Here's the response from my House of Representative member in Southern Illinois. Much more acceptable response (even though canned and not personal) than what I got from the dishonorable Durbin.
February 27, 2009
Mr. xxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx Street
xxxxxxx, Illinois 62946
Dear Mr. xxxxxxx:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for writing my office to express your concerns regarding federal gun control legislation. It's good to hear from you.
As you may know, I strongly defend the Second Amendment and am continually concerned about the erosion of our rights. Generally, I oppose new laws on gun control because often they are repetitive of state law. Most importantly, however, new gun laws end up becoming a burden for the law-abiding citizens of this nation and an infringement on our Second Amendment rights. Many citizens choose to own a firearm for a variety of reasons: for sport, for hunting, or for protection. In my view these are all good and valid reasons.
I often hear that if we only had one more gun-control law on the books the Columbine tragedy could have been avoided. While one can argue from different points of view, I think the comments by Mr. Darrell Scott, father to a victim of the Columbine attack, transcends the sound bites and intricacies of debate. He testified with wisdom before the House Judiciary Committee on May 27, 1999--"No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months of planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts."
Unfortunately, many in Congress have pushed gun control as a means to reduce crime. Ironically, many of these people are the same ones who consistently oppose any attempt to get tough on crime. I'm convinced that we must firmly punish criminals, especially repeat offenders who commit most of the violent crimes. It's time that we finally hold offenders responsible for their actions instead of infringing upon the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.
Again, thanks for keeping me updated on your concerns regarding gun control. Rest assured, I will continue my defense of the Second Amendment. To keep track of what I am doing in Washington, I encourage you to visit my website at www/house.gov/shimkus and sign up for my weekly e-mail newsletter. I look forward to continuing to hear from you and benefiting from your experiences and opinions.
Sincerely,
JOHN SHIMKUS
Member of Congress
February 27, 2009
Mr. xxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx Street
xxxxxxx, Illinois 62946
Dear Mr. xxxxxxx:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for writing my office to express your concerns regarding federal gun control legislation. It's good to hear from you.
As you may know, I strongly defend the Second Amendment and am continually concerned about the erosion of our rights. Generally, I oppose new laws on gun control because often they are repetitive of state law. Most importantly, however, new gun laws end up becoming a burden for the law-abiding citizens of this nation and an infringement on our Second Amendment rights. Many citizens choose to own a firearm for a variety of reasons: for sport, for hunting, or for protection. In my view these are all good and valid reasons.
I often hear that if we only had one more gun-control law on the books the Columbine tragedy could have been avoided. While one can argue from different points of view, I think the comments by Mr. Darrell Scott, father to a victim of the Columbine attack, transcends the sound bites and intricacies of debate. He testified with wisdom before the House Judiciary Committee on May 27, 1999--"No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months of planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts."
Unfortunately, many in Congress have pushed gun control as a means to reduce crime. Ironically, many of these people are the same ones who consistently oppose any attempt to get tough on crime. I'm convinced that we must firmly punish criminals, especially repeat offenders who commit most of the violent crimes. It's time that we finally hold offenders responsible for their actions instead of infringing upon the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.
Again, thanks for keeping me updated on your concerns regarding gun control. Rest assured, I will continue my defense of the Second Amendment. To keep track of what I am doing in Washington, I encourage you to visit my website at www/house.gov/shimkus and sign up for my weekly e-mail newsletter. I look forward to continuing to hear from you and benefiting from your experiences and opinions.
Sincerely,
JOHN SHIMKUS
Member of Congress
