Grand Combined Letter Thread: Templates, Examples and Replies

[viper7342]

The following is a response to the email message I sent to Senator Joe Donnelly from Indiana, it is better than I thought it would be especially since he is a Democrat, I havent as yet received any response from my other Senator.

Dear Mr. Montgomery,



I am a supporter of the Second Amendment, and I have voted to protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners. Like all Americans, I was shaken to my core by the senseless murders of 20 children in Newtown, Connecticut. It is only reasonable for all of us to consider ways to reduce the likelihood of a tragedy like that happening again.

Whether a gun owner or not, a Democrat or a Republican, everyone would agree that we can take steps to reduce violent crime without sacrificing the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. My concern is not those who follow the law, but those who do not. For this reason, I will not support legislation that would ban the sale of assault weapons to those who obey the law. I will, however, give serious consideration to proposals that would keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill, while preserving the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners.


It is a privilege to represent you and all Hoosiers in the U.S. Senate. Your continued correspondence is welcome and helps me to better represent our state. I encourage you to write, call, or email if my office can ever be of assistance. You can also check out my Facebook page and follow me on Twitter by visiting my website

[LNK]

Dear LNK,

Thank you for contacting me about gun control legislation.

Like millions of people across the country, I was heartbroken by the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School last December. I do not know how to explain the deaths of twenty innocent children or why six heroic teachers had to make the ultimate sacrifice for their students.

I also grew up in family that used guns. My older brothers hunted, and I learned to shoot when I was in grade school. I have great respect for the role that hunting and guns play in many communities across the country and believe there is a place for responsible gun ownership in our society. But I also don't think anyone needs military-grade assault weapons to hunt or Rambo-style high capacity magazines to protect their family from intruders.

That's why I support a comprehensive set of reforms to reduce gun violence. I strongly support reauthorizing the expired ban on federal assault weapons and high capacity magazines. I also support closing the loopholes in federal background checks for gun shows and private sales. The President has put forward a slate of proposals to help address gun violence and gun safety, and I support those efforts as well.

There is no one way to stop gun violence, and there is certainly room for disagreement on the steps that we should take. But I hope that we can agree that we have a responsibility to ourselves and to our children to take the steps we can to stop the violence. I believe that a reauthorized assault weapons ban and the President's proposals represent a responsible path forward. I will keep your thoughts in mind as I continue to look for other steps we can take to protect our children and families from these terrible tragedies. I believe that is my responsibility as a United States Senator -- and as a mother and grandmother.

Sincerely,

Signature


Dear Elizabeth,

Thank you for your response. I see we are going to disagree about the the steps needed to prevent further tragedies like the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. Let me ask you a simple question. Were you intent on committing a heinous crime like Sandy Hook, (remember this is hypothetical), and there were two places just about the same. Would you choose the one where there were guarantees that your victims could not fight back, or would you choose the one where they might be armed people to resist? The fact that you think you can legislate behavior is ridiculous! Might as well pass a law banning mass shootings. It will accomplish the same thing. I know it is easier to punish law abiding citizens than it is to tackle a real problem. Like mental health.


I must tell you that as a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, I took a very similar oath that you did as a United States Senator. I don't believe the Oath has an expiration date. Let me refresh your memory, yours-

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

Mine-


"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

After reading your response, I couldn't help but question my readings of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. So I read them again. I can't seem to find the part about hunting. As a lawyer you must have had some classes on the Constitution? Did you not read the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers? I am pretty sure the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States Says. "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

I am pretty sure the Founders intended the Second amendment to remind those in "power" of the peoples right to bear arms. You seem willing to restrict that right. There is a process in the Constitution to change the Constitution. Feel free to follow that route if you so choose. By subverting that process by incremental legislation is the wrong path. I hope you take the time to do some reading and thinking for yourself, instead of being a rubber stamp to the people in office, whichever party they belong to.

Thank you for your time,
LNK
United States Citizen

[bikerdoc]

Keep at it my friend. Organize against her if you have to. No politician wants to be defeated and have to get a real job.

[Sapper771]

Excellent reply !

[MacTech]

Just received this from McGowan, he's a strong anti, must be ousted in the next election

Thank you for your note. The reality that one man killed 20 children and six adults in a matter of minutes says to me that we must do better. The safety of my two grandaughters is more important to me than an individuals ability to have any guns or ammunition he choses. I do not beleive that having two hundred million guns in our country makes it a safer or healthier place to live.

Let's work together to ensure the safety of our people and the rights of gun owners.

Representative Paul McGowan

[Akita1]

Amen brother - well done!

