Letter posted here
on Nov 27, 2020 included below
GUN SENSE
Recent Star news coverage in partnership with Report For America about gun violence in Missouri has been well researched and informative. While these stories cover different aspects of gun violence, from homicide to domestic abuse, each focuses on the easy access to guns because of Missouri’s lax gun laws.
Although we understand gun owners fear losing their freedom to own guns, we also know many of us fear for our safety because of the proliferation of firearms. Our hope is we can come together and find common ground by seeking areas on which we agree rather than focusing on those we don’t.
A good place to start is supporting the right of everyone to feel safe. A 2019 survey from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found widespread agreement among gun owners and non-owners supporting universal background checks and extreme-risk protection orders. Both would keep guns from people who shouldn’t have them while protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens.
Our vision is that all people in our community are safe from gun violence. It would be wonderful if all of us came together to make that happen by supporting sensible gun legislation in Missouri.
– Judy Sherry, Grandparents Against Gun Violence, Kansas City