Mountain View Mayor Supports President Obama's Urge for Stronger Gun Laws

Updated at 11 a.m. with comment from the mayor and information about gun sales in Mountain View.

The United States Conference of Mayors sent an open letter to President Barack Obama Tuesday, signed by mayors throughout the country including Mountain View's Mike Kasperzak.

"I signed on with the Mayors against Illegal Guns earlier this year in the belief that more effort needed to be made to control the use of illegal guns nationwide," Kasperzak said. "I also personally agree with the steps advocated in the letter to the President."

The letter, attached in this article, included this:

'We urge you to take immediate action: the President to exercise his powers though Executive Order and Congress to introduce and pass legislation to make reasonable changes in our gun laws and regulations. Specifically we call on you to:

• Enact legislation to ban assault weapons and other high-capacity magazines being prepared by Senator Dianne Feinstein and others;
• Strengthen the national background check system and eliminate loopholes in it; and
• Strengthen the penalties for straw purchases of guns.

Currently, Mountain View only one licensed firearms dealer, Bay Area Gun Vault and sales this week have increased. According a KCBS report, at store owner Gary Colander said that he's sold more guns this past week than usual in particular, he's sold more assault rifles.

"Gun violence in the country is out of control and while no single action would have prevented the tragedy in Newtown, that doesn't mean we shouldn't try harder," Kasperak added.

"As someone said shortly after the shooting, 'one guys tried to destroy an airliner with a shoe bomb and now everyone in the world has to take off their shoes before getting on an airplane, but there have been over 60 mass shootings in American and nothing has changed in response.'"

How do you feel about guns and the sell of guns in Mountain View? Do you think enough has been done or is there more to do? Share in comments.

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