The second amendment was written in a very different world than the one we live in today. I wonder what the founding fathers would think of assault weapons in hands of children. Certainly this isn’t what they had in mind. The NRA has used this amendment to defend their right to sell weapons and promote the use of firearms with reckless abandon. They haven’t made our world safer. They’ve made it more deadly.
Congress should enact a ban on all assault weapons and the ban on high-capacity magazines. Start working for a safe America free from gun violence now and stop working for the NRA and gun manufacturers.
I am old and not good at all with computer. are you reading this right now. If so my facebook page is amelia and I have the song posted there and I can also e-mail it to anyone. xavierb414@gmail.com. This gun violance has to stop.
Please support the recommendations of the President and Vice President on the Gun Safety Regulations. You are aware of all the gun violence in Nebraska.
We have reached a point in this great Nation of the United States of America where the lawful use of guns has been badly breached. In the year 2013 we see men, women and children gunned down ruthlessly in our schools and streets because there is not a series of laws currently employed or actively instituted in Congress that is working to save the lives of American people. When will the blood being being shed be enough? It is my ardent belief that every person interested in purchasing a firearm for any reason MUST undergo a background check. That includes all uniformed police officers to receive annual or biannual background checks to ensure ALL people in this great Nation that they are fit to serve to KEEP THE PEACE. If it is found that any individual has a history of violence, imprisonment, crimes or mental illness that the individual in question should NOT be licensed to carry a firearm. All firearms must be licensed. If firearms are easy to acquire via the internet or through other means that are difficult to monitor the FBI and the CIA, Homeland Security and other agencies directly engaged in operations regarding cyber security must be continuously and without fail on high alert for any and all threats to harm other people to ensure the safety of all American people and for that matter the WORLD. The FBI, CIA and all institutions dedicated to cyber security must FIND every potential perpetrator of senseless crimes BEFORE they take place. We are successfully averting problems on the WORLD stage regarding Al Queada, now we must concentrate more thoroughly on what is happening within the border of this great Nation, the Nation of the United States of America. Thank you…Cynthia Walker, Laurel, Maryland USA
This is madness. They have gone too far. Assault rifles. Body armor piercing bullets. The 2nd amendment? What-cowards hiding behind a false shield never intended to harm citizens but to protect them. Tools of the NRA gun industry. USA biggest gun in the world.
it is high time that some commonsense prevails and the govenrment does something really effective to help reduce gun violence. No other civilized Western country
has such lax laws regarding the purchase and possession of guns. Most Americans don’t need to have guns to protect themselves. Yes, criminals will always find a way to obtain weapons, but many crimes committed by guns are by people who were not prior criminals and found it very easy to buy a gun or get hold of one.
Providing better mental health is a farce. The vast majority of people who can obtain guns easily and then subsequently use them against others, are not those who would be found so mentally incompetent that they could be treated in institutions or be restricted from possessing any guns.
Reducing or stopping gun violence is by taking many steps at the same time, not by a few meaningless individual steps to make some people feel good thaat they are doing something.
Here are some steps to consider:
1) Cigarette companies are sued when people who smoke die from using cigarettes. Maybe gun manufacturers could be sued when their weapon is used to kill
innocent people !!
2) Increase the tax on guns and ammunition, just like taxes on tobacco have been increased.
3) Have ads that show people that owning guns is not the right thing to do. Americans have come a long way since the days of the wild wild west. Have they??
4) Increase the penalties SUBSTANTIALLY for possessing illegal weapons or obtaining them under false pretences and for carrying them illegally.
5) Only a stupid fool thinks that constantly watching violent movies, playing violent video games and listening to ‘music’ that glorifies violence has no effect on the
thinking and outlook of all people, let alone the younger ones who are the most susceptible to this kind of mental barrage. Address this fact !
6) Get the message to kids in schools that owning guns is not necessary, that it leads to death and the punishment could be
severe for misusing a weapon.
7) Children in schools must be taken to see the victims of gun violence, and they must also see the punishment meted out to individuals who disregard the law.
8) In general, most Americans today disregard various laws and rules. The majority do not get punished. This lack of punishment or lack of a svere enough
punishment is what makes Americans think that they can do anything and get away with it. Especially children and those with lesser intellects. This is why ALL
laws and rules need to be enforced, and anyone consciously disregarding laws should be punished.
I do not for a moment think that Americans as a whole have the will or the intelligence to forgo guns. Guns are a part of the American way of life and for making people feel stronger and safer and making them feel they have power. Until this mental attitude towards guns is addressed, there can be no banning of guns or any form of gun control no matter how useless or little.
One of the ten commandments from our God is “You shall not murder” (NIV). The NRA and others who support possession of guns as the means for protection are petuating violence. What an awful impression to give our youth. The reality is, violence, persecusion, slavery, theft, greed, corruption, false doctrines and idolatry have all primarily influenced the making of our nation as it is today. Even religious leaders have selectively chosen to speak out or not speak out against civil and political matters that appease their interest group, rather than being unconditionally convicted to the commandments of God. In Exodus 21:14. God tells us that “If a man schemes and kills another man deliberately, take him away from my altar and put him to death.” We have evidence of schemes for killing are becoming more acceptable everyday ;such as, the recent killings of unarmed teenage boys Jordan Davis and Travon Martin who were killed in the state of Florida). Their cases have yet to be resolved. More and more laws are protecting the killers of such innocent people. There are many more cases of killings of citizens of all age groups (ie Sandy Nook Elementary School in Connetticut) that indicate evil thinking and permissable laws permeate in our country. NRA doesn’t understand the warning God gives his people when we are warned that we will reap what we sow. It is times to gather data that supports this warning. When man’s law discriminates and selectively chooses who deserves to die and who deserves to live, all are at risk of dying by the sword. It is quite apparent the NRA and supporters are made up of fearful people who need to live by faith in Jesus Christ. These people may be fearful because of guilty thoughts and deeds they harbor. I believe their is a militia of people that are a threat to our country. They are a part of a conspiracy that intends to fight for the preservation of mankind based upon race and nationality. If this proves to be so, our country will self-destruct because of such evil doers. Innocent lives will suffer the consequences. There is an enemy within our nation who wants to rule the world and doesn’t care who he destroys. WAKE UP AMERICA AND STUDY BIBLE PROPHESY AND PRAY. GOD HAS ALREADY WARNED ALL MANKIND ABOUT THIS DAY IN THE SCRIPTURES, AND HIS RETURN AS JESUS CHRIST TO JUDGE THE WICKED WHO WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES (they and their descendants).
I believe it is finally time that the government takes action
to try to reduce gun violence in this country. Action is needed
At both the Federal as proposed by the President today and
also at the State level, as demonstrated by the State of New York.
