Time to limit gun sales to one a month

To the Times:

Illegal guns are a threat to our communities.

For the past two and half years, while running a local gun violence prevention organization, I continually heard the same question from both supporters and skeptics: “What can be done about all the illegal guns out there?” While I applaud last week’s dismantling of yet another gun trafficking organization in Pennsylvania (the fourth such network shutdown since September), it feels like we are constantly bailing out a boat with a large hole in the middle.

Of the 31 guns identified as being illegally transferred from the aforementioned trafficking ring, only seven have been recovered. So where are the other 24? And how can we prevent this crime before it’s committed?

Firearms bought by straw purchasers are flooding our streets, placing guns in the hands of criminals who are unable to legally purchase a weapon themselves. These guns can then be traded and used in crimes, tearing more families apart.

Thus far, four states have put their residents’ safety first by enacting laws limiting handgun purchases to one per month. This legislation targets straw purchasers who buy multiple handguns in a short time span in an effort to traffic as many weapons as possible. These laws have been proven to cut down on the illegal crime guns being transferred across state lines, while also increasing public safety. It’s time that Pennsylvania legislators took the proactive step of enacting onehandgun-per-month, in order to stop the outpouring of illegal firearms on our streets.