built in obsolescence (a good gun will last generations) the industry must come up with another way to sell product. That is why the gun industry and its lobbying arm the NRA made the AR (and all the knock offs) the most popular weapon in America. These guns are made to be accessorized. Scopes, slings, bi-pods, bump-stocks, sound suppressors (silencers) and massive, high capacity (200 round) magazines are a few of the ways shooters customize ARs. The danger seems obvious.
I’m not an activist nor do I have any political agenda. I’m an artist who knows Jen, Michael and the kids. You seem to have the ability to work across the aisle. This is why I am disregarding proper channels and reaching out to you directly. The one concrete step I can see that would have a positive effect immediately would be to ban all high capacity magazines. These “accessories” (like bump-stocks) are what allows anyone to kill on a grand scale in a matter of seconds. It is not the gun or the action, but the magazine that is so dangerous. This fact gets lost in the discussion. This also omits the 2nd amendment issue, that scares so many politicians. Banning these high capacity magazines would be a start.
Hunters are heavily regulated. Seasons, bag limits, hours, caliber, etc. are all part of legal and ethical hunting. Because of previously unregulated market hunting you can’t hunt ducks with more than 3 shells in your shotgun. Recreational shooters should also be regulated for public safety. Most shooters and hunters would agree and gladly accept commonsense regulation on their weaponry. Even the military doesn’t issue these insane high capacity barrel magazines. They are on sale for $125 online. I realize I may be preaching to the choir. I hope, if you read this, you consider it in the spirit it is meant; not as criticism but encouragement. I hope somebody has the political will to act. Time is of the essence.
*Full disclosure: I'm a friend of Senator Durbin's daughter Jen.
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