Post Letters to Congress Here!

[CarryCauseICan]

I have been sending emails to Congress as often as I can. I am not the best at expressing what I want to say in the form of a letter. I suggest that we start a thread where we can post our letters for others to use, modify and share. I hate to send the same letter every time. Here is an example of one of mine, and I hope others will add theirs to this thread so we can keep up the good fight. Please don't judge what others wrote, I think we can decide for ourselves what is appropriate or not. Letters only. Thanks CCIC

Dear XXXX
Support the 2nd Amendment!
My name is XXXXX. I am (years old) and a Husband and Father of (# of) young children, a daughter who is (years old) and a son who is (years old). We are a family who uses various firearms for hunting, sport, and self-defense. I am writing to inform you of my unwavering support of our constitutional right to “keep and bear arms.” President Obama is calling for more restrictions on Law abiding citizens like me and millions of others because of the actions of a few mentally disturbed individuals who violated numerous laws that are already in place. Taking away my Constitutional right to keep and bear whatever arms I see fit to protect my family, from whatever threat that may be, is not the answer! Unarming my ability to protect them is unconscionable and immoral.
Please do not punish Law Abiding Citizens for crimes they did not commit by limiting their 2nd Amendment Rights to protect themselves and their families!
Thank you for your time,
XXXXXXXXX

[optimusglen]

Here is one that I wrote and have sent.

Greetings, I hope this finds you well. As many others have, yesterday I watched as Senator Feinstein and other Senators, along with local officials and members of gun safety organizations, held a news conference to announce a bill known as the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013.

We are all saddened by the unnecessary loss of life, especially in regards to children, and the horrible events that have happened over the last few months and years are truly regrettable.

What I find quite deplorable however, is how few, if any, of the speakers yesterday displayed that they actually have a functioning knowledge of the problem we as Americans are facing. I refer you to the words spoken by the Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey discussing the firearms on display, that were blatantly non-factual.

What I saw yesterday were several emotionally driven individuals trying to make rash decisions with hopes that these decisions correct problems that they do not understand. I find that the supporters of this proposed bill are ignorant in the purest sense of the term, that they deliberately ignore or disregard important information for facts. And what is worse, the suspension of logic when thinking about this problem.

Logic tells us that someone with a mental problem, who is willing to kill innocent people, will not be stopped by legislature. This logic is supported by facts, in that the city of Chicago with some of the most strict firearm laws in the country also has the highest amount of gun violence per capita, and that all of the mass shootings in recent memory have taken place within zones where no firearms are permitted. Logic also tells us that if someone has the mental capacity to attack and murder, that they will find a way to do it regardless if it's by using a legal firearm, an illegal firearm, a sharp weapon, or even a blunt object. The problem is not that they have a gun, the problem is that their mental state has deteriorated. We find that the majority of Americans, according to the Gallup poll published on January 23rd, would prefer school security and mental health system changes over laws on the sale of guns and ammunition, and the people are right.

The question often comes up though, why would any law abiding citizen need a firearm as displayed at this news conference. The answer is different for each of us. For some, they like the added security in the event of a home invasion where there are multiple perpetrators. For others, they enjoying going to the target range and not having to stop to fill up a magazine as often. And yet others, it is shown as a limit on their Second Amendment rights. Regardless of the reason, it is important to note that all of these reasons are completely valid.

As a citizen of these great United States of America, I implore you to refrain from supporting legislature that is based on misinformation, disinformation or reactionary fear, and instead take a logical and factual approach to this problem. Thank you for your time and your service to Minnesota.

[photogpat]

Sent this one to Klobuchar this morning.

