President Obama, you have my support to stop illegal gun sales

I'm conservative, a gun owner, and I voted against President Obama twice. But as a responsible American, I have come to accept the reality that gun violence has reached a point of crisis in our country, and that we all need to set aside political differences to unite on this important issue.

Since the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon two weeks ago, there have been seven more school shootings—a total of 152 school shootings since the Sandy Hook massacre.

Each year, countless numbers of guns are sold by unlicensed, high-volume sellers through internet websites and at gun shows. Nearly a quarter of a million gun sales originate from one single website. Unlicensed sellers at gun shows often openly advertise guns for sale with prominent signage saying, “No Paperwork Necessary.”

All entities “engaged in the business of selling firearms” should be held to the same standard of requiring background checks.

President Obama should close this loophole through executive action by clearly defining in the law the difference between an “occasional seller” and one that is “engaged in the business of selling firearms.”

But given the power of the well-funded gun lobby, it's only going to happen if we set aside political differences and unite on this ever so important issue for the safety and security of our nation.

Please join me in encouraging President Obama to utilize his executive authority to move on this issue quickly and decisively. We need action NOW!