Dear Friends,
Tomorrow, the well-known Mexican actor Diego Luna will be acting far from a movie set: He'll be in Washington urging U.S. policymakers to help stop the flow of assault weapons across the U.S. border into Mexico.
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Diego Luna
(David Shankbone/Creative Commons)
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Imagine waking up to the sound of AK-47s in the morning and going to bed to the cries of grieving families at night. Imagine a place where children cannot play outside for fear of being caught in the crossfire or gunned down at a birthday party.
In too many communities across Mexico, such violence has become a frightening reality of daily life. Over the past four years, nearly 50,000 people have been killed in Mexico's "drug war." And most of the guns that fuel this violence were smuggled over the border from the U.S. into Mexico.
Tell President Obama to put a stop to gun smuggling into Mexico.
As Diego Luna points out, "These guns are behind the violence that has left thousands of families mourning. The campaign asks for three small, timely actions that could have a big impact in Mexico as well as the United States. Indifference is a very dangerous thing; it’s in our hands to do something, and a good first step is signing this petition."
As I write, hundreds of people, including FOR activists Janice Gallagher and Paloma Ayala, are embarked on a Caravan of Consolation from Mexico City to Guatemala to hear the cries of victims of violence, much of it from U.S.-sold guns. We’ve got their back; we’ve joined their call; and, along with thousands of others in Mexico, we’re asking President Obama to:
- Enforce the existing ban on the importation of assault weapons (because many of them are later illegally smuggled into Mexico);
- Require gun dealers to report to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) the sale of multiple assault rifles; (GOOD NEWS: Just recently, the Obama Administration announced new reporting rules on multiple semiautomatic rifles in border states. A great first step!)
- Strengthen the ATF in regions of the U.S. that supply the bulk of the weapons smuggled into Mexico.
Join thousands from Mexico, the U.S. and around the world in telling President Obama to stop gun smuggling to Mexico. Sign the petition now!
After taking action, please post this on Facebook or share this on Twitter if you're on those networks.
A congressional report noted in June that 70% of the weapons seized in Mexico in 2009 and 2010 and submitted for tracing came through the United States, while the origin of the remaining weapons couldn't be determined. If you want to help stop this flow of deadly weapons, join Diego Luna and sign the petition now!
We all have a right to life, safety, and freedom from fear. An in-depth report in USA Today shows that, contrary to panic about "spillover" violence, U.S. border communities are safer than other cities, and getting better. FOR will soon be part of launching an organizing drive in border communities and churches to make reduced violence a reality on both sides of the border.
Thank you for speaking out against gun smuggling today!
In peace,
John Lindsay-Poland
FOR Research and Advocacy Director
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