I decided to write a preemptive letter to 2 Senators and a Rep... I altered the "Senate" or "HOR" references for each, of course.
Please pass my most sincere condolences to Representative Boucher from Virginia. We all watched with shock and sadness as yesterday’s events unfolded on the campus of Virginia Tech. I was struck at the utter helplessness of the students and faculty when confronted by a heartless murderer. As early as last night, the media outlets began to hint at calls for stricter and more far-reaching firearms legislation and restrictions in an effort to quell future attacks. I implore you; please don’t outlaw my ability to defend myself and my family against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
Well-meaning interest groups that wish to disarm the American public, such as the Brady Campaign, will be very outspoken in the coming weeks with claims that firearms registration, fees, bans, or the like will reduce firearms violence. Nothing could be further from the truth. Virginia Code 18.2-308.1 already prohibits the “possession of [a] firearm, stun weapon, or other weapon on school property.” What makes us think that murderers will comply with new laws when they blatantly ignore current laws? Only law-abiding citizens abide by the law; every responsible citizen on the Virginia Tech campus was helpless to stop a mass murder in progress.
The Virginia legislature failed to pass HB 1572, in January 2006, which would have allowed students and faculty with a state-issued concealed handgun license to carry their self-defense with them on campus. This failure effectively guaranteed that the only firearms on the Virgina Tech campus yesterday were in the hands of Cho Seung-Hui, a deranged South Korean student.
Self-defense is among the most basic of our God-given human rights. Please ensure that your colleagues in the House of Representatives understand this. Please do not leave us helpless to defend ourselves against the next Cho Seung-Hui.
Thank you for your time and your service.