Senator Klobuchar:
I’m writing to you as one of your constituents, and as a *insert socio/political affiliation here* firearm owner.
As you're no doubt aware, Senator Feinstein has introduced her "Assault Weapons Ban of 2013" as of yesterday (1/24/2013). This Ban is an ineffective attempt at responding to the tragic events in Newtown, CT in December.
It will not accomplish what it sets out to do, which is to control the decreasing gun violence in the United States. The bill only attempts control of an increasingly small number of crimes - consequently, it is doomed to “failure” from the start. Proponents will then clamor for additional "restrictions" because "we didn't go far enough last time"...much like the failed Assault Weapons Ban of 1994.
I urge you to vote “No” to Senator Feinstein's legislation; don't put another ineffective regulation on the backs of the firearm owners in your home state of Minnesota. Instead introduce a bill to sponsor a nationwide campaign to help those with mental illness, and propose a campaign to educate Americans about the signs and symptoms of the spectrum of mental disorders. Senator Feinstein's proposed “Gun Control” legislation does NOT address mental illness, and will not get these people the help they so desperately need. Controlling the “tools” will not stop them from hurting themselves or others in the future. By removing the stigma of mental illness, these people would be encouraged to seek treatment as well as educating their families/friends/co-workers about the signs and symptoms.
Thank you for your time, and keep up the good work!

Photogpat
Photogpat's Address and Phone Number

[ex-LT]

My letter (modified based on the recipient, but the same basic point was made in each letter)

Dear Senator Klobuchar,
I, like everyone else, was deeply saddened by the tragic events that took place in Connecticut at the hands of a mentally ill man. Predictably, the gun control enthusiasts have taken this opportunity to further restrict the rights of law-abiding citizens such as myself.

However, I am extremely disappointed by your recent support for reauthorizing an assault weapons ban. In addition, your statement in which you said, “we have to do this in a way that isn’t going to take the guns out of the hands of our hunters,” displays a woeful lack of understanding of why our Founding Fathers included the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights. The Second Amendment is NOT about collection, sport, or hunting. When the Constitution was written, the war for our independence was still fresh in the minds of our ancestors. As the writings of Madison, Jefferson, Paine, et al in the Federalist Papers show, the primary reason for the inclusion of the Second Amendment was to ensure that the citizens had the means necessary to resist government tyranny. I don’t believe that the U.S. government is tyrannical, and I hope it never gets that way. However, it would be foolish to think – even for a minute – that it could never happen.

This being said, gun laws which restrict the number of rounds in a magazine or make a certain type of firearm unlawful to purchase simply based on COSMETIC features have proven to be ineffective, as witnessed by the fact that the overall rate of violent crime has fallen by over 20 percent since the expiration of the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994.

I urge you to support the Constitution and oppose any and all new legislation that would restrict the rights of law-abiding citizens.

Thank you,
ex-LT

[CarryCauseICan]

Another one of mine,

Dear Senator Amy Klobuchar,
Vote NO on this proposed legislation!
I am an American! But first and foremost I am a Father. Voting yes for any of this legislation will infringe on my 2nd Amendment rights to protect my children. From any threats foreign and domestic. I have the right as an American to keep and bear arms for the protection of my family. The 2nd amendment is not about hunting and sports. It is about the citizens of The United States to protect themselves from a tyrannical government over reaching its boundaries.
If you truly believe there are no reason for semi-automatic firearms and no use for a citizen possessing a magazine that holds more than ten rounds, ask yourself this, Why do these bills exempt law enforcement? Law enforcement use these tools because of the bad element in society which possess the evil to do us harm. The same bad element in which we all live with, the same bad element I swore to protect my children from. Infringing on my rights, as a Law Abiding Citizen, is not the answer to protecting my children.
Below is the list of bills in the House and Senate that I will be praying you vote NO on.
Thank you,
XXXXXXXX
House Bills:
HR 21: NRA Members' Gun Safety Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 34: Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 117: Handgun Licensing and Registration Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 137: Fix Gun Checks Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 138: Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 141: Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 142: Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 226: Support Assault Firearms Elimination and Reduction for our Streets Act. Referred to the Ways and Means committee.
HR 227: Buyback Our Safety Act. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 236: Crackdown on Deadbeat Gun Dealers Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 238: Fire Sale Loophole Closing Act. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 329: To amend the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to encourage States to provide records to the National Instant Background Check System.
HR 404: To enhance criminal penalties for straw purchasers of firearms.