[Billy Shears]

I hate to be a doomsayer, but in the case of Elizabeth Warren, it's a lost cause. You might as well copy a page of the phone book and send it to her. It was have as much effect. She is a hard left liberal ideologue. And no matter how much you organize against her, she's going to stay in office. Ted Kennedy, who was as slimy a politician as ever sat in the senate chamber, was not only responsible not only for the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, his behavior in the aftermath of the car crash that killed her was contemptible, cowardly, and self-serving in the extreme. The people of Massachusetts saw fit to keep sending him back to Washington to represent them for the next 40 years. It didn't matter how much of a scumbag he was, you see. He was a reliable liberal, and in liberal Massachusetts, that's all that mattered.

In the last election, the people of Massachusetts chose to unseat precisely the sort of moderate republican they all say they wish there were more of, and turn the seat over to a hard left ideologue with severe character and integrity issues. That's how leftist the whole state is. Warren could say she supports door to door searches and confiscations of all firearms, and I am 100% confident that she would still be reelected in Massachusetts.

The state is lost, as far as the vote on the ASW ban in the senate goes. Kerry and Warren are both going to vote yes, and there is nothing short of divine intervention that's going to change it.

[LNK]

I know, but at least I can tell them how I feel. I know it is a waste of time, and you are right about it being a lost cause. I have always been hard headed though. Kerry may not be there to vote. Secretary of State has no senate voting rights...


LNK

[beefyz]

I, also from Pa, got the SAME sick rhetoric from this lame excuse of a man, a coward and traitor to his state and country, who dangles from the strings of the great messiah & puppetmaster. His father before him also stank as "governor" of this once proud state. The caseys are a lost cause. Don't even waste your time writing to him . He is more concerned with the rights of illegals, welfare cheats and sundry other entitlement groups who form the basis of his electorate.

[Solo]

Thank you for contacting me to share your opposition to assault weapons legislation. I respect your opinion on this important issue and welcome the opportunity to provide my point of view.

Mass shootings are a serious problem in our country, and I have watched this problem get worse and worse over the 40 years I have been in public life. From the 1966 shooting rampage at the University of Texas that killed 14 people and wounded 32 others, to the Newtown massacre that killed 20 children and 6 school teachers and faculty, I have seen more and more of these killings. I have had families tell me that they no longer feel safe in a mall, in a movie theater, in their business, and in other public places, because these deadly weapons are so readily available. These assault weapons too often fall into the hands of grievance killers, juveniles, gangs, and the deranged.

I recognize that the Second Amendment provides an individual right to bear arms, but I do not believe that right is unlimited or that it precludes taking action to prevent mass shootings. Indeed, in the same Supreme Court decision that recognized the individual right to bear arms , District of Columbia v. Heller , the Court also held that this right, like other constitutional rights, is not unlimited. That is why assault weapons bans have consistently been upheld in the courts, both before and after the Heller decision. I believe regulation of these weapons is appropriate.


Once again, thank you for your letter. Although we may disagree, I appreciate hearing from you and will be mindful of your thoughts as the debate on this issue continues. If you have any additional comments or questions, please do not hesitate to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841.


Sincerely yours,


Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator

Dear Senator Feinstein,

With regard to assault weapons falling into the hands of grievance killers, juveniles, gangs, and the deranged too often, I seem to recall that your own website issued a press release last July (http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/publ...b-b8d0d4535aaa) stating that the number of individuals shot with assault weapons was 750 people, of whom 350 were killed, since the Federal Assault Weapon Ban expired. It had been 8 years since the 2004Federal Assault Weapons Ban expired at that point. 750 individuals divided by 8 years equals 93.75 people shot per year. 350 deaths divided by 8 years equals 42.5 deaths per year. To put this into perspective, that's about as many people who died from bee stings on an annual basis.

I would strongly support allocating more resources to improve our mental healthcare system, law enforcement agencies, corrections and rehabilitation programs than enacting an assault weapons ban.

Best regards,

[Rayman1968]

Despise that woman....

[blackrussian]

I find the mention of the 1966 Austin shooting ironic, since an armed civilian was in the party that went up into the tower.

[Shadow 7D]

And that all the killing in that (except the shooter)
happened BEFORE the 'good ol boys <- many of whom were veterans)
went home and got their rifles and STARTED RETURNING FIRE to keep him pinned down
an armed response PREVENTED a worse masacare, like we see happening now days.

[razorback2003]

Ask her if she still has that US Marshal commission to carry her own pistol. That would be a funny addition to the letter.

[Texan Scott]

Ask her if she recalls that Harvey Milk was murdered by a public official with a police-issued .38, and if so, why her AWB proposal exempts public officials and law enforcement.

[theriflespeaks1863]

I wrote and called my Rep., Mr. Reid Ribble, a couple weeks ago.

Here's what I got:



Whish he would've come out a little stronger, but at least he seems to be on the right page. Other WI members should write and let him know he needs to take a firmer stance!

