Grand Combined Letter Thread: Templates, Examples and Replies

[GAMALOT]

Writing a letter to my NY Senators would be a complete waste of time and effort.
If Obama was to stop short Schummer would have to be surgically removed and Gillibrand would probably have a broken nose.

[Yo Mama]

Sorry, but IMO, the Senate no longer matters, they will pass it. They have the votes, and the momentum.

The House is the only place to stop it.

[Hokkmike]

Yo Mama has got it right! BUT, the Senate must be made to look ahead at the next election cycle.

[GAMALOT]

I do agree that Yo Mamma is spot on and also about the next election cycle the D' will have to go through.

Here is some more food for thought. Remember who you voted for when that next election cycle comes around. We are our own worst enemies and somewhere north of 52% of all American voters keep putting these jerk blocks back in office.

[hso]

Another angle

Existing laws are more than adequate to reduce violent crime if they are adequately enforced.

Improvements to the background check system to include both voluntary and involuntary mental health treatment may be of benefit in reducing violent crime.

Actual improvements to the mental health care system will be of benefit in reducing violent crime by reducing the root cause of mass murders.

Since the FBI Uniform Crime Report shows that violent crime has been dropping as firearms purchases have been rising, sales of semi automatic magazine fed handguns and rifles have become the largest segment being purchased, there is no correlation between the type of firearms, magazines or ammunition available to the public and violent crime rates. As a voter and active member of my community I urge you to acknowledge that additional restrictions on firearms or magazines or ammunition will not be of benefit in reducing violent crime and that time and resources should not be wasted on them.
Sincerely,

[vamo]

Thank you for contacting me regarding the recent shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, as well as gun control policy and gun safety. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.

On Friday, December 14, 2012, a gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and began shooting teachers and students before taking his own life. This horrific tragedy took the lives of 27 people, including 20 children seven years of age and younger. As a mother, I'm horrified and stunned by the senseless violence against innocent children and teachers.

This tragedy has led to renewed and important discussions about gun control, which is often a divisive topic in our nation. The loss of so many beautiful children in a mass shooting that involved an assault rifle with ammunition clips that held large numbers of bullets makes clear that we need to revisit the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 and review permissible magazine ammunition sizes. I am also supportive of closing the gun show loophole and making sure that those with court-determined, dangerous mental health diagnoses do not get access to guns. Finally, it is equally clear that we must reconsider the mental health services available to our citizens, knowing that each mass shooting our nation has experienced involved individuals with substantial mental health problems. "Obamacare" will expand important mental health coverage when it is implemented in 2014. Protecting our children and our citizens will require us to come together to find real solutions that cover a broad range of factors that have contributed to these horrific incidents.

I firmly believe that an attempt to promote appropriate gun safety measures can be done without infringing upon law-abiding citizens' right to own firearms or unduly burdening the hunting and sportsmanship culture of Missouri. Weapons designed primarily for the use of soldiers to kill people in war are not used in hunting and can be reasonably limited without jeopardizing any rights under the Second Amendment. I believe the horror of the Newtown shootings makes clear that we must get to work protecting our communities and our children from mass slaughter, while also protecting our Second Amendment rights. I am hopeful that the National Rifle Association, a significant voice in this discussion, will be a constructive part of this dialogue.

Even as I welcome this renewed debate, please know that I will continue to protect the Second Amendment Rights of law-abiding citizens to safely own and use appropriate firearms. In the past, I have voted to permit residents of the District of Columbia to own and purchase firearms. I also supported an amendment to a spending bill that would prevent funding for any international organization, including the United Nations, that places a tax on any firearm owned by a United States citizen. I have opposed other inappropriate measures, such as forcing Missouri to accept other states' firearms laws.

As your United States Senator, I will keep your thoughts in mind anytime Congress considers gun-related legislation. In the wake of the Newtown tragedy, my prayers are with the students and staff at Sandy Hook Elementary, and with their families. All Americans are outraged at senseless and criminal gun violence no matter where they may fall in the debate on guns in American society. A renewed national conversation has begun and we must all be a constructive and open-minded part of it. There is middle ground here, where this nation can come together with sensible laws that prevent the mass murder of innocent citizens, while we continue to respect our Constitution and its Second Amendment rights.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance to you on this or any other issue.



No surprise she favors controls I am sure its the standard form letter sent to pro 2a writers.

[hso]

Some of the pro 2A replies make good starting points for us to use to send more letters on to the Congresspersons that aren't committed one way or the other.

