No Assault Weapons For Pittsburgh Police

To:  PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL

We the undersigned request that Pittsburgh City Council postpone its final vote on supplying police cruisers with assault rifles, which is scheduled for tomorrow, for at least six months

The shock and grief resulting from the killings of the three officers last month, and the continuing sympathetic media coverage of the event and its aftermath, have biased public opinion in favor of protecting the police at all costs. As a result of that emotional steamroller, in the past six weeks there has been neither stomach nor tolerance for a prudent, transparent examination of the pros and cons of the proposed weapons.

There are serious reasons to oppose Council's preliminary decision. Among other effects, it sends the message that fear and violence are acceptable. It subverts the option of gun control. It ignores the terrible increase in collateral damage that will occur. It mocks the peaceful efforts of the Coalition Against Violence.

Counter arguments deserve calm, realistic scrutiny. Please resist the temptation to demagoguery and postpone your final decision until a dispassionate public debate both is possible and has been conducted.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The No Assault Weapons For Pittsburgh Police Petition to PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL was created by and written by Paradise Gray (Paradisegray@gmail.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.