-Chris

[Ryanxia]

Definitely has to go. What part of Maine is he a representative of?

[ZeSpectre]

From: "U.S. Senator Kaine" <senator@kaine.senate.gov>
Sent: Fri Feb 15 18:25:36 EST 2013
To:
Subject: Reply from Senator Kaine

Letterhead
February 15, 2013



Dear Mr. XXXXXXX:

Thank you for contacting me to share your views on proposals to reduce gun violence. I appreciate hearing from you.

No one can deny that gun violence is a serious problem in this country today. We owe it to the victims of the growing number of mass shootings to vigorously debate specific and comprehensive proposals that can keep our communities safer. The right approach focuses on many issues - improvements to the mental health system, better security protocols and common sense rules about gun use, including keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals.

When I was on the Richmond City Council in the 1990s, our city was mired in an epidemic of gun violence that included the city having the second-highest homicide rate in the United States. The most successful step we took was implementing Project Exile, a program that involved federal prosecution and tougher penalties for gun crimes that were previously treated more leniently in state courts. Celebrated by diverse groups engaged in the gun violence debate - including the National Rifle Association and the Brady Campaign - the program helped drive down Richmond's homicide rate by nearly 60 percent within a few years.

In 2007, the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech revealed glaring weaknesses in campus security protocols at colleges and universities, in our mental health system and the gun background check system for gun purchases. In a bipartisan spirit, I worked with then-Attorney General Bob McDonnell to immediately improve our background check system and issued an executive order ensuring that those adjudicated to be mentally ill and dangerous would be entered into a national database and barred from purchasing weapons. We also changed standards for mental health treatment and increased funding for community health programs while dramatically improving campus security and efforts to assist college students suffering from mental stress.

In January I attended a round-table event in Richmond with Vice President Biden on gun violence, to talk about the lessons learned in Virginia and the need for a comprehensive approach to these problems. As your U.S. Senator, I will work to bring that kind of comprehensive approach that will strengthen the safety of our communities, while protecting our Second Amendment rights. As a gun owner who worked with others to constitutionally guarantee Virginians the right to hunt, I know that you can be a strong supporter of the Second Amendment without tolerating the gun tragedies that are too often a part of our daily lives.

Concerning specific proposals, I am a strong supporter of universal background record checks. This is the only way we can enforce existing laws that prohibit dangerous individuals from purchasing guns. I am open to supporting legislation placing reasonable limits on high capacity magazines, combat-style weapons and gun trafficking if they are carefully drafted.

Please be assured that I will keep your views in mind as Congress continues to debate strategies to reduce gun violence. Thank you once again for contacting me.

Sincerely,

Signature

Tim Kaine
==================================================

As you can see, Kaine was a lost cause when he was our governor and things haven't improved at all. Still, I keep hammering him with emails.

[TenDriver]

Attachment removed, rotated, and posted below.

If this is not readable, please delete. The response is favorable and leaves little room for interpretation.

[Derek Zeanah]

OK, that's just painful. Rotated here:

[TenDriver]

Sorry about that. Didn't realize it was sideways. iPhone fun.

[alsaqr]

Sessions is a good friend of gun owners.

[bigfatdave]

RE: email response from Feinstein

Originally Posted by DiFi

"Mass shootings are a serious problem in our country, and I have watched this problem get worse and worse over the 40 years I have been in public life. "

Maybe the problem is DiFi? Makes as much sense as any of HER theories.

[hso]

Let's stay focused on the letters and what use we can put them to instead of ranting about DiFi or other politicians. Identify the enemy and leave the comments out of it.

[avs11054]

Response I received from Sen. Jeff Flake from AZ

Dear avs11054

Thank you for contacting me about gun control legislation.

In the wake of the tragic December 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, there has been a surge in the introduction of congressional legislation attempting to address gun violence. A ban on assault weapons, restrictions on ammunition and magazines, and increased background check requirements have all been proposed.

As you may know, I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and I do not believe that our society needs more laws restricting gun ownership. What we really need is to do a better job of keeping guns out of the hands of those who should not have them, while ensuring that those who break existing laws are fully prosecuted.

To that end, I support more effective and broader background checks for those purchasing firearms. For example, the state of Arizona has more than 120,000 records of mentally ill individuals barred from buying guns – but Arizona has not shared those records with the federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which checks the names and records of would-be gun buyers to determine if they are disqualified from receiving firearms. At the same time, it is incumbent upon lawmakers to ensure that those eligible to buy guns can do so without untimely delays. I therefore am opposed to universal background checks on private sales, which would be extremely costly and apply to private transfers between family members, friends, neighbors, and even firearms passed down through wills.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to do so again in the future. I also encourage you to visit my website, which may be found at flake.senate.gov.