Philly anti-violence advocate tapped for President’s Gun Policy Task Force

CeaseFirePA executive director Shira Goodman today participated in a meeting of the President’s Gun Policy Task Force formed in the wake of the Newtown, Conn. school shooting to provide possible solutions to the country’s gun violence epidemic.

“CeaseFirePA is honored to be among the gun violence prevention organizations and victims’ advocates who engaged in a critical discussion about the urgent problem of gun violence and common sense steps we can take to fight it,” Goodman said.

At the meeting with Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder, Goodman raised the issue of Pennsylvania’s Instant Background Check System, whose mental health records are generally not shared with the national database.

“Pennsylvanians and Americans are demanding that our leaders take action,” Goodman said. “We must make our voices heard so that our elected officials have no choice but to enact common sense gun regulations that make our communities safer.”

CeaseFirePA will on Jan. 23 hold a day of action in the east wing of Harrisburg’s state capitol building to demand a “common sense plan of action” to address gun violence.

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Mental health records are stored in Pennsylvania’s Instant Background Check System, but only one of those records have been shared with the national database, according to Goodman.