Hill East Parents Petition Against Gun Bill

Some parents at an elementary school are signing a letter petitioning Congressional committees to vote down a bill they believe would make their neighborhood less safe.

Local dads from a parent organization at Maury Elementary penned the note in response to Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) proposed “Second Amendment Enforcement Act.”

The act (duplicate bills S.874 and H.R. 1710) would prevent District government from creating any laws restricting the sale of firearms to qualifying buyers and amends D.C. code to authorize local regulation concerning possession and transportation of firearms.

At noon, the petition had over 80 signatures.

“We perceive easy access to firearms in our neighborhoods as a direct threat to the security of our families and are prepared to use every tool of civic power at our disposal to prevent further guns in our neighborhoods,” the letter reads.

Max Bernstein, one of the drafters of the letter and a parent, said he is delivering the letter today to Sen. Ron Johnson and Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chairmen of the committees scheduled to review the act.

Bernstein said the group does not directly oppose any politicians or the 2nd amendment and that it can be addressed separate from party lines.

“As parents, we don’t want people to be able to carry guns into Maury Elementary school. It’s a safety concern,” Bernstein said. “But what it really comes down to is whether we get to decide what happens in our city, or if its left to someone who’s halfway across the country. We should get to decide what is appropriate for our community.”

Photo via Wikimedia Commons