My husband and I will be writing to both our Senators and Representative
urging them to support President Obama’s legislative initiatives.
Can we all agree that the right to stay alive is more important than carrying a gun of any kind? Can we all agree that hand guns and automatic weapons are created for one purpose, killing people? So, what is the problem with getting rid of them? The lives of the the children who were slaughtered in Conn. were precious. So are the lives of children killed on the streets of Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago and Oakland. We are a violent society. This must change. We need to take care of one another without using violence. Think about it. Would you change places with any parent who has lost a child to gun violence? I think not
Now is the time to have courage and CHANGE our gun crazy culture in America ! We must do EVERYTHING we can to stop GUN PROLIFERATION !!
We must now stop the stranglehold the NRA has on state and National legislators…Today the President took the first step..I will follow him 100% on this move !
What will it take for you to stand up and do what’s right for all ? Your position is one of trust, please don’t represent the NRA but do what right and represent us all in your decisions.
I recommend you, as an elected representative of the USA, and not the wild West or even Mexico where people shot people with too many of our guns if they feel like it, I recommend you accept Vice President Joe Biden’s plans in order to prevent more needless deaths and injuries. To let the gun lobby dictate to you what you should vote is insane. It buys them more gun purchases, but we get more deaths in families. Where are your family values? Vote for Biden’s proposal.
Let us do something about availability of the wrong type of guns and the ease of getting them in our controls.
We must be adults about the trends, which have be one pandemic in our nation. To do nothing is hiding our
Heads in the sand, hoping the problem will correct itself.
Please do everything possible to ban assault weapons, AND amunitions, limit the number of weapons that can be registered to one individual, ban anyone who has ever had a psychicatric hospitalization from owning ANY weapon (to include those retroactively who must surrender their guns), mandate life long mental health treatment and compliance for anyone who has had a psychiatric hospitalization.
Can’t we just take reasonable action? No one is looking to take anyone’s guns away but why do people need automatic weapons of military caliber? This has nothing to do with the second amendment . . . it’s about saving lives. Why do the extremist get to set the rules?
Ww need STRONG gun control laws. I’ve seen a lot of “bad stuff” happen over 77 years, still I wept openly when I heard about those kids in Connecticut. I feel that the NRA has too much influence over our legislature and our laws; their positions bespeak arrogance.
We need to put a stop to all this terrible violence, the victims of these shootings will never have a chance to speak out for their rights and that would have been the right to grow up like other children.We elect officials to go to Washington to speak for all of us. What makes or gives the NRA the right to run our Government. Tired of the money that rules Washington it should be common sense. To bad the “do nothing congress” is so afraid of the money people, no concern for the regular guy.
This congress is sooooo bad it can almost make you cry to see what they are doing to most of us, just because they hate our leader so much.
ENOUGH< this country and the poor folks who have lost their lives have suffered far to much.
The Nation has just quoted Senator Harry Reid as saying, “We have too much violence in our society, and it’s not just from guns. It’s from a lot of stuff. And I think we should take a look at TV, movies, video games and weapons. And I hope that everyone will just be careful and cautious.” I am APPALLED. He is parroting NRA discourse. But let’s turn that around and remember that TV, MOVIES AND VIDEO GAMES DO NOT KILLE PEOPLE. They are not lethal weapons, and they don’t seem to have any part in violent killings anywhere (else) in the western world. GUNS DO KILL PEOPLE in the hands of people who use them. The issue at hand is GUN VIOLENCE and GUN CONTROL, not images of violence, verbal violence or anything else. LET’S WORK TO ENACT AND ENFORCE A BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS.
I retired from the military after 20 years on active duty. I own a couple of revolvers and a bolt action .22 rifle. I used to hunt but no longer bother. I also served in the Persian Gulf with the 1st Infantry Division. I supported five other wars as a combat information analyst for the U.S Army. We do not need to have large semiautomatic assault rifles with high capacity ammunition clips. These are weapons of war for soldiers on the battlefield. We do not need semiautomatic pistols with large capacity clips either, like the Glock 9mm with a 15 round or 30 round clip. When we bring weapons of war to the streets of America we get the costs of war that we the people get to pay for with our tax money.
The Second Amendment is being abused by the NRA to protect corporate gun makers who make tens of millions of dollars from the sale of assault weapons. Gun violence costs our society $174 billion annually in total costs that society must carry. One study for the Virginia Tech shooting cited a figure of $48 million just in general costs but the real costs are much more. Think of all the economic productivity lost when 32 young people get slaughtered with these weapons of war. Each gun homicide is essentially a $5 million event in costs. One shooting victim’s medical bills were going to be $2 million but the man was a husband of a young wife with a newborn baby. This man was shot in the eye and is probably a vegetable for life. Think of each gun massacre with a semiautomatic with a large clip as an act of economic terrorism. Every time a gunman shoots off one of those 30 round clips in a public place think of the societal costs of at least one million dollars per bullet fired. I am not sure anyone else is putting the costs in this light but our media is doing a terrible job of explaining who gets to pay the costs of these acts of domestic economic terrorism by semiautomatic weapon with large ammunition clips. We the people get to pay for these costs. When we bring the weapons of war to the streets of America, we the people get to pay for the costs of this domestic terrorism with our tax dollars.
Those kids in Newtown, CT deserved to have a better country. We failed those children totally as a society. Our entire system should be geared towards protecting American families in a safe good country. I sure as hell did not serve 20 years on active duty so corporate gun makers can make more profits peddling their weapons of mass murder. I served 20 years on active duty so young couples can get an education, get married, have a career, and raise their kids in a safe, good, decent country. We basically have a Newtown everyday across America. At the cost of $5 million per homicide and a total cost of $174 billion annually how much longer can we afford to have this economic terrorism waged upon us by our own corporate gun makers? As long as we allow weapons of war on the streets of America we will have the carnage and the economic costs of war here in our country. This should give every taxpayer pause to say enough. Go support Senator Feinstein’s bill for an assault weapons ban immediately. We should tax ammunition like we tax tobacco and alcohol only higher because the costs of ammunition are far higher than either one. Yes, that’s right drunk drivers cost us $129 billion annually where ammunition costs us $174 billion annually. Take back your country or else the NRA and their corporate gun lobby will take it from you leaving you with all the bills to pay. Hunters and sportsman need bolt action rifles and shotguns not weapons of war for the battlefield. The NRA is all corporate gun maker hogwash period.
GUNS, the ONLY thing manufactured by man with ONE and ONLY ONE PURPOSE — TO KILL You don’t need these automatic weapons of mass destruction. The NRA work for the Gun Manufacturers and Sellers NOT the owners interest . Want hunt, fine, want to have a hand gun, fine, but weapons that shoot 100 bullets per second are not needed by anyone other than or armed forces.
