Letter: We License Dog Groomers but not Gun Dealers

To the Editor:

• As a mother and grandmother, and one who has experienced the loss of a child, my heart goes out to the thousands of families who have lost children and other family members through senseless gun violence.
• After the slaughter at Sandy Hook I became one of the founding members of People For A Safer Society, a grassroots group in Illinois that fights to prevent gun violence

I feel our children deserve the right to grow up free from the worry of gun violence

And yet, gun violence continues to plague our city, our state and our nation. We continually see guns in the hands of those who should not have them — terrorists, criminals, mentally unstable individuals and domestic abusers. There are many steps that our society should be taking to reduce gun violence

Shockingly, although Illinois licenses dog groomers, manicure parlors and hair salons, among many other professions; Illinois DOES NOT license gun dealers.

SB 1657 THE GUN DEALER LICENSING ACT, will be going before the Illinois House of Representatives very soon.

SB1657 Will require:

 Criminal background checks for gun store employees

 Training for employees to stop straw purchases

 Basic store security measures to prevent theft

These simple requirements will slow the entry of guns into our neighborhoods.

15 states and Washington, DC have enacted state licenses to close loopholes in the Federal laws. These states show an 84% decrease in crimes with guns purchased from gun dealers. This is a crucial statistic and one that needs to be noted.

I call on Gov. Bruce Rauner and the members of the Illinois General Assembly to enact legislation mandating state licensing of gun dealers.

Beverly M. Copeland

Morton Grove, IL