Until something gets done on gun control, Mayor Thomas Menino plans to keep talking.
Menino, who is also the co-chair of the coalition Mayors Against Illegal Guns, joined more than a dozen other Massachusetts mayors today at his temporary Beacon Hill home to record a Public Service Announcement calling for action on gun law reform that will soon air across the state.
“We’re not going to let this fade away,” said Menino, “even if we have to talk about it every single day.”
Menino’s group, which nationally includes nearly 1,000 mayors, has called for many of the reforms proposed by President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden including a ban on large capacity magazines, requiring background checks for every gun buyer and making gun trafficking a federal crime.
Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, a former handgun owner, joined in Menino’s call for action and said he is a supporter of the Second Amendment who wants “sensible guidelines” and “common sense reforms” on gun laws.
“We support the Second Amendment … but our duty as municipal leaders and mayors is to protect the people we serve,” he said.
Menino said the Bay State has some of the toughest gun laws in the nation and the problem of gun violence is partly caused by the loopholes and loose laws in other states.
“Guns don’t stop at the borders,” he said. “They keep coming. You need nationwide legislation.”
Menino also used the opportunity to criticize the executive vice president of the National Rifle Association Wayne LaPierre, who called for armed guards inside schools after the Newtown school shooting.
“When LaPierre came out and said more guns are needed in schools, that’s crazy. He’s crazy,” Menino said. “The NRA just wants more guns.”
