A response to the Ruger letter (or why I love Kentucky)

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Elkins45

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I received the following email today from KY representative Thomas Massie. I have bolded one particularly interesting part. We may have our problems here in KY, but commie gun banners are a minor nuisance at best.

Dear Mr. Elkins,

Thank you for contacting me about the Second Amendment. I appreciate hearing from you.

On December 14, 2012, our nation experienced an unspeakable tragedy in Newtown. My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, as well as to their families and loved ones. Now is the time to reflect on how we can best prevent acts like this in a way that does not violate our Second Amendment rights.

In response to this tragedy, several pieces of legislation are expected to be introduced in the 113th Congress by gun control advocates. For example, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein has already announced her plan to introduce a renewal of the "assault weapons" ban.

President Obama has announced his own gun control agenda. His plan calls for various legislative proposals and threatens to implement twenty-three "executive actions." These include the passage of a federal gun trafficking law, and background checks on all gun sales. I oppose such gun control proposals because they are unconstitutional, and they do not keep Americans safe.

I will work vigorously to defend the rights of gun owners. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is not principally about hunting or recreation. In fact, the Second Amendment to our Constitution is our Founding Fathers' restatement of our natural God-given right to defend life, liberty, and property.

I'm a decade-long concealed carry permit holder and Class III firearms collector. When I was twelve years old, my father bought me my first gun, an H&R .410 shotgun. In the course of hunting in the woods of Kentucky, he taught me the great responsibility that comes with ownership of a firearm. Now that I am a father of four, I enjoy teaching these same lessons to my children through hunting and target practice.

On January 3rd, I introduced H.R. 133, the Citizens Protection Act of 2013. This bill would repeal the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990. Gun-free zones prevent law-abiding citizens from protecting themselves, and create vulnerable populations that are targeted by criminals.

In the coming weeks, I will discuss with my colleagues and constituents the best ways to combat horrendous acts of violence without violating the Second Amendment. I value your input and will keep your thoughts in mind as Congress debates these issues.
Sincerely,

Thomas Massie
Member of Congress
 
Response from Joe Courtney Rep in CT

Here's Joe's response. Not so pro-2A, but not as bad as I thought it would be.

Thank you for contacting me regarding gun legislation in light of the tragic shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. I appreciate your comments and having the benefit of your views.



I am deeply saddened by the loss of over two dozen lives, including the lives of 20 young children, in this senseless act. In the days since the attack, we have heard the powerful stories about Principal Dawn Hochsprung and the brave teachers that acted selflessly to protect their students. This senseless tragedy has touched all Americans and has once again raised concerns about the issues of gun safety here in America.



As this debate moves forward, I am committed to protecting the Second Amendment rights of responsible, law-abiding gun owners. I also believe that there are many areas where we can find agreement on commonsense approaches to improving gun safety in our country. In the days following the shootings in Newtown, I have been contacted by many people on this issue – including gun owners who support ways to improve gun safety for our communities.



While I appreciate the concerns that you and others have expressed with any changes to our nation's gun laws, it should be noted that even in upholding the constitutional rights of responsible gun owners the United States Supreme Court has also upheld the ability of our government to place restrictions on the use and sale of firearm. For example, in his majority opinion in the District of Columbia v. Dick Heller case, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia emphasized the following:



"Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited... nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms."



The majority opinion in the case also reaffirmed the right to restrict the purchase and sale of dangerous and unusual weapons. You may be interested to know that I was the only member of the Connecticut congressional delegation to sign onto the congressional amicus brief in the case of District of Columbia v. Dick Heller, which supported the right of individuals in the District of Columbia to be able to keep firearms in their homes.



On January 16, 2013, the President outlined many common sense proposals for reducing gun violence, including strengthening the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, increasing training for law enforcement and first responders for active shooter situations, enhancing school safety through the development of emergency management plan models, and providing law enforcement additional tools to prevent and prosecute gun crimes. The President also plans to launch a national dialogue on mental health, and ensure that schools are better able to identify and respond to students in crisis.



In the weeks and months ahead, these and other proposals will be scrutinized and debated in Congress. I remain committed to a thoughtful and balanced discussion about ways to improve gun safety and reduce violence in our schools and our communities. Please be assured that throughout this debate, I will keep your views, and the views of other responsible gun owners, in mind.



Thank you, again, for sharing your views with me on this issue. Should you have any additional comments or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me in the future. For more information on my work in Congress, please visit my website at courtney.house.gov and sign up for my e-newsletter at courtney.house.gov/forms/emailsignup. You can also connect with me at facebook.com/joecourtney or receive updates from twitter.com/repjoecourtney.




Sincerely,

JOE COURTNEY
Member of Congress
 
Me no like Courtney. Him full of double-speak. Me like Massey. Him talk good.
 
Well I grew up in Eastern KY and still own property there. With the losers we have in WV I'm considering moving back across the river. Things have went downhill here. Don't have anything but Obama stooges here now.
 
Totally opposite of the letter I received from john yarmouth.
Yeah, Yarmouth is the one blight in our otherwise solid legislative presence in DC (at least as far as 2A issues are concerned). He's a Louisville leftie who marches in lockstep with Obama and panders to the dependency class for votes. KY is a solidly Democratic state, yet Yarmouth is our only Democrat we send to Washington. Ben Chandler was the other until the last election, but he was very pro 2A.
 
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