Dear Rep. Coffman:
The 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the USA was written at a time when crude pistols, rifles, and canons were “arms.” We live in a far different world with 100 round magazines, assult rifles, nuclear bombs, drones, rifles that can hit a target half mile or more away. Since conditions have changed dramatically, we must use REASON to appropirate the basic meaning of the 2nd Amendment. The writers of the Constitution and its Amendments could not possibley have envisioned the mass destructive force of individual “arms” that could kill dozens in seconds. We have the power of the intellect to appropriate the 2nd Amendment to our day and limit the use of “arms.” The 2nd Amendment also provided that the right to bear arms was for the purpose of having a government militia. I am aware of the distortion of the Supreme Court’s interpretation. Only a reasonable contemporary interpretation would see the current situation as madness which allows the murder of thousands upon thousands in the USA annually. that’s what the writers of the 2nd Amendement had in mind??? I doubt it. Please support a ban on assult rifles, magazines with multiple bullets, gun registration fees paid by gun owners, longer waiting periods, mental health background checks, and any other measures that would bring greater sanity to our country regarding our love affair of with guns and our acceptance of murder as a way of legal life in the USA. John Bengston
Are the rights of a few million Americans worth the safety of the rest of all Americans? I think not. When will the insanity stop and when will common sense prevail in our country if not now?
I urge the members of Congress to do join togetherg to pass effective legislature that will protect the rights to safety for all Americans. I doubt our founding fathers had assault weapons when the wrote the Second Amendment to our constitution.
PLEASE CONTROL ASSAULT WEAPONRY & ARSENALS. Please outlaw such unnecessarily violent tools on American soil, save them for WAR. There is no civilian war calling for such horrific violence as we’ve seen these past several months. It is high time that Washington steps in & takes control of this situation. It has obviously gone Out-of-Control! The killing of innocent children & their teachers, or holiday shoppers, or seated theater goers.., the list goes on & on. Please. Please get a true GRIP on those who are so filled with hate, & fear, that they’ve begun to purchase arsenals of assault weaponry for some paranoid vision of America. Please take this step for PEACE. Thank you.
After the recent tragedies there can no longer be any excesses. We need sensible gun control immediately. This should start by re-authorizing the automatic earphones ban and making background checks mandatory for every gun & ammunition purchase
Assault-sytle weapons should only be sold and used to those individuals for whom it’s a necessity (e.g., law enforcement, military, etc.). There is no reason for the average U.S. citizen to have these types of weapons in their possession, and lets not forget many of these people have children will deliberately/inadvertanly use these weapons on themselves, family, friends, or GQ Public. Innocent people are at risk or dying due to the irresponsibility of weapons owners. Enough is enough!
Please, please, stop the madness with guns! Please legislate reasonable gun laws. No automatic weapons except for wars. We need a more peaceful loving society, free of anger and assaults. Please help us. You have the power.
Justice William Brennan stated,”the genius of the Constitution rest not in any static meaning it might have had in a world dead and gone, but in the adapability of its great principles to cope with current problems and current needs”. As a nation we have a current problem, the inability and courage of our elected leaders to test just where resonable restrictions to the second amendment reside. Pass a law requiring univeral background checks and registration and curtail military style weapons and then let the court decide just where the individual rights assigned to the second really reside in todays world.
While there is no vaccine that wil fully immunize the country from tragedy, rational restrictions may be effective therapy. Do nothing and the epidemic of gun violence will continue.
Alan W.
Florida
i very much trust into vice president joe bidens theorys on these issues he will do a great job glad to have him place his hands on this very important topic to due more for gun violence and thank you once again mr vice president for going to bat for all u.s citizens sincerly manny quintero
It is time to limit the manufacturing of all Automatic guns and high capacity magazines. Yes it will take time to get them off the streets, but if we stop the manufacturing of new ones we can in time become a safer country.
No automatic weapons of any kind. No high capacity magazines. No high caliber ammunition. Thorough background checks for gun purchasers along with those who live in household. Stringent laws dealing with violates of gun control laws; diligently enforced
Individual ownership of appropriate guns o.k. For use in: hunting, target shooting, home self defense, and self defense where appropriate in business.
For use in self defense, mandatory training in use of the weapon as well as training in situational scenarios.
NRA is right —- it is not the gun that kills it is the individual person holding the weapon that does it. The problem is that those that are supposed to be so well trained haven’t the foggiest notion on the proper respect of handeling or uising any type of firearm. They think that just because they own a weapon and hit a target pretty acurately they now are an expert on discharging a weapon in a crowded area under very adverse conditions. If one checks the facts, only a vey select few military and civilian law ernforcement officials are claasified as “expert” and can hit a target accurately under extreme advese conditions. Even the OK Corral in Deadwood City, AZ can testify to this. What the NRA is offering is a point of “self-eddification” and not the 2nd Ammendment as they would like to claim. For if they truely beleived in the Constitution they would not infringe on the rights of others.
In the late 1800s – early 1900s many of the communities around the nation started outlawing the carrying of weapons in public, especially where alcohol is served or hot tempered individuals who cannot control their emotions abound. I am in my late 70s, grew up with and have owned firearms all my life, was taught by my parents as a youngster to treat all weapons as being loaded, never to point it at anything unless I intended to discharge it, and turned to archery for hunting as too many people are sound shooters and haven’t the foggiest notion where the bullet will travel or strike with any degree of certanty. Irrespective of gender most everyone who fires a weapon think it is a “macho thing” to do and they are better than anyone else. That is why more and more people are requiring better and safer gun control laws to protect all the citizens of this nation from “nuts” that the NRA says it is alright for them to own and carry them in public to intimidate and/or injure others.
To stop further killing I would not like any one to carry gun in our country except Army, whose job is to protect us. I understand gun lobbyist is very powerful which makes our own representatives which we elect do not listen to us. But please don’t make general public compelled so they get together and in next election may not give vote to representative who are pro-gun.
This is not threat but as same time please do not under estimate power of people who puts trust in you and who puts their and this countries future in your hands.
Thanks.
We need serious improvements in laws to control guns. A background check should be enforced, and guns on sale should be limited to a certain type. We cannot do anything to recover those (automatic, army-types) arms that are out already, but we CAN ban the ammunitions that go with those guns, so eventually those are no longer useful.
I am sick and tired of ignorant Americans believing that all guns will somehow become illegal. it will never happen. ever. assault weapons have one purpose; to kill people. and that is the one and only reason to make them illegal…..make this madness stop…the rest of the world looks at us and wonders how stupid can we be? oh, pretty stupid; we elected George Bush TWICE!!!
Enough is enough with circulation of automatic weaponry throughout our country. THese need to be banned or extremely highly regulated to be able to use for competitions. The second amendment did not intend these type of guns. Safety of our citizens is at stake.
