I should not be standing here. If the Legislature had acted after Columbine - 19 years ago - 14 teenagers and three adults would most likely still be alive in Parkland, Florida. But they are dead, so I stepped out of retirement to run for the US House of Representatives on the issue of guns and gun control.
I am Peter Wright.
I am a gun owner, and have been since my early teens. I support the right to bear arms. Confiscation is out of the question. The fear some have of total confiscation is unfounded, in part because it's logistically impossible.
What is possible, however, is a reduction in the frequency of shootings, a reduction in the severity of injuries, and a reduction in the number of shooting victims.
It's as simple as A + B + C = D. A gun plus a shooter plus a human target equals a shooting victim. If we want to reduce the number of shooting victims, then we must reduce one or more of the three factors.
Common sense tells us the way to reduce guns is by making the more lethal guns unavailable. Common sense tells us the way to reduce the number of shooters is by requiring universal, comprehensive background checks on all gun purchases.
For the past decade, the Legislature, the Court and NRA have maintained the opposite position, claiming we can reduce the number of shooting victims by increasing the firepower and availability of guns, and by letting more men carry more guns in more places. It isn't working. People are dying. People are scared.
This election is a referendum on guns.
Peter Wright. Can't be bullied or bought
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