Menino Hosts 'Mayors Against Illegal Guns' Meeting

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino hosted the Massachusetts delegation of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition on Thursday as they continued their push on Congress to enact national legislation that will decrease gun violence.

“Earlier this week, I asked the City of Boston to stand with us on guns and say enough is enough,” Menino said in an event at the Parkman House on Beacon Street. “As mayors, we have a responsibility to our residents to do all we can to make our neighborhoods safer. Today, we’re calling on every community in Massachusetts to stand with us. We must keep the pressure on Congress to take swift action.”

Menino praised the Massachusetts federal delegation for signing on to the Fix Guns Check Act, which would require background checks for every gun sale in America. 

Since the Newtown school shooting tragedy, 14 more Massachusetts mayors have joined the coalition, totaling 26 mayors from the Commonwealth as part of the more than 850 mayors nationally.

Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, chairman of the Metro Mayors Coalition, recounted recent shootings in Arizona, Aurora, CO, and Alabama.

"Shootings in schools, shootings of bystanders, are all too common. Our goal is completely eliminate these tragedies," he said. 

Curtatone said 84 percent of Americans support stronger gun laws. 

"We support the Second Amendment and the right to own a gun," Curtatone added, echoing similar statements from other mayors.

A letter sent on Wednesday to the Senate Judiciary Committee stated the coalition’s support for its three goals: requiring every gun buyer to pass a background check, getting military-style weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines off the streets, and making gun trafficking a federal crime. 

Braintree Mayor Joseph Sullivan, president of the Massachusetts Mayors Association, said high-capacity gun magazines should only be in war zones.

"We support the right to bear arms, just do it the right way," he said.

Sullivan was also wearing a blue-and-yellow wristband that said "Newtown" and "We R One."

Sullivan added that mental health facilities also need support to help address mental health issues that lead to violence.

Malden Mayor Gary Christenson said he wants the attorney ceneral's wiretap law expanded to give investigative bodies more tools to fight crime.

"We need help," he said. "Law enforcement officials need help."

Mayors in attendance at today’s event included: Mayor Joseph C. Sullivan of Braintree, president of the Massachusetts Mayors Association; Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone of Somerville, chairman of the Metro Mayors Coalition; Mayor William F. Scanlon of Beverly; Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. of Everett; Mayor Lisa Wong of Fitchburg; Mayor Patrick Ó. Murphy of Lowell; Mayor Gary Christenson of Malden; Mayor Michael J. McGlynn of Medford; Mayor Robert J. Dolan of Melrose; Mayor Jonathan Mitchell of New Bedford; Mayor Setti Warren of Newton; Mayor Thomas Koch of Quincy; Mayor Daniel Rizzo of Revere; Mayor Kimberley Driscoll of Salem; and Mayor Scott D. Galvin of Woburn.

The mayors also taped a public service announcement, to be aired statewide.