I mad as hell hearing from gun owners who worry their 2nd amendment will be taken away. Instead they should focus and put all their angry energy towards controling gun violence.
Enough already. The facts and statistics on gun-related violence and gun laws are all readily available; there are plenty of comparative analyses to be made with the status of gun laws and crime in other nations; and there are just too many people gone forever because of guns. Poll after poll shows the majority of American citizens open and willing to discuss the situation and enact new gun control laws.
What are we waiting for? Let’s get to work!
Let’s go with the Biden group recommendations and catch up with the other smart nations on this planet.
(and do it now! your vote on this issue will influence my vote in 2014.)
I am greatful to be apart of this movement, this is History that is not world known. However if we continue in unity we will then one day be recognize as a nation that will take the necessary steps for action, and that we are a force to be wreckin with.
Enough is enough. When an individual right threatens the public safety, the government has a responsibility to intervene. The Second Amendment protects the right to gun ownership. It does not exempt the exercise of that right from regulation in the public interest. When the evidence indicates an unacceptable level of gun violence, the government has an obligation to protect public safety. Government has stepped in when deaths from automobile accidents mount. Highway safety has come to rely upon the government licensing who may drive, registering the vehicles drivers own and enforcing traffic safety laws. Our obligation as citizens is to accept that there are circumstances under which individual rights must be weighed against the public interest. Gun owners must understand and be reassured that restricting the types of guns a citizen can own does not abridge the right to gun ownership. Registering the guns that a citizen can buy does not abridge gun ownership. Gun regulation is not a slippery slope. The misinterpretation of the Second Amendment as a “bulwark against tyranny” is the slippery slope that has led to the proliferation of large-magazine weapons that threaten our republic’s safety. Insisting upon a “right” despite the threat to public safety is not patriotic, it is antisocial.
In honor of all the innocent lives taken by gun violence each year, I urge you to to take action for sensible gun control. A national database of gun purchasers along with a background check for past crimes or mental illness is needed. Also, there is no reason anyone should have possession of semi-automatic/automatic weapons for domestic use. I understand owning a gun to protect oneself or to hunt, but to have the capability to mow down dozens of people at a time is complete madness. Please don’t cave in to the NRA– protect the innocent citizens who just wish to live a peaceful life without the threat of needless violence. Some say it is not the guns that kill people, but the people themselves. I disagree. Guns are tools that are meant to kill– they give weak people a sense of power and a motive to act in ways they otherwise would not.
Pass the gun safety and gun control bills so that we may curtail and stop the senseless violence. Imagine if you will seeing or hearing that your child or sibling was shot without any provocation and he/she died on the spot or a few days later. How would you feel? Maximize that to the massacres of Columbine, Aurora, Newtown, Texas, and any other place where mass killings took place.
Please have the guts to buck the gun lobbyists who represent the gun manufacturers. Isn’t it ironic that the death of 20 first graders and 6 adults has brought about the sale of more guns, amunition and 50 round clips! We look for your leadership to stop the carnage.
This is my second comment. It concerns me that the media is indicating the assault weapons and clips ban may not get through congress or be part of the gun legislation plan. I STRONGLY urge ALL representatives to reconsider as the ban is a “must do” portion of this plan along with all gun purchasers having a background check. I also concur mental health and violent video games/movies need to be addressed and part of a comprehensive package. The time is now and if the assault weapon/clip ban is not a part of this legislation, our representatives have failed the American public as in all surveys I’ve seen, the majority of Americans want them banned. We DO NOT need these guns “out there” for public use in hunting or range shooting. I’ve yet to hear even one logical explanation why they’re needed. The gun lobby and gun users cannot wrap this in their second amendment rights. No one is taking away their right to have a gun….just not an assault weapon that can massacre large groups of people in a very very short amount of time. The Connecticut shooting of innocent children would obviously been less horrific if the mentally challenged shooter had only had revolvers or rifles. That is a fact that cannot be disputed. So please do not be cowardly and move forward on including this extremely necessary part of the gun legislation. To not do it at this time is inexcusable.
Innocent people all through out my life time have been killed by guns. People in diners, schools, malls, outside and inside department stores, outside and inside homes, work, two Presidents, Congressmen and Congresswomen, TV personalities, and of course one of my favorite all time singer/songwriter John Lennon. The NRA say it’s people with mental illness that cause these killings. I honestly believe the NRA have problems with mental illness when they think that an antiquated gun control law takes presidents over innocent people. We need to lobby very hard this time to get assault weapons off the streets!!!!
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE make this country safer and pass sensible gun control laws! Gun laws are not keeping this country safe, it’s makes the country more dangerous!
There is no godly reason for private citizens to have automatic or semi-automatic weapons, or high capacity ammunition clips. I’m disgusted by how the Second Amendment has been twisted and perverted by the NRA and the pro-gun lobby. If we have the unimpeded right to bear arms, why can’t I have a lump of plutonium?
We have created an environment where our children are not safe going to school because some people live in total fear and therefore feel they need guns to be safe. No wonder we have so many shooting of innocent individuals. This is not the direction I want my country and my world to go in. I want us to move to a place of unification and peace. Please be an advocate for what is for the greatest good of all. I urge you to support sensible gun control measures.
Dear Scott, Frank and Bob, please make sure that sensible gun laws are enforced in congress. Limit magazinee, assault rifles and enforce identity checks and a longer waiting and checking period… Julie Zier, a concerned citizen and a voter
There are far to many innocent people killed by people who should not own or have access to a gun. I have grown tired of reading and hearing about the most recent deranged person who some how got hold of a high powered weapon and opened fire on a group of people going about their lives. I don’t care how much money the NRA has or how much money the Gun Lobby has. Please use your position of power to put an end to the gun problem that is causing so much pain in this country. There is something wrong with the gun industry and I think gun dealers lust for money has something to do with it.
We must act now to stem the tide of violence that has washed over our country in recent years. In the name of Newtown, CT, let’s push forward to ban the sale of assault weapons and multiple round ammunition clips, to require background checks and responsible gun ownership (and secure storage), and to strictly enforce all laws concerning gun control.
We must act now to provide safe schools and gathering places in our communities by better controlling access to those places, not necessarily with armed guards, but rather with more secure doors and windows and fewer entry points.
We must act now to improve detection and treatment of mental health issues that may lead to violent behavior.
Those sweet students and brave teachers who died in Sandy Hook have left behind a legacy of renewed purpose for those who want a rational, comprehensive solution that will guarantee a future of less fear, pain and suffering for us all.
Turning this tragedy into a transformation . Our children are our future ,to notice they need to tought values of life n the families need to be held accountable for their families mental needs n assualt weapons should be banned !
