Received this e-mail today from Lt. Governor Ralph Northam’s (D. VA) gubernatorial campaign:
Friends,
Growing up on the Eastern Shore, I spent a lot of time hunting and fishing. I went to college at the Virginia Military Institute, then served in the Army. I know guns.
But as a doctor, I also know the dangers guns pose. I saw it firsthand treating soldiers during Desert Storm, and as a pediatrician in Norfolk, I’ve treated too many kids who’ve hurt themselves or their loved ones by accidentally discharging a loaded firearm.
We’ve tried time and time again to keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people by implementing universal background checks, but the gun lobby continues to stand in the way of progress. Republicans are putting the interests of the NRA ahead of the safety of Virginia families—and it’s got to stop.
Friends, you and I both know that requiring background checks for gun purchases is commonsense. It keeps guns out of the hands of folks with mental illnesses, domestic abusers, and convicted felons—and any Republican that doesn’t understand that is unfit for office.
Standing up to the NRA—and the Republicans who support it—will take all of us. Thanks for your help.
Take care,
Ralph