Colorado Mayor Shares Thoughts on Gun Safety and President Obama’s Visit to Denver

Last Thursday, President Obama stood with parents and teachers of gun violence victims to urge Congress to take action.  He also promised the American people that he had not forgotten the 20 innocent children and six brave educators who lost their lives at Sandy Hook Elementary more than 100 days ago.

Today, the President will travel to the Denver, Colorado, where he will continue asking the American people to join him in calling on Congress to pass common-sense measures to reduce gun violence.

The President will meet with local law enforcement officials and community leaders to discuss the new measures the state recently put in place, including closing loopholes in the background check system to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and others who should not have access to them. 

Golden, Colorado Mayor Marjorie Sloan and Chair of the Colorado Mayors Against Illegal Guns group shares her thoughts on President Obama’s visit to Denver:

One of the reasons I’m proud to be Mayor of Golden is because I believe our state represents what’s best about this country: the ability of our community to join together in a time of tragedy and come up with common-sense solutions on gun safety.

The legislation signed into law by Governor Hickenlooper on March 20 includes closing the background check loophole, which is supported by overwhelming numbers both here in Colorado and nationally. We’re talking about this level of support in Colorado - a western, gun-owning state. Americans have had enough.

And that’s why I’m glad President Obama will be here on Wednesday. Like Coloradans, he has not forgotten what happened in Columbine, in Aurora, and in Newtown. We won’t let those families, and all the families touched by gun violence, down.

The voices we heard when we passed gun safety laws in Colorado were from Jane Dougherty, whose sister Mary Sherlach was the school psychologist killed running at the Sandy Hook gunman, trying to protect the children. From Dave Hoover, a veteran police officer whose beloved nephew, 18 year old AJ Boik, was shot sitting next to his girlfriend in the Aurora theater. From Tom Mauser, who has been wearing his son Daniel's shoes for 14 years and fighting for gun safety ever since Daniel was killed at Columbine.

We welcome President Obama to Colorado. His presence here will remind the nation that families of Columbine, and Aurora, and Newtown, and the 33 Americans killed every day by gun violence, deserve a vote, not just in Colorado but in Congress.

Watch President Obama’s remarks live today at 5:00 PM EDT in Denver, CO.

Read more about the President’s common-sense proposals for reducing gun violence.