Please act to protect our society from wanton violence. Arms made to kill as many people a possible with minimal skill
don’t belong in the hands of the general public.
It is extraordinary the amount of mayhem this country is tolerating in the name of some grossly misunderstood form of freedom. It is fear that dominates the psyche of Americans, fear and the weird mantra that we are the strongest nation of Earth… which we are not, since we are at the mercy of fear.
I urge you to start looking into your souls and question whatever motivations prevent you from taking action to control military grade weapons from reaching the general public. Even regular weapons should be removed from circulation.
There is no need for anyone to own assault weaponry. I have known two people relatively close to me that own 55MM killing machines. Why?
What would anyone need such a weapon for? the USA seems recently to be inhabited with birthers, gun nazi’s, and out right morons, many are part of our congress…the time has come to stop this “sky is falling” foolishness…
Please support a bill to prevent others from so easily being able to kill people with automatic weapons and restrict ammunition purchases. It’s obscene for any person to aquire enough ammunition to kill many many people. Why is it taking the lives of the innocent to make such a logical intelligent decision? Support a bill that will have information to track every gun owned by a person or persons in our country just as we do for our own vehicles.
Thank You.
And Jesus said to Simon Peter son of John,
“Do You Truly Love Me”
“Feed My Lambs”
“Do You Love Me”
“Take Care of My Sheep”
“Do You Love Me”
“Feed My Sheep”
John 21:15
Leaders, Teachers, Disciples of the Word, why have you kept silent at the slaughter of the Lambs and Sheep’s of Christ that you promised to care for? Remember that he who lives by the sword dies by the sword? Remember also that no man has been given the right to judge. How can man declare another man sane or rational? Who declared this judge sane and rational? How can we stand for the defense of owning a device designed for the sole propose of killing for the justification of protection and still consider ourselves sane, rational and children of GOD? Is this what the WORD teaches? Please show me because I have missed that lesson. Leaders who are you appeasing? Who are you afraid of? Stand up for the Word, rise and Sheppard GOD’s flock without hypocrisy to gain Peter’s reinstatement!
I support reasonable gun control measures to prevent deaths and injuries in America. These measures should consider ammunitions/bullets, as well as, stricter requirements for acquiring a gun license, including extended verification waiting periods and psychological and criminal background checks.
Likewise, these laws should respect the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by not infringing on American citizens rights to bear arms.
I support reasonable gun control with measures that maintain the Second the Amendment to our U.S. Constitution – doesn’t infringe on American citizens rights to bear arms.
Please take serious the need to ban assault rifles, and the importance of closing fire arm loopholes such as ordering magazines, guns and bullets through the internet. Further, the NRA should not be allowed to continue its interference of free speech and representative government with the deception that they are representing us. We do not need assault rifles to have a free democracy. They, in fact, may get in the way.
the senseless murders of the innocent at newtown should NOT be an issue for debate. this country and people have “debated” for too long and too many years to allow another american tragedy to slip and fall by the way side. N O W is the time to act. N O W is the time to let the grieving survivors know that we as a country and we, as a government of this country, WILL end gun violence. if we, as a country and government, only “choose” to “curb” gun violence, what message are we sending any survivor of gun violence? curbing gun violence will do NOTHING but continue to condone and add to the escalating gun violence in this country.
ending gun violence starts NOW. debate is NOT the issue. this IS the time we stand united together as a nation and people and say to the world and each other, “we are ALL victims, and THIS IS personal”. i stand with the world against gun violence.
The bans established in Australia make sense to me; certainly the manufacture, sale, ownership and repair of assault weapons and munitions is not the sign of a civilized people.
We donot want any more innocent victims like the Sandy Hook Elementary. It broke my heart and this should be stopped at any means. BAN on all assault weapons. Please have gun control.
People have the wrong idea totally about gun control. The ban against assualt weapons is only the beginning. And whether the NRA agrees or not it needs to be a stand alone bill. There will be other bills to do with mental health, violent video games, movies and so on. There also needs to be something about better educating the public about guns and assualt weapons. And lastly there must be something done about the attitude of the American youth today. The hatered. The bitterness. The anger. And even the predjudice of race, color, religion needs to become an education. Like it or not we are all brothers and sisters. Try and count how many different nationalities, religions and so on are in American today. It is time for change.
Vote yes to control the use of all firearms, keep them out of schools, begin to act on plans to heal the social wounds that promote fear and want and violence.
Please add your voice to the current movement to establish sensible gun control limits, such as restricting assault weaponry and multiple round clips from the average citizen. These weapons are unnecessary for general self defense, and contribute to the increasingly higher risks of the average person being endangered. Also please require delays for purchases of weapons and tighter background checks. We have gone too far in extending the original intent of the 2nd amendment!
We have to do something about all the killings in this country, on the streets, in the schools, on jobs, every day, thousands a year. Americans want to change this.
The politicans who are against any measure of common sense gun control, like background checks, like database gun registration, like assault weapon bands and bands of large clips holding hundreds of bullits. Are bought off with political donations by the NRA and gun manufactrues. PERIOD
Someone said, “If we pass gun laws, they’ll do no good – people will just break the law.” So the question is: then why do we have any laws at all?
I WANT A BAN ON ASSAULT RIFLES. I WANT HIGH CAPACITY MAGAZINES BANNED. I WANT A NATIONAL REGISTER OF GUN OWNERSHIP. I am sick to death of the NRA and other gun clubs who insist on their precious guns but offer NOTHING to help us put an end to the carnage. (No! Arming teachers is NOT the solution. It’s idiocy.)
Tell gun manufacturers that they’re no longer allowed to produce these weapons or magazines. It’s all about money, and most recently it’s cost us the lives of 20 babies and their teachers. God only knows how badly those bullets ripped those children apart.
Until I retired, I taught second grade. Those children are seven years old when they enter second grade. I have visions of what it must have been like in those classrooms that day. I can see those terrified children before they were blown away, and it’s an image I can’t bear. I hope that never happens again in this country or anywhere. It’s got to stop. It’s got to stop NOW.
I support President Obama and Vice President Biden in whatever they do to address this issue, and I want YOU to support them too.
WE NEED TO MAKE MORE RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP LAWS.
ALSO, EVERY TIME AMMO IS PURCHASED, THE PEOPLE SHOULD SHOW AND HAVE SCANNED THEIR DRIVER’S LICENSE (just like I have to when I but Mucinex which is an over the counter medication). THIS WAY, THERE IS A RUNNING DATABASE OF WHO IS BUYING LARGE QUANTITIES OF AMMO…WHICH WOULD BE A RED FLAG, (just like buying too much Mucinex could mean it’s being melted down to make designer drugs).
Those are my suggestions!
