Standing with the Gun Lobby

This is a letter I wrote to the editor of a couple of newspapers in Arkansas concerning Senator Mark Pryor's vote on universal background checks.


Senator Pryor,

I am writing to voice my extreme disapproval toward your vote against the Machin-Toomey bill.

In the wake of the horror that was Newton, we listened to the President stand up and speak about the need to come together and and take meaningful action.

I was hesitatingly optimistic that you all could get something done.

The gun lobby a wielded its immense political power in order to ensure that issues like a limit on high capacity magazines and a ban on assault rifles did not even make it to the floor for a vote. All that was left was a single, common sense law, that I was convinced Congress could pass.

I thought it should not be difficult for Congress to pass legislation supported by 90% of the American people.

I was wrong.

Background checks are common sense. 84% of your Arkansas constituents agree with me, yet you decided to stand with the NRA's Washington lobby. In the wake of your vote, criminals will continue to have easier access to guns without having to navigate their way through the background check system. Thirty three Americans will continue to be murdered with guns every day. This legislation would not have eliminated gun violence, but it would have been a step.

Now, as opposed to taking steps forward in memory of those who have lost their lives, we remain stagnent. We remain caught in the grip of the gun lobbyists who have a choke hold on our government.

I am ashamed of the Senate. I am ashamed of your vote, and I will do what I can to elect representatives who will vote in line with their constituents and not gun lobbyists. You not only defied those in Arkansas, you defied your party. In doing so, you stopped common sense legislation from passing.

I hope the 84% of Arkansas citizens who you ignored with your vote will stand against you in the next election cycle. I hope we will put someone in office who is unafraid to cast votes that save lives and not political careers.

Levi Rogers