More than 3,400 people — most from Ohio but some from states such as Arizona, Idaho and Alabama — wrote to DeWine about gun violence, records obtained by the Dayton Daily News show.
“On Sunday evening, I yelled, as loudly as I could, for you to DO SOMETHING. It was rude and inappropriate but it also was the first time that I, and dozens of others, were able to be heard by you,” said Teresa Bihl of Union. The day after the shooting, angry Ohioans shouted at DeWine during a vigil in the Oregon District to take action.
Some writers encouraged DeWine.
Gena Buehrer of Dayton said “Thank you for stepping up to support common gun safety and control. Please do not give up on this issue after the initial shock and grief have passed. Please do something.”
Others threatened him: “Do not dare infringe on our constitution…President Trump and you will lose re-election if anything is passed. Be strong and don’t pander to the weak,” wrote Keith Osborn of North Canton, who said gun laws don’t work.
And there was no shortage of ideas, from banning assault weapons to increasing access to mental health treatment to instituting universal background checks for gun purchases.
“In addition to background checks and red flag laws, let’s also talk about required licenses for every gun. We have to register our cars. We have to pass a test for a license. The same should apply for every gun. (There) should be a record of ownership for every gun,” wrote Jodi Abner of London, Ohio.
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While many called for the governor to embrace gun restrictions, some told him to respect the 2nd Amendment, avoid blaming gun violence on mental illness, and fix the existing background check system.
Richard McNeese of Logan warned DeWine against “going to bed with anti-gun politicians to pass unconstitutional and draconian gun control regulations. Your oath of office is at stake.”
Jeffrey Adkins of Kettering wrote that he supports legislation that would allow law-abiding adults to carry concealed weapons without government mandated training or background checks. “Guns are not the problem. The evil people who commit this horrible crimes are. My cousin committed suicide 18 years ago with a gun. It was not the gun it was HIM.”
And Teri Boyd of Frazeyburg said “It’s not about the guns. The guns don’t go out and kill people. People kill people. These people will find another way to do their damage if they have made up their minds to do so. There is a major mental health issue and that is the problem.”
A retired psychiatrist from Montana, Leah Thronson, told DeWine that people with mental illness are not the problem.
“Yes we need more mental health resources, but not because of shooters. Yes a few mentally ill people are involved in shootings, but these folks are an extremely minor part of our problem,” Thronson said.
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