Great response from state Sen. Hall

[TTS]

Mr. Burris;

Thank you for contacting me concerning the gun laws being proposed. 
 
Each year members of the state and federal legislatures introduce bills that reflect their stance on gun ownership.  Believe me the opinions vary greatly among legislators. 
 
I have consistently, strongly stood in protection of our 2nd amendment rights.  I know full well that guns are not evil, evil people miss use guns, guns do not miss use people. 
  
I will continue to protect our 2nd amendment rights.
 
Sincerely,
 
Dan Hall

 
Senator Dan Hall
Minnesota State Senator
325 State Capitol Building
75 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
St. Paul, MN  55155-1606
Office: 651-296-5975
Fax: 651-296-6511
sen.dan.hall@senate.mn

[bstrawse]

i like!
b

[Dante]

I guess I'd be more impressed if they knew how to spell.

[JustPlainT]

A good politician? In Minnesota?

[oneunder]

I got one similar from Congressman Paulsen:

Dear oneunder,

Thank you for letting me know of your thoughts regarding the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Like you, I was saddened and angered by the murder of these 26 innocent people, including 20 elementary school children. As the father of four daughters in school and the husband of a teacher, I was shocked and scared by this tragedy and recognize the pain these parents are feeling as they attempt to cope with and understand the loss of their sons and daughters.

In the wake of this tragedy, we need to come together in Congress – and in communities across the nation – to study what is needed to make our schools and neighborhoods safe and prevent similar atrocities from occurring again.

Despite this heinous crime, I remain a strong supporter of our Second Amendment right to responsibly bear arms. Instead of just targeting the legal right of law abiding citizens, we should find new and better ways to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. I also support increasing awareness of mental health issues and looking at ways that we as a community can better support families raising children struggling with mental illness.

Thanks again for sharing your concerns, as I appreciate hearing from you. Please let me know whenever I can be of assistance.

Sincerely,
Erik Paulsen
Member of Congress

[ex-LT]

I got one similar from Congressman Paulsen:

Dear oneunder,

Thank you for letting me know of your thoughts regarding the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Like you, I was saddened and angered by the murder of these 26 innocent people, including 20 elementary school children. As the father of four daughters in school and the husband of a teacher, I was shocked and scared by this tragedy and recognize the pain these parents are feeling as they attempt to cope with and understand the loss of their sons and daughters.

In the wake of this tragedy, we need to come together in Congress – and in communities across the nation – to study what is needed to make our schools and neighborhoods safe and prevent similar atrocities from occurring again.

Despite this heinous crime, I remain a strong supporter of our Second Amendment right to responsibly bear arms. Instead of just targeting the legal right of law abiding citizens, we should find new and better ways to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. I also support increasing awareness of mental health issues and looking at ways that we as a community can better support families raising children struggling with mental illness.

Thanks again for sharing your concerns, as I appreciate hearing from you. Please let me know whenever I can be of assistance.

Sincerely,
Erik Paulsen
Member of Congress

Nice letter, but I don't care for the highlighted wording. I would rest much easier if it were worded as follows:

Instead of targeting the legal right of law abiding citizens, we should find new and better ways to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.

With 'just' in there, it could be construed as him being in favor of restricting the rights of law abiding citizens, as long as they address the issues of criminals and the mentally ill, too.

[TTS]

I guess I'd be more impressed if they knew how to spell.

Bad grammar and "miss use"of spell check

[t140]

My response from Keith Ellison

----------------------------------------------------

January 8, 2013



Dear t140,

Thank you for contacting me regarding gun control legislation. I am honored to hear from you, and proud to represent you. Since coming to Congress, I have been working very hard to advance my policy agenda based on four key priorities—peace, prosperity for working families, environmental sustainability, and support for human and civil rights.

On December 14, Americans around the country were shocked and heartbroken with the news that 27 people were killed in a mass shooting in Newton, CT, including 20 innocent children at Sandy Hook Elementary School. As a father, I cannot imagine the pain and grief that comes from losing a child in such a senseless tragedy.

As we mourn these lives lost, and our hearts are with the families of the victims, we also must turn to finding a solution for ending these terrible acts of violence. The tragic shooting in Newton, CT joins a dozen other mass shootings this year, including the September 27th shooting at Accent Signage in Minneapolis, where six people were senselessly killed in one of the worse mass shootings in Minnesota history.

It is time that we come together as a nation to address this systemic violence. Throughout my time in Congress, I have been a strong supporter of sensible and effective gun control laws. We can reduce gun-related violence by supporting common sense policies such as background checks and the elimination of so-called "straw buyers," who legally buy large quantities of firearms with the intention of reselling them later illegally. I am a proud original co-sponsor of the Fix Gun Checks Act (H.R. 1781), which would require gun buyers to undergo a simple background check for each firearm they wish to purchase. This legislation would help keep our streets safe by ensuring that those prohibited from purchasing firearms are listed under the national instant criminal background check system. It would also ensure that institutions of higher education have the capacity to recognize and treat mentally disturbed individuals who may become violent.

Rest assured that properly regulating the sale, distribution, and use of firearms for the benefit of public safety is of upmost importance to me. As always, please feel free to contact me on any issue of concern. You can sign up for our e-newsletter by visiting http://www.house.gov/ellison.


Sincerely yours,

Keith Ellison
United States House of Representatives

[oldbenwa]

Exact same as I got.

[Thunder71]

I got a phone call from Representative Quam yesterday as I was leaving work, I was very impressed.

He seemed to echo many of the opinions that I had shared in a letter to him... I wasn't expecting a call from him, so it caught me a bit off guard, but it was a good conversation, he said he'd call me back when he knew more.

[igofast]

Response from Sen. Pederson:

Thank you for your email in response to the tragedy at Sandy Hook and in opposition to further gun control legislation. I am equally saddened by this unfortunate event and do not plan to support changes or further restrictions on firearms in Minnesota.

Thank you for contacting my state senate office. I will always welcome your input and advice. Please call or write anytime.

Sincerely,

John Pederson

[TTS]

From a DFL'er no less!

Craig,

Thanks for your e-mail of concern. I share your horror at the tragic events in Newtown and Aurora and other places. I also share your value of our constitutional right to bear arms.

I'm not sure what proposals may come forward at the state level, but I will be wary of any attempts to restrict our fundamental rights.

Thanks again for writing.

Sincerely,

Rep. Will Morgan