John Mellencamp Part of Billboard Magazine's Open Letter To Congress: Stop Gun Violence Now
From the editors of Billboard Magazine: Like the rest of the country and the
world, Billboard editors were horrified by the mass killing at Orlando’s Pulse
nightclub on June 12, and by the murder of singer Christina Grimmie the night
before. Both tragedies occurred where musicians and music fans gathered. And so
faced with another gun-related tragedy, the staff organized this special “Open
Letter to Congress” cover of Billboard.
With the help of leading gun-violence prevention group Everytown for Gun Safety,
editors reached out to those we cover in the music industry, and asked for their
support and their signatures to help seek a sane and safe end to gun violence.
Billboard, artists and music-industry executives join so many members of the
House and Senate this week proudly advocating for common-sense gun safety.
AN OPEN LETTER TO CONGRESS:
STOP GUN VIOLENCE NOW
As leading artists and executives in the music industry, we are adding our
voices to the chorus of Americans demanding change.
Music always has been celebrated communally, on dancefloors and at concert
halls. But this life-affirming ritual, like so many other daily
experiences—going to school or church or work—now is threatened, because of gun
violence in this country.
The one thing that connects the recent tragedies in Orlando is that it is far
too easy for dangerous people to get their hands on guns.
We call on Congress to do more to prevent the gun violence that kills more than
90 Americans every day and injures hundreds more, including:
Require a background check for every gun sale
Block suspected terrorists from buying guns
Billboard and the undersigned implore you—the people who are elected to
represent us—to close the deadly loopholes that put the lives of so many music
fans, and all of us, at risk.
Sincerely,
[See the signatures and full list of artists and music industry members at http://www.billboard.com/open-letter/ ]