Resolution on Gun Violence Prevention

WHEREAS, 84 years ago, the founders of the League of Latin American Citizens, (LULAC) joined together to establish an organization that would become the largest, oldest and successful Hispanic civil rights and service organization in the United States, and

WHEREAS, the League of United Latin American Citizens is the nation’s oldest and largest Latino organization, founded in Corpus Christi, Texas February 24, 1929 , and

WHEREAS, LULAC throughout its history has committed itself to the principle that Latinos have equal access to opportunities in employment, education, housing, and healthcare , and

WHEREAS, given the unbelievable cost of violence to the people of our country-approximately 508 billion a year in treatment, loss of productivity and burden on the criminal justice system , and

WHEREAS, LULAC has supported the principles of equal opportunities for economic development, political influence, civil rights and the general welfare of the Latino community at the national level , and

WHEREAS, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is an effective tool to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and other dangerous individuals and has blocked 2 million illegal gun purchases in the past two decades , and

WHEREAS, despite this success, the system is undermined by legal loopholes and missing records that enable too many dangerous individuals to obtain weapons they later use in crimes , and

WHEREAS, it is estimated that state and federal agencies have failed to report more than one million records of persons with dangerous mental illness into NICS , and

WHEREAS, on April 16, 2007, Sueng-Hui Cho shot and killed 32 people at Virginia Tech with guns he was able to purchase from a licensed dealer because records of his mental health status were missing from NICS , and

WHEREAS, on January 8, 2011, Jared Loughner, someone with a reported history of drug abuse, serious mental illness who should have been in NICS but was not, killed six people and shot 13 others, including U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, using multiple high-capacity magazines , and

WHEREAS, on July 20, 2012, James Holmes using an assault weapon and 100-round drum magazine, allegedly shot and killed 12 people and injured at least 58 others in a movie theater in Aurora, CO, using some of the thousands of rounds of ammunition that the shooter had recently purchased online without any background check , and

WHEREAS, on August 5, 2012, Wade Michael Page allegedly shot and killed six people and injured three others at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, WI , and

WHEREAS, on October 21, 2012, Radcliffe Haughton shot and killed his estranged wife and two others; and though a restraining order had been issued against Haughton-making him a prohibited person under federal law- Haughton was able to avoid a background check by purchasing the gun from a private seller through armlist.com , and

WHEREAS, on December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza, using an assault weapon and multiple high-capacity magazines, shot and killed 27 people, including 20 children at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, CA , and

WHEREAS, in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings, Virginia and other states have submitted hundreds of thousands of new mental health records into NICS, yet 18 states have submitted fewer than 100 mental health records, as of October 2012 , and

WHEREAS, under federal law licensed gun dealers are mandated to conduct NICS checks before proceeding with a sale, but this requirement does not apply to so-called private sellers who are present in large numbers at gun shows and sell guns over the internet and through classified advertisements , and

WHEREAS, it is estimated that 6.6 million guns are sold or transferred without a background check every year in the U.S. and undercover investigations have shown that more than 60 percent of private sellers at gun shows and online will proceed with sales even when they are made aware that prospective purchasers cannot pass a background check , and

WHEREAS, more than 12,000 Americans are murdered with guns every year, and too many of these crimes are committed by individuals who are barred from purchasing or possessing guns under Federal law , and

WHEREAS, other tragedies including the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in Colorado, the 2010 attack on law enforcement at the Pentagon, and the 2012 mass shooting at a Pittsburgh psychiatrich clinic were perpetrated by individuals federally prohibited from owning guns who obtained guns through unregulated private sales with no paperwork required and no questions asked , and

WHEREAS, S. 649 has been introduced in the U.S. Congress, and this legislation would address the two major flaws in the nation’s gun background check system by improving compliance with federal record reporting requirements, and by requiring background checks for all U.S. gun sales , and

WHEREAS, H.R. 1565 and Senate Amendment 715 to S. 649 would also improve compliance with reporting requirements, and would require background checks for all private sales in commercial settings, including at gun shows, online and through classified ads , and

WHEREAS, 92 percent of Americans, 88 percent of gun owners, and 86 percent of NRA members support mandatory criminal background checks for all gun sales , and

WHEREAS, LULAC as the strongest voice for the Latino Community in the nations support enforceable Gun Background Check legislation and other measures to Reduce Gun Violence , and

BE IT RESOLVED, that LULAC will work to push for increased reporting of mental health and other relevant records into the NICS database , and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that LULAC urges the immediate passage of S. 649 and H.R. 137 in the United States Congress, legislation that would require background checks on all gun sales and ensure that all criminals and other dangerous people who are prohibited from buying a gun are listed in the National Institute Criminal Background Check System , and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that LULAC urges immediate passage of Senate Amendment S. 649 and H.R. 1565 in the United States Congress, legislation that would require background checks on all commercial gun sales and ensure that all criminals and other dangerous people who are prohibited from buying a gun are listed in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System , and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that LULAC urges immediate passage of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 (S. 150, H.R. 437) introduced by Senator Diane Feinstein and Representative Carolyn McCarthy, legislation that would get military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines away from our community and especially our schools , and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that LULAC urges immediate passage of the Senate Amendment 713 to S. 649 introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy and Senator Susan Collins, legislation that would make gun trafficking a federal crime , and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that LULAC, echoing the call of gun violence survivors and family members, join with President Obama in calling on the U.S. Congress to put in place concrete reforms to reduce gun violence nationwide and help prevent future mass shootings , and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, LULAC will join the voice of more than 50 national organizations support closing caps in the gun background check database and requiring a background check for all gun sales, including the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the Police Executive Research Forum, National Urban League, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the national Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Approved this 22nd day of June 2013.

Margaret Moran
LULAC National President