Rep. Ron Kind on President's Plan to Curb Gun Violence

Statement

U.S. Rep. Ron Kind made the following statement regarding the President's announcement today on his plan to reduce gun violence in America.

"We have a responsibility to take care of the safety and security of all of our citizens. We must move forward with a long-overdue discussion but at the same time, we must also listen to the voices of law-abiding, safety-conscious gun owners in America.

"The President today highlighted a number of areas that we need to address to ensure this safety and rein in gun violence in our country. I commend President Obama and Vice President Biden for meeting with stakeholders on both sides of the issue to pursue solutions to reduce and prevent this violence. As a former prosecutor, I agree that we must do a better job upholding the laws that prohibit criminals from having guns and ensuring dangerous people aren't slipping through the cracks. I support increased school safety initiatives so that our teachers and students are better protected with the help of additional officers and surveillance equipment. And we can and should be enforcing stricter penalties for gun trafficking to stop the spread of illegal weapons across our borders and among our communities.

"As an avid hunter and a representative of sportsmen and women in Wisconsin and across the country, I believe current law should be examined so as to allow law-abiding sportsmen to enjoy hunting but also to keep guns out of the hands of convicted criminals and others who might misuse them.

"The discussion is not over and there is still a lot to do. We must strike a balance between public safety and individual rights to really address the issue of gun violence and put into place reforms that work for and protect all Americans."

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