TO
COUNCILLOR (NAME)
Dear
Mr/Ms/Mrs...............
Gun Control/ Combined
Cadet Forces
I am writing to express my
support for further gun controls and to urge the council to
take what action it can to reduce the opportunities for
shooting in [your area].
I very much hope that the
Education Committee will take the view that the introduction
of CCFs in state schools is entirely unacceptable for the
following reasons;
-
Guns are dangerous
weapons and have no place in educational establishments;
children should be protected from guns not encouraged to
develop an interest in them.
-
Arsenals of guns pose a
quite unnecessary risk to the safety of children and
teachers. They are susceptible to criminal attack and
require a level of security that is inappropriate to a
school.
-
If the Ministry of
Defence has public money to spend on encouraging
discipline and teamwork in children and young people then
it should transfer that money to schools to be used for
more suitable extra curricular activities e.g. outward
bound courses or community/environmental service.
This is an issue about which
parents all over the country feel very deeply. Guns are made
for killing and do not belong in schools.
Yours sincerely
Your signature
Print name
Dear Mr/Mrs/ Ms
or
Dear Member of Parliament
Control of Guns
I write to express my growing concern about the number of
‘look-alike’ guns that are currently flooding the market. Some
of them are sold as toys, such as BB guns which shoot pellets,
and others as non-functional replicas manufactured under an
agreement with the companies who make the real guns such as Colt
and Smith & Wesson.
These look-alikes are all freely available in toy shops, camping
shops, markets and other high street outlets; they are not
certified and can be owned by anyone including children. Since
they cannot be distinguished from the real thing they pose a
significant threat to the general public, to shop workers and
bank clerks, to the police and to the owner himself who may
mistakenly be thought to be carrying a real gun.
The government took brave and farsighted action in November 1997
to introduce a complete ban on handguns but this measure is now
being undermined by the proliferation of weapons which look
exactly like a real handgun. Public safety is being threatened
by these guns which have no sporting purpose and which should be
removed from circulation.
I urge you to bring the matter up with the relevant government
minister and request that a ban on ‘look-alikes’ is introduced
as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely
Your signature
Print name
3. SAMPLE RESOLUTION FOR COUNCILS
"This
council welcomed the decisive action taken by the government in
November 1997 to ban all handguns but notes that the large
majority of the law-abiding public wish the government to go
further. In particular, we urge the government to introduce
a minimum age limit of 18 for all guns, and to introduce a ban on
all “lookalike” weapons, be they toys or replicas.
All
councillors are urged to pledge themselves not to sign
applications for firearms certificates."
