October 14, 2011

By Shannon McDonald

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter last week sent a letter to members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns encouraging them to support efforts to allow local governments to determine their own firearm carrying laws.

Nutter is a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which has already created a 10-point code for gun shop owners to do their part in preventing illegal carries, and is calling on citizens to rally against H.R. 822 National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011.

"Congress is debating a law that would eviscerate the ability of individual states to decide who can carry a hidden, loaded gun," he wrote. "It would force every state to honor concealed carry permits from every other state, no matter how low they set their standards."

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey has posted a public petition on the White House’s "We the People" website, which the Obama administration will weigh if it gets 25,000 signatures.

"Here in Philadelphia, we’ve made too much progress on tackling homicides and gun violence to have it undone by this law," Nutter's letter reads. "It makes no sense for Washington to make things easier for criminals, and harder for cities that are trying to keep their streets safe."

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