stevelyn
Member
Some time ago I received an e-mail alert either GOA or the Liberty Committee concerning getting law maker support for S 1414 which would restore 2nd Amendment rights to residents of Washington DC. I contacted my Alaska delegation and fired off an e-mail to them.
I recently received a reply back from Senator Lisa Murkowski and thought ya'll would be interested in reading her thoughts on the matter. It's on U.S Senate letterhead and I'll type the contents in their entirety below. Any emphasis placed are my own. I'll follow with a couple of comments that need to be aired.
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Mr. XXXX XXXXX
PO Box XX
XXXX XXXX Alaska 99XXX
Dear Mr. X
Thank you for contacting me with your thoughts on S 1414, the District of Columbia Personal Protection Act. This bill introduced by Senator Orrin Hatch would restore the Second Amendment rights to residents of the District of Columbia. After considering the issue carefully, I have decided to join Senator Hatch as a cosponsor of this bill.
Excessive regulation does not deter violent, crimminal acts. Instead, enacting and vigorously enforcing stiff penalties for those that commit crimes with guns has proven to be an effective approach to reducing gun violence. Additionally, this method preserves the constitutionally guaranteed rights of law-abiding men and women to own and possess firearms.
S. 1414 would allow law-abiding citizens to possess handguns and rifles in their home and businesses, repeal the registration requirements for firearms and ammunition, and eliminate criminal penalties for possession and carrying of firearms their homes and businesses. This legislation has been referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs. Although I'm not on the Committee, I will be sure to have your thoughts in mind when the full Senate considers this legislation.
Thank you again for contacting me.
Sincerely,
Lisa Murkowski
United States Senator
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Now for a couple of comments. There has been a little bit of controversy regarding Lisa Murkowski's appointment to the Senate. Her seat had been vacated by her father Frank Murkowski when he was elected Governor of Alaska and she was appointed by him to fill the position until the 2004 elections.
I have to admit that initially I was a bit disappointed since I had hoped the seat would go to Wayne Anthony Ross. I even raised an eyebrow since she was appointed by her own father. However, Governor Murkowski immediately defended his choice to the public stating she was the most qualified of all the possible candidates on the list. So far this has been true.
Her democratic challenger is our former governor, Tony Knowles and she needs our help.
Eight years of a Tony Knowles administration gutted the Alaska budget and put our very economic well being at risk. He would have been a one-term wonder had it not been for a third party spoiler during his second election bid. Even then he only won by less than 600 votes statewide in both elections.
The Knowles administration was nothing more than toadies to Bill Clinton and his ilk. He pandered to the radical environmentalists and although he paid lip service to oil and resource development, he never aggressively pursued it. He dropped several lawsuits the state had filed against the federal government over issues like fish and game management, resource developement, land grabs, and other encroachments on states rights.
All pro-gun legislation to come out of Juneau during the Knowles administration was due to having a veto proof majority in the Legislature. Refinement of Alaska's concealed carry laws were done in spite of him not because of him (although his Lt Gov. had different views she has an AK CHL). He has already received the endorsement of Tom Daschle last year when idea of him running was floated.
Tony Knowles is clearly not someone we need to be sending to Congress. I can assure you if he makes it to the Senate, he won't be acting in the best interests of Alaska or the nation. And he certainly won't be representing MY interests, protecting MY rights or even your's. An anti-gun vote cast by Tony Knowles will affect gun rights across the nation.
I recently received a reply back from Senator Lisa Murkowski and thought ya'll would be interested in reading her thoughts on the matter. It's on U.S Senate letterhead and I'll type the contents in their entirety below. Any emphasis placed are my own. I'll follow with a couple of comments that need to be aired.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. XXXX XXXXX
PO Box XX
XXXX XXXX Alaska 99XXX
Dear Mr. X
Thank you for contacting me with your thoughts on S 1414, the District of Columbia Personal Protection Act. This bill introduced by Senator Orrin Hatch would restore the Second Amendment rights to residents of the District of Columbia. After considering the issue carefully, I have decided to join Senator Hatch as a cosponsor of this bill.
Excessive regulation does not deter violent, crimminal acts. Instead, enacting and vigorously enforcing stiff penalties for those that commit crimes with guns has proven to be an effective approach to reducing gun violence. Additionally, this method preserves the constitutionally guaranteed rights of law-abiding men and women to own and possess firearms.
S. 1414 would allow law-abiding citizens to possess handguns and rifles in their home and businesses, repeal the registration requirements for firearms and ammunition, and eliminate criminal penalties for possession and carrying of firearms their homes and businesses. This legislation has been referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs. Although I'm not on the Committee, I will be sure to have your thoughts in mind when the full Senate considers this legislation.
Thank you again for contacting me.
Sincerely,
Lisa Murkowski
United States Senator
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now for a couple of comments. There has been a little bit of controversy regarding Lisa Murkowski's appointment to the Senate. Her seat had been vacated by her father Frank Murkowski when he was elected Governor of Alaska and she was appointed by him to fill the position until the 2004 elections.
I have to admit that initially I was a bit disappointed since I had hoped the seat would go to Wayne Anthony Ross. I even raised an eyebrow since she was appointed by her own father. However, Governor Murkowski immediately defended his choice to the public stating she was the most qualified of all the possible candidates on the list. So far this has been true.
Her democratic challenger is our former governor, Tony Knowles and she needs our help.
Eight years of a Tony Knowles administration gutted the Alaska budget and put our very economic well being at risk. He would have been a one-term wonder had it not been for a third party spoiler during his second election bid. Even then he only won by less than 600 votes statewide in both elections.
The Knowles administration was nothing more than toadies to Bill Clinton and his ilk. He pandered to the radical environmentalists and although he paid lip service to oil and resource development, he never aggressively pursued it. He dropped several lawsuits the state had filed against the federal government over issues like fish and game management, resource developement, land grabs, and other encroachments on states rights.
All pro-gun legislation to come out of Juneau during the Knowles administration was due to having a veto proof majority in the Legislature. Refinement of Alaska's concealed carry laws were done in spite of him not because of him (although his Lt Gov. had different views she has an AK CHL). He has already received the endorsement of Tom Daschle last year when idea of him running was floated.
Tony Knowles is clearly not someone we need to be sending to Congress. I can assure you if he makes it to the Senate, he won't be acting in the best interests of Alaska or the nation. And he certainly won't be representing MY interests, protecting MY rights or even your's. An anti-gun vote cast by Tony Knowles will affect gun rights across the nation.
