To the Journal editor:

Remember the 1969 song by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrel, “I’m Your Puppet”, (“Pull the string and I’ll wink at you. I’m your puppet.”) Well, the NRA pulled the strings of the House Republican puppets, including our own U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, to vote against HR1585, the Violence Against Women Act.

This 1994 law has been reauthorized three time since passage with bipartisan support; but not this time. The vast majority of House Republicans, including Bergman, voted against the law on April 4 as master puppeteer, the NRA, pulled the strings.

And what is VAWA? Basically it’s a law that provides protections and funds programs for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence. Currently the bill prohibits people convicted of domestic abuse from possessing guns if they live with the victim, have a child with them, were a parent or guardian, are or were married to them. The 2019 revision would include: dating partners, stalkers and former partners.

For the life of me, I can’t see what objection Republican lawmakers would have to this bill except that the puppeteer would have fewer armed abusers in its ranks.

Thanks, Jack, for another, “reasoned” party-line vote.

DOUG MILLS

McMillan