The Anti letters give us insight into the thinking of those politicians and make the fact that they need to be replaced instead of reelected vividly clear.

[ZeSpectre]

Dear Mr. XXXXXXXX,

Thank you for contacting me to share your thoughts on the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut and your views on gun control.

On December 14, 2012, 20 innocent children and six adults lost their lives in one of the worst, most tragic shootings to ever occur in the United States. As a parent of three daughters, this was the ultimate nightmare. Like the Virginia Tech and Columbine shootings, this tragedy unfolded in what was once regarded as a safe haven free of crime and violence: a school.

I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. I own firearms and I have an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association. However, I also recognize that, like with many of our constitutional rights, our Second Amendment rights are not without limits. It is unfortunate that a tragedy of this magnitude is what is needed to prompt action, but we need to have a serious discussion on how to best avoid these kinds of mass shootings in the future. The status quo is not acceptable.

I believe our discussion should cover many issues. We can start by improving the existing criminal background check system. Currently, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is woefully incomplete, with many states failing to submit available records on persons who may be disqualified from purchasing or possessing firearms. With a more complete background check system, we can keep firearms out of the hands of those who have been deemed unfit to possess them.

In addition, we can take common sense measures such as passing the CAMPUS Safety Act (S. 3682), which I introduced last year. That bill would establish a national center for campus public safety within the Department of Justice to serve as a resource center and assist schools and universities in developing campus safety plans and threat assessment tools. We also need to look at changes to our mental health system so we can provide help to those with dangerous mental illnesses before it is too late. There will not be a single solution, but all of these issues and others need to be part of the conversation and I urge you to continue to express your views as we move forward.

Again, thank you for contacting me. For further information or to sign up for my newsletter please visit my website at http://warner.senate.gov.

Sincerely,
MARK R. WARNER
United States Senator

[ZeSpectre]

Dear Friend,

Thank you for taking the time to share your views and experiences with me.

If you need assistance resolving a specific problem with a federal agency, please contact my office at 703-442-0670 or toll free at 1-877-676-2759. Otherwise, please be assured that we are reading and responding to your comments and opinions as fast as we can.

As the 112th Congress moves forward, please continue to be in touch with your views.


Sincerely,
MARK R. WARNER
United States Senator

[poboy6]

I've received no reply from Ms. McCaskill (MO). I made sure to remind her that 2A has nothing to do with hunting.

The letter vamo posted is exactly the same that others have reposted from her. We can call her office but is there a way to speak to her personally? Does anyone have her cell number?

[Axel Larson]

This was my Governor's response.
Thank you for writing to me in response to the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. The grief and shock that we all share is overwhelming and has led to a national conversation about ways to stop violence in our communities. I want to thank you for taking the time to add your voice to that conversation.



The last month has given me opportunity to reflect, and while there is no one policy change that can prevent a tragedy like this from happening again, I believe we must explore initiatives that will strengthen the safety of our communities. The role of firearms is one part of that discussion, and while I support the right of law abiding citizens to own guns, I believe it is appropriate to have a broader dialogue about what we can do to keep weapons of war out of the wrong hands. However, I strongly believe that to address gun violence we need a 50-state solution. I fully support the efforts of President Obama and Vice President Biden to develop a sensible, federal response to help prevent future tragedies, and I encourage Congress to enter into a vigorous and thoughtful debate on this issue.



In addition, my administration continues to focus on strengthening communities and providing for the well-being of Vermonters by working to improve Vermont's mental health and social services. Many Vermonters have also written to me about the importance of reviewing school security procedures. These concerns warrant further examination and I will be working with my administration and legislators to determine how we can respond to this crisis at the state level.



As citizens of this country, we are all called upon to reflect on the small actions we can take every day to build stronger, safer communities. I thank you again for joining me in this effort. Like all Vermonters, I am heartbroken by this tragedy, and my heart and thoughts are with the loved ones of the victims in Connecticut.



Please do not hesitate to contact my office if I can be of further assistance.





Sincerely,

Peter Shumlin

Governor

109 State Street, Pavilion
Montpelier, Vermont 05609
802-828-3333

Visit Governor Shumlin’s Online Resources:

And he had a A rating from the NRA(not any more) I can't believe I voted for him.

[GAMALOT]

He is a guy who would never get a vote from me!

I personally believe we could use a chain saw to cut off the entire NE Quadrant and ship it off to the Pacific region where these liberals belong.

[avs11054]

Why should we give up on the senate? We still have a fillibuster.

[Axel Larson]

Sounds like the NRA needs to do more back work on their rating system. Needless to say I will not be voting for him again.

