Rick Nolan response (D - Northeastern Minnesota)

[SwedeTown]

Thank you for contacting my office and sharing your concerns about the need for a comprehensive approach to reduce and prevent gun violence while continuing to protect our Second Amendment rights. 

We can no longer ignore the need to implement policies that protect our children and communities confronting the reality of daily gun violence and threat of senseless mass shootings. To that point, I believe the primary focus must lie in better and more holistic mental health care. The perpetrators of violent acts, such as those that recently occurred in Newtown and Minneapolis, demonstrated serious mental health problems and we need to address this first and foremost. 

It's a fact that tens of millions of Americans experience mental health issues of one kind or another, many that often go untreated and undiagnosed. While it is rare for mental illness to drive people to acts of extreme violence, other consequences such as alcoholism, abuse, depression and joblessness do render many people frustrated, hopeless and unable to live life to the fullest when absent treatment. We absolutely need to expand our health care system to provide better mental health services to benefit not only those who suffer from these conditions, but also families, friends, colleagues and society as a whole. 

I know that responsible gun-ownership is an integral part of our heritage in Minnesota – I am a lifelong sportsman and gun owner, and have hunted in northern and central Minnesota my entire life. The annual firearms duck and deer openers are a family tradition where we enjoy exercising our Second Amendment rights with friends each fall. While I sincerely wish that all Americans held as healthy an attitude and respect for firearms as the majority of Minnesotans do, there is a criminal element in this country that has exploited various loopholes in existing law and legally gained easy access to an arsenal of weapons with the intention of bringing harm to others. 
More so, it has become too common for these weapons to fall into the hands of the mentally disturbed and those in personal crisis. Therefore, as I work to commit more resources to help people with mental health issues, I also intend to push for more thorough background checks on gun sales, restrictions on high-capacity magazines and a limitation on assault weapons. I will insist this legislation protects responsible hunters and gun owners by exempting
specifically-named weapons used for hunting and sporting purposes and grandfathering weapons legally possessed on the date of enactment.

Finally, as lawmakers consider options that would make it more difficult for troubled individuals to obtain access to an arsenal of guns and ammunition that were originally designed for use on the battlefield, it is important to note the U.S. Supreme Court has strongly affirmed the right of citizens to own guns for hunting and self-protection – just as the Court has similarly determined that the Second Amendment is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for any purpose whatsoever. Previous federal legislation has criminalized machine guns and other militarized weapons (grenades, rockets and missiles) to the benefit of public safety. 
Thank you again for contacting me on this important issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any additional concerns or comments on this or any issue of importance to you.
Sincerely,


Rick Nolan Member of Congress

[kollector03]

Since when is the possession on machine guns been "criminalized".

They are legal for law abiding citizens under heavily regulated circumstances.

Representative Nolan needs to get his facts strait. Additionally, it needs to be shown publicly that while he aims a Pro2A / Pro hunting lip service to his electorate, he's planning on actively supporting any effort that he can to restrict and eliminate private firearm ownership.

Elections have consequences. Perhaps his local constitutients will toss him out of office and send someone that is more in line with their values to Washington D. C. To represent them in congress.

[BigBlue]

Therefore, as I work to commit more resources to help people with mental health issues, I also intend to push for more thorough background checks on gun sales, restrictions on high-capacity magazines and a limitation on assault weapons. I will insist this legislation protects responsible hunters and gun owners by exempting
specifically-named weapons used for hunting and sporting purposes and grandfathering weapons legally possessed on the date of enactment.

Rick Nolan Member of Congress

WTF? Now we're down a only being allowed a few specifically named firearms??

And screw you, Mr. Nolan.

[hornswaggle]

Once again a politician believes that 2A is only for 'hunting' firearms.

[kollector03]

Time to clean house of all these wishy-washy politicians.

We all need to speak the truth and speak it often and let's kick these idiots that care only about power and re-election OUT.

They represent US.....not the other way around.

[gunnerbmg]

this guy is from the range and the unions and Dem's pulled out all the stops to get him into office, it's hard to understand why those people up there are so ready to give away freedoms for a few pieces of democrat silver

[Evad]

The annual firearms duck and deer openers are a family tradition where we enjoy exercising our Second Amendment rights with friends each fall.

Twice a year he participates in a well regulated militia?

[minnhawk]

I received the same response from Congressman Nolan today. I decided to give him a primer on United States vs Heller (1939). You must know and understand Heller if you want to refute the assault weapons/hi capacity ban argument. Here is what I wrote (feel free to rewrite it or use it how you see fit):

Dear Congressman Nolan: While I appreciate your stand on improving mental health checks in order to purchase guns, I must disagree with the following statement you made:

"restrictions on high-capacity magazines and a limitation on assault weapons."