Thanks you,
Frank Rendo
We have to stop the spiral of murders o f Americans by Americans.
Senseless murders can be avoided by real gun control.
I expect our elected representatives to curve the rate by taking real measures and not delivering lip services.
The moment is now to act if we care to save lives.
Dear Congressman Van Hollen,
I urge you to support legistation for strictor gun control laws. I have lobbied for this since the shooting of Bobby Kennedy. How many lives will have to be taken by the lack of responsive monitoring in selling lethal weapons? No one is safe from harm as long as we continue to be blind to the obvious. The obvious is that until there are measures in place to thwart the ability of individuals with evil intent from obtaining a weapon as easily as one would buy pack of cigarettes, precious lives of adults and children alike will be cut short.
Sincerely yours,
Diane Inselburg Spirer
since we have yet to become the united corporation of America. did i say not yet? the arrogance of these gun peddlers is not to be tolerated. V P Biden is on a mission for his president and, by association, peace loving Americans. he’s thee to stem the blood bath and profiteering and deference must be paid.
in addition the time is long overdue when this administration needs take the bully pulpit. i think required reading in the white house is the two Roosevelts, HST, Abraham Lincoln and the Reverend King. oh, throw in Tom Paine for the sake of sanity.
thank you.
Assault rifles should be banned from the general public. Only the authorities should be able to legally get these weapons. If the average person who lives in a typical neighborhood in the U.S. feels he or she “needs” an assault rifle to “be ready,” they should be ordered to have a psychiatric evaluation. NO ONE needs an assault rifle to “be safe.” Yes, I like guns and I support the 2nd amendment. I truly believe that the generation who grew up on video games that cause the user to get desensitized to gun violence. I am NOT saying that “If you play military video games, you will be a violent person.”
What I am saying is…if you see graphic gun violence on the TV screen several hours per day, you probably would not get as upset if you saw a real shooting. On one hand, video games train you to be ready for the unexpected. Flight simulators, driving simulators are great tools for learning.
Learning to take out as many people as you can with an assault rifle while playing a video game in NOT CONSTRUCTIVE.
In the sixties, most parents spanked their kids in public if they were misbehaving. Now, MOST parents do not do this anymore. If a child is spanked in a department store nowadays, more often than not, the police are called to report this.
What’s the point?
If we banned assault rifles now, maybe when people hear that someone has one of these weapons or practicing with one of these weapons, the police will be called. Yes, we have the right to bear arms, but not keep an arsenal of assault rifles in our basements…COME ON! WAKE UP.
BAN ASSAULT RIFLES NOW…AND TOUGHEN GUN REGISTRATION LAWS NATIONALLY NOW. (If we got this signed into law quickly, the perception of the American people may actually be that Congress actually got something done.)
If you hear your neighbor has an assault rifle, call the police, even if it’s licensed and legal. LET THE COPS KNOW WHETHER THEY WANT TO KNOW OR NOT.
I am writing to Lois Capps who I urged my friends to vote for and reelect . I hope as a member of the House of
Representatives for a long time, that you will you will,use your influence on as many members as possible to ban assault
weapons. Also, I hope that we can stop places like Walmart to indiscriminately sell unlimited amounts
of ammunition with no background checks, no restrictions on the amount sold.
I can’t remember when I have been so upset about something in our country, and allowing the NRA
to hold our country hostage and to misinterpret and lie about what our Founding Fathers meant in the
Second Amendment.
the second amendment of the constitution, however one interprets it, does not allow gun owners and their lobby to take away citizen’s right to their life, especially our children. the Constitution was created to protect our right to life and public safety.
The NRA made the point that we should have armed guards at the schools. Who would pay for that? I propose that since we tax cigarettes, liquor, gasoline, that we proceed and place a heavy sales tax on guns and bullets. That might not pay for all that we need, but it would certainly discourage most people from buying guns!
Dear Congressman – Is it going to take one of YOUR family members or a person YOU are close to to change the course of gun laws in our country? I have never been more scared in my life in my own country. I feel safer going on a airplane than doing things like going to the movies, my kids school, or the mall. Please wake up!! The people need you to stand up and make changes to our gun laws instead of fear the NRA. If you do not make SIGNIFICANT changes than it will be assumed that YOU think this violence and acts of terrorism are okay in America. Please do the right thing.
I feel as though we have been lead in such a way as to not see that common sense checks and balances are long over do.The first step is to fill the ATF position which has been with out leaderships for sometime.We cannot be called an civil society w/t the continuing levels of gun violence that is tearing @ the American ppl.No one is safe under these conditions,as unfortunate as this will be for gun enthusiasts and the like….Legislation is needed to insure the safety of all Americans.
I say: If you can not stop a person with a 38 or 45, then something is wrong with you!!! NO ONE should have any gun bigger then a 38 or 45— I repeat—NO ONE!!!!
It’s really a disgrace for the USA to have thousand of senseless killings each year. On the streets of every city, schools/colleges, malls and homes. Only military persons, police officers and others in positions should have access to these high power assault weapons that can destroy so many lives. The aftermath of innocent victims and families that will never recover from these deaths. This is CRAZY and people that is tired of the madness should put a stop to it. It’s not only mental persons that should not access to these weapons & ammunition there is also just MEAN people. Stop the killings. Stop the purchasing of SO MANY guns in a household. Who need 10-15 or more guns for one person. That’s crazy when people always thinking of defending themselves from the government. Who fault is it to have all the guns for purchase? PROFITS, PROFITS, PROFITS that has taken so many innocent people life.
There is absolutely no reason why sportsmen need an assault rifle. There is absolutely no reason why anyone finding reason to protect themselves in their home has the need of an assault rifle. There is absolutely no reason anyone at all needs to buy hundreds of rounds of ammunition nor even to own mega-sized clips to put all those in! Unless of course he is mentally deranged and has anger issues and a suicidal bent.
THE RIGHT TO LIVE WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING GUNNED DOWN HAS MUCH HIGHER STATUS THAN THE RIGHT TO OWN ASSAULT RIFLES!
And while we are at it, I demand that every sale of ammunition should include a registry for that transaction: The caliber, the total amount purchased, who it was sold to, that person’s age, the location. Picture ID must be demanded. Come on! If pharmacology transactions demand such information, surely ammunition should shoulder the same burdens. GUNS DON’T KILL PEOPLE, BULLETS DO!
I would like to see a law that says any congressman that takes money or gifts in exchange for representing the NRA or any other gun lobby should be arrested and thrown in jail!