[HeathH]

Here is the response I received from Senator Sharrod Brown. Kind of what I expected out of him.

Dear Mr. Hamilton:

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and the calls to regulate or ban these items.

From 1994 to 2004, Congress enacted a ban on semi-automatic assault weapons. The bill had three main components. The first section was comprised of a list guns that were banned by name, such as Uzi’s. The second section outlawed the future manufacture and sale of any new semiautomatic weapon with a detachable magazine and more than two of several assault-style features. The third section was an appendix which listed hunting rifles and shotguns that didn’t run afoul of the second section, and thus were exempted from the bill.

In 2011, law enforcement leaders such as Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Back, Oklahoma Police Chief Bill Citty, and Brockton, Massachusetts, Police Captain Emanuel Gomes, all separately discussed how their officers were being outgunned with assault weapons possessed by criminals.

While I have supported restrictions on the possession of semi-automatic assault weapons, and restrictions on the ability of criminals to possess handguns, I do not support an outright ban on guns or arbitrary restrictions on the right of law-abiding citizens to possess guns.

When our children and families are no longer safe at our schools, in our malls, and in our movie theaters, then we as a country must take action. The shocking numbers of public shootings throughout the country last year, culminating in Newtown, Connecticut, demand that we engage in a serious national discussion about gun violence, not just in terms of weapons and bullets, but also including mental health access, public safety officers, and our responsibility both as individuals and a society.

This is a complex issue and we must work together to uphold our Constitution while at the same time ensuring that our communities are safe. We can and must act to make such tragedies less likely in the future. Should any legislation concerning a reintroduction of the Assault Weapons Ban come before the Senate, I will keep your thoughts in mind. Thank you again for contacting me.

Sincerely,

Sherrod Brown
United States Senator

[GAMALOT]

Sherrod Brown just gave you the old "Check is in the mail" brush off!

The vast majority of the Senate have one motto they will live and die by, "Never allow a good crisis to go to waste".

As Patriots, Gun Owners and Second amendment advocates we should be absolute in our convictions and allow them to die from their elected positions.

Most of these fools would seriously hurt themselves if you put any gun in their hand short of a single action or revolver.

[HeathH]

The long and short of my reply to him is I will be actively campaigning against him in his next election cycle. Little does he know I already campaigned against him this year. He does have a huge urban machine going in Ohio and it will be extremely hard to oust him.

[hso]

People who have never been to a gun show are standing in line for hours for the chance to purchase a semiautomatic rifle. People who might have been to one or two shows are standing in line for hours to purchase a semiautomatic rifle. Shops emptied of every AR on the shelves. Manufacturers and suppliers and retailers back ordered with no prediction on how quickly they can stock those shelves. Gun shows reporting the highest attendance in their history. Shops reporting customers lined up before opening for the chance to be first to purchase whatever new inventory may have been stocked overnight. Why? Because the people standing those lines and purchasing the firearms reflect the attitude held by hundreds of people for every one in the lines that firearms aren't the cause of violent crime.

That attitude of those people is supported by the facts of the Obama administration's FBI in the Uniform Crime Reports. The UCR shows, without emotion or bias or political purpose, that while sales of AR-15 type rifles have gone up, violent crime rates have been dropping over the decades. While more and more people purchase the AR-15 for competition, recreation, and hunting everything from rabbits to deer to destructive wild hogs the use of rifles in murders has dropped to less than the number of people murdered with hands and feet year after year.

The facts show us that violent crime is down, murders are down, and gun crimes are down in the face of rising rates of firearms sales. When you can't find a correlation showing violent crime rate increases with rising firearms sales logic tells you that the assumption that firearms have anything to do with violent crime rates is wrong and the assumption must be abandoned as a false premise. A new assumption about the causes of violent crime must be sought if we actually want to reduce violent crime.

No new legislation restricting firearms or magazine or ammunition purchases will have any chance of reducing violent crime rates in the U.S. because they simply aren't correlated with violent crime rates.

[GAMALOT]

Basically what you just said HSO, Billions of legally owned guns didn't kill anyone yesterday while the criminals with illegal guns were having a field day.

Any politician with a lick of sense already is well aware of this but they have a good crisis at the moment and will not let it go to waste. It is all about Control and very little about guns.

[gdcpony]

Well, I think we have one. This is actually only the second reply I have had that actually was even related to my letter. Most of the others have either been a "Thanks for contacting, please stay involved" or some off the wall reply having nothing to do with my letter."

