Mayor Sly James: Ask presidential candidates about their plans for gun safety

Gun violence is an enormous problem in this country, but it doesn’t have to be. As a nation, we only allow it to persist through our inaction.

We know what the solutions are. Several common sense gun safety laws — ones that we should implement right here in Missouri — would prevent acts of gun violence while not infringing on an individual’s Second Amendment rights.

Right now, Missouri has no law requiring a background check when guns are transferred between unlicensed parties, no waiting period on gun purchases, and a dearth of other practical measures that have been shown to reduce gun violence and save lives.

The measures I’m talking about are supported by almost everyone, including gun owners. Take mandatory background checks. Polls show that 85 percent of Missourians support them for gun buyers. But Missouri does not require background checks on all firearm sales, far from it.

For those who say legislation doesn’t make a difference, take a look at Missouri’s former “permit-to-purchase” law that required background checks for all gun purchases. After the law was repealed in 2007, the state’s homicide rate skyrocketed by 25 percent over three years, while homicides decreased in the nation overall by 10 percent.

Think about this — Missouri has one of the worst rates of gun crime in the country. In 2010, Missouri had the fourth highest rate of gun deaths with more than 335 gun murders. And 62 of those killed by guns were children. This year Kansas City has mourned the loss of five young people under the age of 17.

In 2013, more Missouri residents were killed by guns than motor vehicle deaths — a startling trend that we’re on track to meet again this year. That’s an especially troubling statistic, considering more than 90 percent of Missouri households own a vehicle, but less than a third own a firearm. Since taking office, I’ve implored our General Assembly to allow cities like ours to regulate guns differently than rural areas. They haven’t listened, but I trust my friend, Hillary Clinton, to do better.

With the next presidential election a little more than a year from today, we should press state and national candidates for their plans to address gun violence and how they plan to work with local mayors to keep communities safe.

None of the presidential candidates, in my opinion, has been as smart and tough on this issue as Clinton. In recent weeks, she announced a bold plan that called for comprehensive background checks, greater accountability from gun manufacturers and dealers, and a national effort to prevent violent criminals and unstable individuals from obtaining deadly weapons.

What’s more,Clinton isn’t afraid to stand up to the National Rifle Association — a radical organization that can no longer claim to speak for the vast majority of sensible gun owners.

As President Barack Obama said after the recent mass shooting in Oregon, “We are the only advanced country in the world that sees these shootings every few months.” Implementing common sense gun reforms would help prevent gun tragedies across America and reduce everyday acts of gun violence right here in our state. Elected officials who refuse to play a part in meeting this challenge have no business holding office. Our country deserves better. And our children do as well.

We as a country can and must ensure a safer future for all Americans.

This story was originally published November 8, 2015 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Mayor Sly James: Ask presidential candidates about their plans for gun safety."