MAYOR NUTTER URGES CITIZENS TO SIGN
COMMISSIONER RAMSEY’S PETITION AGAINST H.R. 822

Philadelphia, October 13, 2011– Mayor Michael A. Nutter sent the following letter early last week to members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns regarding H.R. 822 National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011:

Dear Friend,

Right now, Congress is debating a law that would eviscerate the ability of individual states to decide who can carry a hidden, loaded gun. It would force every state to honor concealed carry permits from every other state, no matter how low they set their standards.

We need the Obama administration to send a strong signal that it will side with America’s mayors and police chiefs in preserving our ability to protect our local communities.

That’s why Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey just launched a public petition on the White House’s “We the People” website asking the Obama administration to weigh in. If our petition gets 25,000 signatures, the administration has guaranteed a response. Our opponents have already gathered thousands of signatures on a petition in favor of this dangerous law, so we must act immediately.

Please join Commissioner Ramsey in telling the Obama administration to preserve our states’ rights to decide who can carry hidden, loaded guns.

Note: You’ll be asked to create an account on the White House website and confirm your registration via email before you can sign the petition.

This law (H.R. 822) would override the standards of individual states and set a new standard at the “lowest common denominator.” Dangerous people, including sex offenders and domestic abusers, could get a permit in one state and then carry hidden, loaded guns nationwide.

Commissioner Ramsey has worked in law enforcement for the past 42 years, serving Chicago, Washington, DC, and now my home city of Philadelphia. He knows as well as anyone in law enforcement that H.R. 822 would only make it harder for police to protect their communities — and themselves.

Here in Philadelphia, we’ve made too much progress on tackling homicides and gun violence to have it undone by this law. It makes no sense for Washington to make things easier for criminals, and harder for cities that are trying to keep their streets safe.

But this isn’t just about my city. This law puts us all at risk, no matter what big city or small town we live in. And that means it’s up to all of us to stand against H.R. 822.

Sign Police Commissioner Ramsey’s petition to the Obama administration and help keep hidden, loaded guns out of the hands of criminals.

The gun lobby and their allies in Congress think they can bully their reckless bill directly into law, and we won’t notice or fight back. Let’s give them the fight of their lives.

Thanks for taking action,

Michael A. Nutter
Mayor of Philadelphia

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To view Police Commissioner Ramsey’s petition on the White House website:
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/%21/petition/preserve-our-states-rights-decide-who-can-carry-hidden-loaded-guns/Ll0QPXbV?utm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl

To view Police Commissioner Ramsey’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security on Tuesday, September 12, 2011:
http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/pdf/Ramsey%2009132011.pdf

This entry was posted on Friday, October 14th, 2011 at 11:24 am.