Luther College President Rick Torgerson signs a letter supporting tougher gun laws

Luther College President Rick Torgerson is among 200 higher education leaders who have signed a letter urging lawmakers to tighten the nation's gun control laws.

The letter was first written by Oglethorpe University president Lawrence Schall, who was so horrified when by reports of the killing of 20 children and six educators in Newtown, Connecticut last week that he got up in the middle of the night and started to write.

The result is a letter asking President Barack Obama and Washington, D.C. lawmakers "to take action on gun control now."  The letter then was circulated among college officials nationwide.

Luther President Rick Torgerson is among eight Iowa college presidents who have signed the letter.  It calls for reinstatement of a ban on semi-automatic assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, the closure of a loophole that allows the purchase of weapons at gun shows without a background check and additional consumer safety standards.

The complete text of the letter is available at http://collegepresidentsforgunsafety.oglethorpe.wpengine.com/