The high-capacity military artillery ban should never have been allowed to expire. Bush really dropped the ball with that one. It would be great if he could make a public statement supporting re-enacting of the ban for the sake and safety of the American People and our Children. Please support VP Biden in his efforts.
supporting the right to bear arms makes sense; however, the vagueness of this law is fueled with dialectical logic. With the U.S. constitution drafted to contain laws to help guide a civilized nation to “Live and let Live”. The vagueness of the right to bear arms has guided this civilized society to reverse the intent of the law to inspire a “kill or be killed” interpretation. To correct/ resort the original intent of this law, amendments to clarify in details what arms a civilized society has the right to bear, for what propose, how many arms citizens are entitled to bear, who can distribute these arms and what criteria qualifies one to bear arms must be included in this law. As the law reads today, even denying a certified insane person the right to bear arms violates their constitutional right.
Rep. Upton,
I am urging you to support common sense measures that will impact the level of gun violence in this country. Gun violence is caused by guns. There’s no other way to look at it. All perpetrators of gun violence have one thing in common. They all had access to a gun. And in way too many cases, a military styled weapon and large magazine capacities. It does not matter that the perpetrators were mentally ill or players of violence video games. What matters, is they all had access to weapons of mass destruction. You, in fact, supported an entire war with a country that did not even provoke us just because you were bamboozled into believing that they might have used weapons of mass destruction against us. Well, here’s a news flash. People right here in this very country- the one you are sworn to serve- are using weapons of mass destruction to perpetrate great bodily harm against United States citizens. Do something about it. Now.
Since 2005 when the ban on assault weapons was lifted we have seen an increase in horrific assault weapon gun violence. In addition, more than any other industrialized nation our death due to a gun incident is 100% plus higher. This is not right, it’s just night right. All the other countries play video games too, all the other countries have violent movies too. These are excuses. Those of use who are smart enough to know these are excuses need you to see you are hurting our children by allowing this to continue. Drug testing for gun ownership. Any one with mental illness should not have a gun. Anyone who has threatened suicide should not own a gun. Responsibly uphold the 2nd amendment. Do not morph it into a means to profit. The cost is too great.
NO automatic weapons. NO military style rifles, automaitic, semi auto or single shot. NO magazines capable of carrying more than 5 rounds. NO semi automatic weapons that can fire more than 60 rounds per minute.
Congress, for once in your time in congress do the right thing,an vote yes on gun law reforms, think of all the lives you can save. Just think of your own beloved children, or any one you love .WE all have to care about more then the Gun makers— making more money.
Up in NE Minnesota, it is commonly a rite of passage to go hunting. I have no problem with guns to shoot the game that will be served at ones table. BUT it does NOT mean one needs a hand gun nor a automatic weapon to do so. These guns are not for hunting but to harm other humans. Please put a stop to this. Thanks you.
I live in Oakland California. Every other day there is a death by gunshot. Yes, we need to address issues of youth crime and education, yes we need to address the needs of the mentally ill. But until then, we need to get the guns and the bullets off our streets.
We need to not only pass good gun control laws but we also need to change the national mindset regarding the perceived need for people to have guns. It is dangerous and not needed. Human life is the most important thing and the only thing that guns really lead to is death, not protection. I pray for our nation to come to its senses; teach our children to value human life; and rid our homes and streets of civilians with guns.
We owe it to the citizens of our country and especially to the families who have suffered tragic losses from gun violence to regulate assault weapons and their ammunition.
We cannot be held hostage by the extreme right of the Republican party, the fanatics of the NRA and those lunatics who would rather every teacher be armed with a gun rather than give up the privilege of owning weaponry designed for warfare and for the express purpose of killing many humans in a short amount of time. Assault weapons, high capacity magazines, and the like, AT A MINIMUM, must be banned. More needs to be done to restrict people from obtaining weapons of mass destruction. It is too easy for any person to get their hands on a weapon. The 2nd amendment does not mean their right to form a militia with guns trumps my right to live free from the fear of a being gunned down in a public place. A civilized society does not need to prioritize the rights of few over the rights of the many to live in a safe place. My daughter is in 1st grade and every time I look at her, I see every child lost in Newtown. It is not a solution to send her to a school with more guns in it. We must demand a fairer society and a gentler society – one not so filled with rage and hatred but compassion and shared sacrifice so that we can all live more peacefully.
Thank you for listening.
The time is now for sensible talk and
Sensible legislation concerning the ban
Of assault weaponry
These weapons have no place in our
Neighborhoods but belong only
On the battlefields of war
If not now, when…….
This is a nation that lives in fear of threats from both inside and outside its borders. We need to do something to curb gun violence. Please institute a longer background check waiting period, and do what you can to get assault rifles off the street. It’s time.
The NRA is using the 2nd amendment to cover their real interest in making money. The rights of children to grow up totally supercedes owning a semiautomatic rifle.
Janet Teeple
I am a concerned parent, urging you to work toward peace. I don’t believe in “fighting” against anything, but guns need to be out of reach.
The issue is obviously way beyond guns- it is about better parenting, loving homes, bullying prevention, mental health, etc- but I am tired of feeling fearful each day sending my child to elementary school. What a shame. I am here to help create more conscious communities!
Thank you-
We need put an end to the violent gun culture in this country. Assault weapons have no place in a civilized society and the fact that they are legal is ridiculous.
Please help put a stop to this NOW!
Please move quickly on the gun laws to prevent more violence with assult weapons. The rush to buy guns lately is a big red flag to not be ignored by those who can put restrictions where they need to be.
Hopefully we have elected officials who have the intelligence to protect us through legislation without unnecessary arguments, while the bullets are flying.
Liars can figure but figures don’t lie…..look at all other nations gun violence rates and their gun laws…..GOP needs to get over the fear of their own shadows and quit trying to scare the rest of the country with B S LIES!!!!!
Our country is speaking out about the need for sensible gun control. As citizens, we also have rights; to be safe from gun violence in our schools, movie theatres, malls and to walk free in our communities. Our children have a right to grow up to live long healthy lives free from constant fear. We must act now and stop protecting the elite few, who don’t have our best interests at heart. This violence will not stop until we stop it.
We are citizens of a great country. Why is it we are having this fight about guns? We are gun owners, but we used them for hunting game, not for gunning down fellow citizens. Sport hunting used to be the reason we bought guns. The shootings in Tucson, Aurora, and now Newtown have just been devastating to us. Things have to change. The NRA is way out of line and we have to beat them this time. I stand with the President and Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelley. We expect the House and Senate to act like human beings and look into their hearts. They should think about their children and their grandchildren. They could be killed just like the Sandy Hook children if something isn’t done.
We have a grandson that has one of those big guns and he plays war games with it. I am ashamed to admit such a thing and it saddens me to my core. He has never hunted game with any gun he has. My husband always says, “Guns are a tool, they are not to be used as a toy.”
I hope and pray that some of these changes are made in Washington very soon. There will be a lot of different avenues to go down including mental illness.
