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REGULAR MEETING MARCH 27, 2017
<br />the bill in question then stated, I just want to remind everyone that this is a resolution simply
<br />asking the State legislature to consider dialogue to close the loopholes within our current system.
<br />Stephen Miller, 1705 Lowell Wood East, Mishawaka, IN, continued the presentation. He was
<br />joined at the podium by Joellen Miller, 1705 Lowell Wood East, Mishawaka, IN. Mr. Miller
<br />stated that the two (2) of them have lost loved ones to gun violence and have been telling their
<br />story and advocating for the implementation of stronger common sense laws that they feel do not
<br />violate the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, but can help others be free from gun
<br />violence. Mr. Miller stated that he received two (2) NRA medals for marksmanship at Scout
<br />Camp. A few years later, his family was informed that his brother had been killed by a gunshot
<br />blast to the chest. Mr. Miller stated that it took him years to adjust to the loss of his brother.
<br />Ms. Miller stated that two thirds (2/3) of suicides are carried out by the use of a firearm. The
<br />Millers believe that background checks can reduce the amount of deaths by suicides caused by
<br />firearms. Ms. Miller stated that their nephew, Christopher, was born nine (9) months after the
<br />death of Stephen's brother. She stated that, as a young child and young adult, he suffered from
<br />being bullied, which put him at -risk. He masked a deep depression with smiles and a kind
<br />demeanor. Ms. Miller stated, This resulted in him taking his life three (3) days before Christmas.
<br />He was barely out of his teens and he was a first year college student. We believe all life is
<br />precious. She stated that they also believe that this bill is one way to make a difference in the
<br />community while still affirming and supporting Second Amendment rights.
<br />Mr. Miller stated that Americans are twenty (20) times more likely to be murdered by the use of
<br />a gun than people in other developed countries. He asked, What does gun violence cost in
<br />dollars? The Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation found that gun violence costs us
<br />Americans $229 billion each year. Behind this number is ninety -four (94) people killed each and
<br />over 33,000 people a year and over twice that many injured. Consider medical, legal, police
<br />work, loss of wages, loss to business and communities most affected. Domestic violence against
<br />women involving firearms is eleven (11) times more likely in the United States. When a firearm
<br />is involved in domestic situations, a woman is five (5) times more likely to be murdered.
<br />Although we hear more in the news about how the mass shootings in schools involve the
<br />majority of mass shooting, actually the majority of mass shootings involve domestic violence.
<br />Background checks have prevented 2,300,000 sales to those who cannot legally possess a
<br />firearm. However, millions of guns are exchanged in private transfers without a background
<br />check at gun shows and on the internet. Background checks save lives. In the states that have
<br />expanded their background checks, forty -seven percent (47 %) fewer women are shot to death by
<br />partners, fifty -three percent (53 %) fewer police officers are killed with handguns, forty percent
<br />(40 %) fewer suicides by gun occur, and there is forty-eight percent (48 %) less gun traffic. For a
<br />negative example of how a state fares without background checks, let's look at Missouri. In
<br />2007, Missouri eliminated its gun permit system, and thus background checks to go with it. A
<br />variety of data show that the gun trafficking and homicides have increased due to this policy
<br />change. Repealing the background check increased crime gun trafficking in Missouri. Missouri
<br />also saw a rise in gun homicides after the repeal of the background check requirement.
<br />Mr. Miller stated, After the massacre of twenty (20) children and six (6) educators in 2013 at the
<br />Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT, we personally reached out to Mayors Against Illegal
<br />Guns, which Mayor Pete belongs to. Later, Mayors Against Illegal Guns merged with Moms
<br />Demand Action and became Everytown For Gun Safety. The gun violence prevention movement
<br />now has over 3,000,000 active members. Moms Demand Action began when a Zionsville, IN
<br />mom started a Facebook page in response to Sandy Hook that immediately went viral and
<br />became a major force in the movement. In President Obama's State of the Union Address that
<br />followed just after Sandy Hook, the President announced that he would make gun violence
<br />prevention a priority. Out of the President's proposals came a fairly modest bipartisan Senate bill
<br />that expanded background checks to cover gun shows and internet sales, with exclusions for
<br />most personal sales. It had a majority of support but was defeated by a vote filibuster. After that,
<br />the movement turned to the states where we have made some significant progress. There are
<br />actually about twenty -one (21) states, since Nevada recently did a ballot initiative expanding
<br />their background checks universally. Even conservative states like Wisconsin and Louisiana
<br />have passed domestic violence and stalker laws that do more to protect women from gun
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