I have begun sending my daughter's essay now as it is a ton more eloquent than my own writing and to let them know how our children feel as well. Better than having them used as pawns the other way.

January 15, 2013

Dear George,

Thank you for contacting me regarding your opposition to further gun control legislation. As your representative in Congress, I appreciate your input on this important issue.

On December 14, 2012 our nation experienced an unspeakable tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. A gunman stormed Sandy Hook Elementary School and murdered 20 young children and six adult staff members. My thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the victims and families of those affected. As a father myself, I cannot begin to imagine the pain these families are experiencing.

In response, the President and some members of Congress have called for stricter gun control legislation. Senator Dianne Feinstein has already announced she will introduce a new assault weapons ban in the 113th Congress and President Obama has appointed Vice President Biden to head a task force looking at ideas and legislation to curb gun violence.

While I am deeply saddened by the senseless acts of violence in Connecticut, I do not believe it is appropriate to politicize this heinous incident and use it as a platform to push for new gun control legislation. People choose to own firearms for a variety of reasons and many new gun laws end up adding burdens to law abiding citizens and our 2nd Amendment rights.

We should enforce current laws and work to ensure individuals with mental illness and criminals can't carry out criminal acts against our fellow citizens. Thank you for your input, I will be sure to keep your views in mind.

Again, thank you for contacting my office. Please continue to keep me informed on the issues that are important to you. For more information on my work in Congress, or to sign up to receive my e-newsletter, please visit the 7th District's website at: http://gibbs.house.gov .

Sincerely,
Signature
Bob Gibbs
Member of Congress

[1911austin]

Great response. We need to stand behind leaders who are willing to stand up for us.

[PlusP]

That is a man who is understands the problem we all face

[Ryanxia]

People choose to own firearms for a variety of reasons and many new gun laws end up adding burdens to law abiding citizens and our 2nd Amendment rights.

That's a good sentence right there. Something maybe to include when writing the rest of our Congress critters.

[Ole Humpback]

Heres the letter I just sent to my senators & representative in regards to the bill Senator Feinstein intends to introduce tomorrow:

Dear Senator/Representative,

My name is Ole Humpback and I am concerned constituent of yours. I recently was informed that Senator Diane Feinstein intends to introduce a bill in the Senate on Thursday January 25, 2013 in regards to a new version of a so called "assault weapons ban". As an avid outdoorsman and member of both the National Wild Turkey Federation and National Rifle Association, I ask that you oppose this bill.

I have read the proposed ideas for her bill, President Obamas executive orders that are to be considered for the bill, and Govenor Cuomo's recently signed "assault weapons ban" that is being used as a template for Senator Feinstein's bill and find them all to be unconstitutional in regards to the Second Amendment. Also, although I own no firearms which are semi-automatic versions of military firearms, all the firearms I currently own would be considered "assault weapons" if Senator Feinstein's bill, President Obama's proposals, or a Congressionally approved version of Govenor Cuomo's bill is passed. This would turn me, a law abiding citizen who enjoys hunting and competitive shooting sports, into a criminal due to the fact that my hunting & sproting firearms have qualities that are deemed to be what constitutes an "assault weapon" when in fact none of them can even be called an "assault weapon" in even the loosest terms.

Also, for you information, an "assault weapon" is a military weapon that has selective rate of fire capabilities (semi-auto, three round burst, and full auto generally speaking), fires a reduced power cartridge, and is designed mainly for short range combat. These weapons are currently illegal for civilians to own. The firearms that these new bills and proposals seek to ban do not meet this definition for "assault weapon". In fact, these firearms are lawfully bought & used by several thousand people in the US & Indiana every year for competitive shooting events.

With the above said, I again ask that you oppose tomorrow's bill.

Sincerely,

Ole Humpback

[B O]

Apparently the poll we hit on his site didn't matter much to him


"Thank you for contacting me about policy proposals that seek to reduce gun violence in the wake of the tragedy in Newtown.

I am a hunter and have always owned guns, and I support the Second Amendment.

But assault weapons such as AK 47s are intended for killing, not hunting.

Solutions for reducing gun violence must address many areas, from protecting law enforcement and keeping weapons out of the hands of criminals, to school safety, access to mental health services, and confronting a culture that sometimes glorifies violence.

I support reinstating the assault weapons ban and restoring the 10-round limit for ammunition magazines. And, I support universal background checks so that we can know if person buying a weapon has a criminal record.

I appreciate hearing your views on this very important issue, and I will keep them in mind. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future.

Sincerely,
Bill Nelson"