Senate Bills:
S22: A bill to establish background check procedures for gun shows.
S33: A bill to prohibit the transfer or possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices, and for other purposes.
S34: A bill to increase public safety by permitting the Attorney General to deny the transfer of firearms or the issuance of firearms and explosives licenses to known or suspected dangerous terrorists.
S35: A bill to require face to face purchases of ammunition, to require licensing of ammunition dealers, and to require reporting regarding bulk purchases of ammunition.
S54: A bill to increase public safety by punishing and deterring firearms trafficking. ("trafficking = "private sales"

[Rangore]

Another one of mine,

Dear Senator Amy Klobuchar,
Vote NO on this proposed legislation!
I am an American! But first and foremost I am a Father. Voting yes for any of this legislation will infringe on my 2nd Amendment rights to protect my children. From any threats foreign and domestic. I have the right as an American to keep and bear arms for the protection of my family. The 2nd amendment is not about hunting and sports. It is about the citizens of The United States to protect themselves from a tyrannical government over reaching its boundaries.
If you truly believe there are no reason for semi-automatic firearms and no use for a citizen possessing a magazine that holds more than ten rounds, ask yourself this, Why do these bills exempt law enforcement? Law enforcement use these tools because of the bad element in society which possess the evil to do us harm. The same bad element in which we all live with, the same bad element I swore to protect my children from. Infringing on my rights, as a Law Abiding Citizen, is not the answer to protecting my children.
Below is the list of bills in the House and Senate that I will be praying you vote NO on.
Thank you,
XXXXXXXX
House Bills:
HR 21: NRA Members' Gun Safety Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 34: Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 117: Handgun Licensing and Registration Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 137: Fix Gun Checks Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 138: Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 141: Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 142: Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 226: Support Assault Firearms Elimination and Reduction for our Streets Act. Referred to the Ways and Means committee.
HR 227: Buyback Our Safety Act. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 236: Crackdown on Deadbeat Gun Dealers Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 238: Fire Sale Loophole Closing Act. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 329: To amend the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to encourage States to provide records to the National Instant Background Check System.
HR 404: To enhance criminal penalties for straw purchasers of firearms.

Senate Bills:
S22: A bill to establish background check procedures for gun shows.
S33: A bill to prohibit the transfer or possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices, and for other purposes.
S34: A bill to increase public safety by permitting the Attorney General to deny the transfer of firearms or the issuance of firearms and explosives licenses to known or suspected dangerous terrorists.
S35: A bill to require face to face purchases of ammunition, to require licensing of ammunition dealers, and to require reporting regarding bulk purchases of ammunition.
S54: A bill to increase public safety by punishing and deterring firearms trafficking. ("trafficking = "private sales"

Nice and to the point.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[cigartim]

Please do not support our president's push for an AWB. rifles like the AR15 are simply semi automatic rifles with cosmetic differences from "hunting rifles"; they have features such as pistol grips and flash hiders. These features do not make "assault rifles" any more deadly than their less evil looking cousins. They are simply well made, reliable, and easily customizable rifles that are well suited for many lawful purposes. For instance, I use an AR15 for deer hunting.

Also, please do not support a restriction on magazine capacity. Reloading can be done very quickly by a person who is intent on committing a mass shooting and who knows they will need to reload quickly. It takes only about a second. Restricting mag capacity will not make our society safer. It will however, put law abiding citizens at risk. Most police officers carry pistols with 15-17 round magazines installed. Citizens can expect to encounter similar criminal threats as do police officers, and so should be similarly armed. It is not uncommon for armed victims to fire more than 10 rounds when defending themselves against an attacker.

I was proud to help vote you into office, and have been proud to have you represent me in congress. I admire your ability to analyze the facts and make decisions that are not shaped by pathos. I trust that you will will examine the facts in the upcoming gun control debate and determine that neither an AWB or a restriction on mag capacity are in the best interests of Minnesota, or the United States as a whole. A yes vote on either of these measures would seriously damage my opinion about the soundness of your judgement.