I am starting this petition to save lives and to make the country safer and more just for my daughter and myself and everyone. This is my home. I don't want to have to move to England, where I don't have to worry about as much gun violence. This is a fight to make our homeland a better place without running to a gated community or suburbs or a safer city.

The surrounding States of MA, CT, MD, NY and NJ have all limited firearm magazine capacity because it will save lives in a mass shooting. As a life long gun owner I support joining our neighbors in this common sense measure to protect our citizens.

Because Americans are guaranteed a right, and duty, in our constitution to stand up to and overthrow tyrannical governments. I hope it never comes to that, but if it does, it would be impossible to do with a militarized police force.

When the community of Ferguson, Missouri demanded answers in the death Michael Brown, an unarmed 18 year old killed by a police officer, they were met with force more appropriate for a war zone than a suburban town of 21,000 residents. Police officers unleashed tear gas, rubber bullets, and hovering helicopters on residents mourning their community’s tragedy. Ferguson’s residents face racial discrimination in their community every day. 67% of Ferguson’s residents are black, just three police officers, one city council member, and no school board members are black. While the majority of people who live in the town are black, the people making decisions about who has value, and a say, in their community are white. When hundreds of residents rallied to remember and to grieve, the everyday policing biases they faced quickly escalated. Police officers dressed like soldiers armed with military-grade weapons looked like they were there to lead a tactical assault -- not help a community in crisis cope with a tragic loss. When weapons from the battlefield end up on our streets, no community is safe. Join us in calling on your Governor to opt-out of the militarization of our neighborhoods and take executive action rejecting military-grade weapons available through the Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO) program. These weapons shouldn’t be anywhere, much less our back yards. Why does Ferguson, a town of 21,000, have a police force with access to helicopters, rubber bullets, and tear gas? In 1991, Congress established the LESO program which allows the Defense Department to transfer excess property to state agencies who request them. The property is given to agencies -- police departments, fish and wildlife services, and state universities alike -- as-is and must be used by the agency within a year. LESO gives these agencies access to tanks, helicopters, tear gas, machine guns, armored cars, night-vision equipment, and more battlefield-tested equipment. In 2013 alone, more than $440 million in supplies were doled out to agencies in all 50 states. These weapons do not belong in our neighborhoods or in the hands of our communities police forces. When combined with systemic policing bias toward communities of color, our citizens are less safe at the hands of those sworn to protect them. We don’t know where the next Ferguson may be, but so long as LESO continues to provide military-grade weapons to local law enforcement the threat remains. We urge Governors to opt-out of these programs to ensure the safety and uphold the civil rights of their communities.

I worked for five years on gun safety issues. I know first hand that allowing more guns into our community will put our neighbors at risk. Our elected leaders should be writing our laws, not a federal judge in New York.

Members of the group Sandy Hook Promise (Families of the children murdered in Sandy Hook Elementary) traveled from Connecticut to Governor Christie’s office in NJ last week to deliver a petition with 55,000 signatures asking him to sign a bill . The Bill was passed by both houses of the State Legislature, the Bill was to reduce magazine capacity from 15 rounds to 10 rounds. The Governor refused to meet with them, saying his mind was made up. An hour after Sandy Hook Promise left the State house, Christie vetoed the bill. If the bill was passed it would prevent future tragedies just as these families endured. If the gunman at Sandy Hook were forced to reload more often, a greater number of those children would still be alive, which is why this bill is extremely significant. Governor Christie talks about mental health reform when it comes to gun violence, if he truly wanted reform it would include the mental health reform he proposes PLUS the limitation on high capacity magazines. .

The facts are simple: You don't need big magazines for self-defense or hunting, and less bullets at a time means more possible lives saved.

The shootings at Seattle Pacific University and Reynolds Arthur Academy in Oregon just a few weeks ago broke our hearts. Washington State moms and dads have never been more concerned about gun safety, and never more ready for common sense reform of our gun laws to protect our kids and communities. This Spring, the gun lobby killed a bill in our state legislature ensuring that all gun sales go through the same criminal background check system. Initiative 594 takes this simple, commonsense, life-saving reform directly to the voters – US! We need 126,380 Washingtonians to pledge their votes by the end of August to make Washington safer – that's 10 percent of the votes we need to win on Initiative 594. Pledging now shows your commitment and helps encourage others to pledge as well so we can build momentum and exceed the number of votes we need by Election Day! Initiative 594 won't completely eliminate gun violence – but it's a simple and effective step that we can take this year to make our children and families safer, and together, we can make it happen. Pledge now!

Gun violence is a result of the wrong people owning guns or of people without proper training and regard for weapons owning them. Making it a requirement of gun ownership to belong to a well regulated militia, as mentioned in the Second Amendment, would provide a means to ensure that neither of the above conditions occur.

Aren't we all tired of these mass shootings &, those who are truly responsible walking away free? Join me by signing this petition to President Obama to set up a commission to investigate the NRA exposing the money trail through the lobbyists they send to Washington with cash to burn selling out America’s safety so weapons manufacturers can make money off of the blood of America’s children. If we don't protect our children, who will?

Niles is considering allowing a gun shop and 22-lane firing range to open within walking distance of Niles West High School, New Hope Academy, Lil' Kickers and Jump!Zone. Guns have no place being this close to where Niles children learn and play. Ask our Mayor and Trustees to say NO by signing this petition and showing up at the zoning board hearing on July 7 at 7 p.m. (Village Hall, 1000 Civic Center Drive).

I am seeing more and more shootings every week in America, many of those taking place in educational institutions. I have 7 grandchildren in school and I shouldn't have to worry every school day that they might not come home from school because they were killed there. We shouldn't have to worry that just walking down the street exposes us to a random gun shooting. We demand that our leaders take action to curb gun violence with whatever laws or regulations are needed.