Look at record on gun-safety issues

Residents of Illinois's sixth congressional district received a mailing recently from the Peter Roskam for Congress campaign. In it, he boasts his plan to keep children safe where they live, learn, and play.

First up, banning bump stocks: The ATF was recently accepting comments from the public regarding the legality of bump stocks. I didn't see any mention of that on Roskam's campaign site or social media feeds. If it were so important to him, he would have publicized it. Or written or sponsored a bill to do so. After all, he has been in Congress for over 11 years now.

His next topic: Focus on mental health issues. Mental illness is a scapegoat for gun violence and an old NRA talking point. People with mental illnesses are far more likely to be the victims of gun violence than the perpetrators. Even in deaths by suicide, those with no mental illness are more common than those with mental illness.

The only bill he has voted for that is remotely related to children and gun violence is the Keeping Schools Safe Act, which doesn't actually include any gun-related language, and whose methods show no evidence of having any lifesaving effect.

Roskam has taken over $20,000 directly from the NRA. He has voted time and again to make guns easier to get and to use. He has voted in favor of legalizing silencers (2016), in favor of repealing a semi-automatic weapons ban (2008), and in favor of Concealed Carry Reciprocity (2011). Make no mistake: Peter Roskam has a 93 percent from the NRA (2016), and a 0 percent rating from Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (2015-2016). If Mr. Roskam expects us to believe he will fight for gun violence prevention, he's got another thing coming.

Julie Hill

Glen Ellyn