This statement directly contravenes the US Supreme Court decision in United States vs Miller, The Miller argument was whether or not Miller had the right to possess a sawed off shotgun, as follows:

The U.S Government appealed the decision and on March 30, 1939, the U.S. Supreme Court heard the case. Attorneys for the United States argued four points:

1. The NFA is intended as a revenue-collecting measure and therefore within the authority of the Department of the Treasury.
2. The defendants transported the shotgun from Oklahoma to Arkansas, and therefore used it in interstate commerce.
3. The Second Amendment protects only the ownership of military-type weapons appropriate for use in an organized militia.
4. The "double barrel 12-gauge Stevens shotgun having a barrel less than 18 inches in length, bearing identification number 76230" was never used in any militia organization.

Points 3 and 4 from the "Miller Decision" specifically argue that ownership of military-type weapons that are appropriate for use in an organized militia can be owned by an individual in regard to the Second Amendment, and the weapon in question, a sawed off shotgun, did not meet the criteria of a weapon used in any militia organization.

Points 3 and 4 therefore also argue in favor of individual citizens owning military-type weapons appropriate for use in an organized militia. Miller was never questioned about being part of an organized militia and, in fact was not. If US v Miller is considered whole and not vacated (and in fact cannot be vacated), it stands to legal reason that any restrictions on an individual owner owning an "assault weapon" or "large capacity magazine" would be in violation of both this Supreme Court decision and the Second Amendment.

You swore an oath to uphold the laws of this country and the Constitution of the United States. I would hope that you believe in that oath and DO NOT support restrictions to the ownership of "assault weapons" or "large capacity magazines" in the United States.

If you continue to support such restrictions, I will do everything in my power to make certain you are not re-elected as this area's representative to the US Congress. If you want to be a lapdog to your party and the President, it is your choice to vote the party line. It will then cause many of your constituents, not just me, to run you out of office at our earliest convenience.

By the way, I have a 300AAW black out AR-15. It shoots a .308 bullet with great accuracy out to 300 yards for deer hunting in our forests. You should investigate the round and the rifle as an excellent "brush gun" for our legislative area. It uses a .223 lower and .223 magazines.....and is definitely considered a sporting rifle.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

[Hmac]

this guy is from the range and the unions and Dem's pulled out all the stops to get him into office, it's hard to understand why those people up there are so ready to give away freedoms for a few pieces of democrat silver

He's not from "the" range, unless you're talking about the Cuyuna Range. He's from Crosby just outside of Brainerd.

Having said that, I got the same email from him in response to one of my letters. Here's my response (and I know him socially)...

Congressman Nolan:

As I understand your letter responding to mine, you are repudiating the concept of the Second Amendment and reinterpreting it to suit your own biases rather than the opinions of your constituents.

I would never be able to vote for you again given your casual approach to the constitutional rights of the people that elected you. In fact, I will actively campaign for your opponent whomever that might be.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Deerwood, MN

Sent from iPhone

[BigJnMn]

The annual firearms duck and deer openers are a family tradition where we enjoy exercising our Second Amendment rights with friends each fall.

Honest question;
When do you think the word politician was last associated with other words such as knowledgeable, smart and common sense? It seems to me that most of the time you just hope our politicians aren't completely stupid and clueless but we expect them to be somewhat selfish, manipulative, greedy, corruptible and without character. Each election cycle it seems to comes down to picking between someone you hate verses someone you despise.

These people take an oath to uphold the US Constitution but haven't a clue to what's in it and how and why we have what we have in it. It's disgusting.

[sansooshooter]

These guys all believe the Constitution is a living document . That is meant to be interpreted with the times or what they can get away with .
None of the dems and some of the republicans seem to accept that it is the law of the land . That its purpose is to limit their ability to interfere with the citizens of the country!

Good luck to the people in his district in voting him out. We need to change the laws pertaining to the way unions take their members money and pay off political hacks.
I for one despise my union for always pushing the dems every election and telling us how they go thru a very long list of qualification . Before endorsing a candidate.
Which is always a progressive dem.

[s4s4u]

I got the same letter, still formulating my response. His head is up O's ass, just like Klobutcher and Mr. Smalley.

[kollector03]

It's house (and Senate) cleaning time.

Vote against the 2nd Amendment, your re-election chances sink faster that a 12ga slug at 200 yards.

[CUZICAN]

i got the same form letter response from this communist twat.

[RangerTim]

I got the exact same cookie-cutter response. Funny enough, I very plainly explained not to send me a cookie-cut reply, I would rather receive no reply. I spent more of my letter making this statement than talking about gun control. Makes you wonder if our letters are even read.