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Americans for Gun Safety Features Senator John Mccain in Television Ads Supporting Colorado, Oregon Initiatives to Close the "Gun Show Loophole" TV Ad Campaign Featuring Arizona Senator Emphasizes Gun Rights and Responsibilities, Premiers Today; Campaign Sponsored by New, National Gun Safety Organization, AGS
Washington, DC—U.S. Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) is featured in two television spots in support of Colorado and Oregon ballot initiatives to close the "gun-show loophole," officials of the new national organization Americans for Gun Safety (AGS) announced today. The thirty-second ads, premiering soon in both states, are the first spots in a one million dollar campaign sponsored by the non-partisan group to support the two citizen-led referendums. Currently, Colorado and Oregon law allows unlicensed dealers to sell firearms at gun shows without performing the criminal background checks that are required for all sales by federally licensed dealers. The ballot initiatives (Amendment 22 in Colorado and Measure 5 in Oregon) would mandate the same criminal background checks by unlicensed dealers at gun shows. Guns used in the Columbine shooting and the Granada Hills shooting were purchased from unlicensed dealers at gun shows—without background checks. "Despite the tragic lessons we have learned, it is still far too easy for a convicted felon to buy firearms at a gun show. That is wrong," Senator McCain said today. "This is not about what's conservative and what's liberal, what's Republican and what's Democrat. It's about what's right and what's wrong. And quite simply, closing this loophole is the right thing to do." "I believe law-abiding citizens have the right to own guns, and I have steadfastly fought for those rights for many years. But with rights come responsibilities. I strongly support the Colorado and Oregon ballot initiatives that help close this dangerous loophole," said the Senator. 'Rights and responsibilities' is a major theme of the Americans for Gun Safety (AGS), which explicitly supports the rights of law-abiding citizens who own guns, while seeking greater responsibility for gun safety and gun crime prevention from manufacturers, distributors, gun owners, law enforcement and citizens at large. "These ballot initiatives have made Colorado and Oregon 'ground zero' for the gun safety debate," said Americans for Gun Safety President Jonathan Cowan. "The AGS is pleased to join with a true American hero, Senator McCain, and the people of Colorado and Oregon in supporting these common-sense solutions that will help keep guns out of the hands of kids and criminals." The AGS is committing $1 million to help pass the ballot initiatives, funding that includes both direct grants to SAFE Colorado and Stop Gun Violence in Oregon, the citizen-led organizations that sponsored the initiatives, and a substantial purchase of television ad time for the new campaign. In addition, Americans for Gun Safety will be undertaking a national public education advertising campaign after the elections, focused on raising awareness about the gun violence problem and building a national consensus behind its common sense rights and responsibilities approach to preventing gun violence. Copies of the Senator John McCain "Gun Show Loophole" spot are available to accredited news organizations and can be viewed at americansforgunsafety.com. View the ad now.
About Americans for Gun SafetyAmericans for Gun Safety is a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization that supports the rights of individuals to own guns, and seeks better laws and tougher enforcement of existing laws to help keep guns out of the hands of criminals and children.
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