Edhat StaffSource: Office of the District Attorney, County of Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley along with 28 additional members of Prosecutors Against Gun Violence (PAGV) announced today their strong opposition to provisions in the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act (“SHARE”) Act which would remove existing gun silencer safety regulations from federal law. The full letter is attached.
“As prosecutors, we are sworn to uphold public safety in our communities. The SHARE Act would threaten that safety by removing gun silencers from regulation under the National Firearms Act, which for decades has prevented felons, domestic abusers, and other people with dangerous histories from obtaining silencers,” wrote PAGV co-chairs Feuer and Vance in a letter regarding the legislation. “Given the challenges of protecting public safety in our communities—including from horrific mass shootings like the one we experienced this week in Las Vegas—and the increased risks to law enforcement, now is exactly the wrong time for Congress to make it easy for people with dangerous histories to buy silencers.”
The SHARE Act would jeopardize not only the safety of the public, but also the safety of the front-line law enforcement officers who work to keep communities safe. The loud and distinctive noise that a gunshot makes allows those who hear gunfire to assess the threat and take steps to protect themselves and those around them. Moreover, current federal law requires all buyers of silencers to pass a background check and comply with other common-sense safety provisions. Thanks to these successful regulations, silencers have been rarely used in connection with criminal activity.
Founded by District Attorney Vance and City Attorney Feuer in 2014, PAGV is a nonpartisan coalition of leading prosecutors, from every region of the United States, committed to advancing prosecutorial and policy solutions to the national public health and safety crisis of gun violence.
To stay up to date with PAGV’s progress, join the mailing list at ProsecutorsAGV.org, and follow PAGV on Facebook and Twitter.
There is a HUGE misconception out there regarding silencers. Silencers are designed to protect the hearing of the shooter. On long guns, such as rifles, the sound even with the silencer is still very loud. Here is a link to a Wikipedia article on it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suppressor
This is more “feel good” legislation and nothing more.
It’s not about what they’re “designed” to do, I know what they are designed to do. It’s the same thing ear plugs and over the ear protectors are designed to do. This is not about using something as it’s designed to be used, it’s about what criminals will use them for…that is the concern.
how deeply incredibly selfish
banned