Congressman XXXX,
It has come to the attention of the American public that the State Department has decided to bloc South Korea's sale of antique US Army rifles back to American collectors. I must say that this decision disheartens me for several reasons.
The first reason this decision shocks me is the stated reason for the change. A state department employee stated, "The transfer of such a large number of weapons -- 87,310 M1 Garands and 770,160 M1 Carbines -- could potentially be exploited by individuals seeking firearms for illicit purposes." This is absurd. The M1 Garand is a 10 lb, 43 inch long rifle with a unique enbloc clip that only holds 8 rounds of common hunting ammunition. The rifle does not have an external removable magazine of any capacity nor does it have a pistol grip. It is a hefty rifle of wood and steel and is wholly unsuited to use for “illicit purposes”. The M1 Carbine is a wood and steel rifle that is 36 inches long and does not have a pistol grip or folding stock. It was issued with a 15 round magazine, but it too is not suited for “illicit purposes”. Even the state of California doesn't deny their citizens access to these rifles. These types of transfers have taken place in the past where M1 Garands and M1 Carbines have been shipped to this country in large numbers. As we have seen over the years no blood baths have occurred when the rifles have been returned to the US and made available to the citizens who paid for them. The Civilian Marksmanship Program makes M1 Garands and M1 Carbines available to collectors and shooters alike. The CMP has been doing this for over 40 years and is an organization created by Congress to do so. Since "The Greatest Generation" first carried these rifles and CMP began interest in collecting and competing with these rifles has grown over the years. CMP's source of these rifles in recent years have been those returned from countries that the US had originally supplied after WWII. Just like these rifles in Korea.
The second reason this position makes no sense is that these are rifles that are of special interest to gun collectors and sporting enthusiasts. They represent a part of our national history that many American’s find interesting. More importantly, they represent a piece of our history that many Americans lived through. These are the rifles that many, still living, veterans carried into war in defense of this country. They are the rifles that our brothers, sons, fathers, and grandfathers carried. Some never came back. These rifles are a chance for a small piece of their legacy to be returned to their families. It is a chance to return their legacy to their fellow countrymen.
None of those things seem to matter to the State Department. They are now poised to allow this part of our history be destroyed. The same state Department employee that said these rifles pose a threat to American citizens has said , "We are working closely with our Korean allies and the U.S. Army in exploring alternative options to dispose of these firearms." They want to “dispose” of rifles that our soldiers carried through foreign lands in defense of family, friends, and allies. They want to erase the legacy of those that served proudly and those that gave the ultimate sacrifice. I find that shameful in ways I cannot describe.
There is another reason this angers me. Those weapons were paid for with American tax dollars. Citizens of this country paid for those rifles. Now they are being denied the right to have that property returned to America. They are being denied the right to own what we paid for and what they may legally possess. However, a government official now tells us we cannot have the opportunity to make them available to collectors and competitors in a government sponsored program such as the CMP. More over we cannot own them because of some improbable scenario where the rifle may be used for “illicit purposes.” That means all citizens are being denied their legal rights because of some bureaucrat who has no understanding of the nature of these rifles and imagines them to be suitable only for criminal use.
I eagerly await your support in demanding that the State Department reverse course on this decision and facilitate sale of these antique rifles to the American public.
Sincerely,
XXXXXXX
