Topic Of Mayors' Letter: Gun Violence

Kansas City Mayor Sly James is among the latest to sign a letter being sent the President and Congress. The subject: gun and ammunition control.

The letterhead is the United States Conference of Mayors. Sly James added his to the names of Chicago’s Rahm Emanuel, New York City's Michael Bloomberg, and others.

Speaking of themselves, the Mayors say in the letter, more frequently than in the school shooting horror in Newtown, Connecticut, many city executives must cope with gun violence.

Mayor James says he understands some like combat style rifles for target shooting or competition.

" That’s fine. I don’t have a problem with that," James says. "But the fact of the matter is, those weapons were manufactured for one purpose and one purpose only. That’s killing people. That’s why they’re called 'assault weapons.'"

The letter calls for a stronger national background check with tightened loopholes for gun sales. Included are tougher penalties for straw purchases of guns.