Dear Editor,

The great failing in our current efforts to protect ourselves against

violent criminals is the unreliability of the system of background

checks for gun purchases.

Time and again it has been found that a gunman has been able to pass a background check even though he was not legally entitled to buy a gun. Fixing this problem should be our priority.

Mental health information must be available for background checks. A study by the Secret Service found that 64 percent of those carrying out mass shootings showed symptoms of mental illness, and 25 percent had received treatment.

It’s time to close the mental health loophole.

Sincerely,

Peter J. Thomas

Chairman

The Conservative Caucus