An assault rifle has no place in a loving culture. They are made to kill. I hope we can get back a peaceful culture.
Grace Smith
Why does anyone need automatlc weapons that shoot 30 or more rounds. These weapons are for the battle fields, to just kill…..The NRA is just a shill organization for the gun manufacturers. How much is the life of an innocent child worth? America is the violence capital of the world. The answer to all these gun deaths is more guns??????
As a mother, wife, teacher, American, and a human being, I DEMAND that congress develops a clear plan on gun control. AT THE BARE MINIMUM, all assault rifles and clips holding more that a half a dozen bullets are outlawed, requiring background checks on EVERY gun purchase, and having laws in place for people with mental illnesses wanting to purchase guns.
As a group of people who write the laws to protect its constituents, I feel that you are not doing enough, fast enough to prevent another Sandy Hook, Aurora, Virginia Tech, or Columbine from happening yet again. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ALREADY!
If Americans as a whole are unable to take responsibility for their freedoms, then maybe it’s time that some freedoms are taken away. NO MORE GUNS! NO MORE MASSACRES! NO MORE INNOCENT CHILDREN KILLED BY GUNS purchased ‘legally’.
Thank you for your time. I look forward to a real discussion and meaningful legislation taking place soon,
Angie Mackey
Littleton, CO
It is time to put the extremist ravings of the NRA behind us and pass sensible gun legislation. While the NRA claims to have 4.2 million members, there are 300 million other Americans who do not subscribe to their rabid politics. Stand up for your real constituents and support bans on assault type weapons and ammunition, and better control over all weapons. No one complains about the registration of vehicles and licensing of their operators. The same could and should be done with guns. It is not an accident that the United States, with the largest number of guns per capita of any developed country, also has by far the largest number of gun-related deaths. It’s time to tell the NRA, which is little more than a mouthpiece for the profitable weapons industry, to take a hike and pass meaningful controls on our outrageous gun problem.
With respect to sensible gun control regulation(s) and civic responsibility–in the wake of the Sandy Brook massacre (of inocent lives) at the Sandy Brook school in Newtown Ct. by a deranged gunman–the NRA should be getting behind gun control instead of hiding behind the 2nd ammendment as their absolute right.
They do not need automatic assault weapn(s) to go to a (designated) shooting range to blow away a target with one burst–it is overkill artillery; as such, I would be concerned about nut cases in the NRA as they cannot phathom the severity of the action at Sandy Brook. Since the killings in Littleton Colorado, the copy cat(s) are escalating. So, besides responsible gun control regulations, there needs to be action taken for better mental health–and stop the bullying at the root.
We need all guns registered, owners should have toughest possible weapons storage security & safety requirements to prevent children & other unauthorized people from gaining access & owners must have full liability insurance & be required to report immediately all instances of gun theft.
Backed up with a Universal Health System to include medical, mental health, dental, vision & secure crisis intervention, we can start to minimize gun violence.
The NRA has become an Anti-Government renegade organization just short of an illegal private militia. They must be stopped.
Thank you all very kindly for your time and attention & that of your staff.
With respect to sensible gun control regulation(s) and civic responsibility–in the wake of the Sandy Brook massacre (of inocent lives) at the Sandy Brook school in Newtown Ct. by a deranged gunman–the NRA should be getting behind gun control instead of hiding behind the 2nd ammendment as their absolute right.
They do not need automatic assault weapn(s) to go to a (designated) shooting range to blow away a target with one burst–it is overkill artillery; as such, I would be concerned about nut cases in the NRA as they cannot phathom the severity of the action at Sandy Brook. Since the killings in Littleton Colorado, the copy cat(s) are escalating. So, besides responsible gun control regulations, there needs to be action taken for better mental health–and stop the bulling at the root.
The founding fathers envisioned different arms when they endorsed the right to bear arms. There is no place for semi automatice guns or their 20-30 round ammunition casings. Also background checks should be done on all gun purchase including traveling gun shows and online purchases.
Please support real gun control for America. Please consider that most murders are committed with handguns and that countries with strong gun control have only a small fraction of the murders that we have in America. 10,000+ murders a year can not be the price we are willing to pay to “protect” gun owners.
Please do all that you can to restore sanity to this issue instead of letting the
manufacturers of guns,
the sellers of guns and ammunition,
the authorities who claim reporting prospective purchaser of guns too expensive for their jurisdiction to comply with needs of a database that could eventually identify individuals likely to commit a gun crime (under the guise of privacy protection),
and owners who organize into advocacy groups for expansion of ownership privileges of all kinds of weapons with little restrictions,
don’t let the above
— dictate gun policy.
And above all, eliminate ownership, purchase of automatic weapons and ammunition and containers designed for war.
These weapons of war have no place in the hands of civilians in a free society.
Please take decisive action now to strictly regulate gun sales and licensing. We need laws to protect Americans, not just gun owners. The Sales and ownership of all guns needs to be regulated and documented. Buy backs are needed to get many guns out of the reach of abusers. While our Constitution allows the right to bear arms, this should be for screened and licensed owners only. Ban Assault weapons and All undocumented sales.
We do not need more guns and more violence in our communities. It is very reasonable to request stricter gun laws in the light of all that has happened. Obviously more guns will not protect us (seeing as though Lanza’s mother had multiple guns and she is now dead).
We need to get guns off our streets and out of our communities! I do not believe guns are needed anywhere, but if they are needed in the wilderness to hunt for food lets keep them there.
NRA and its multi-million bank account pushes its power. Meanwhile, sane parents who’ve lost children and loved ones say NO to assault weapons. More than a majority of Americans say: Start a database for ALL who have guns. Fearful folks buy more weapons. Pray that this country begins to understand NON-violence as a better way to live and raise our children. Have mercy!
You will lose our vote if you don’t take a strong stand & advocate to ban attack guns and multiple clips. Also there must be strict limits on all types of gun possession.
Assault weapons that have no other purpose than to kill people serve no purpose in a civilized society. They must be banned as a first step to move from a society that embraces violence to a society that embraces each other with arms of peace and joy.
I am writing to my Ohio members of Congress with the following messages:
To Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) : I know I can count on you to do the right thing, and trust that you will stand tall in support of reasonable and effective gun control legislation. Thank you.
To Sen. Rob Portman (R): Ohio voters will be watching you. Please do the right thing: stand up to the NRA and support reasonable and effective gun control legislation. Thank you.
CITIZENS: Please remember to THANK and RE-ELECT our representatives who are with us on this issue!
Get rid of these guns already! How many more innocent people have to die? No one other than law enforcement needs a gun! Shame on anyone that doesn’t help to fix this awful problem we have in the United States. You can’t even go to your first grade class without getting shot!!!!!!!!!! N
Have we not learned anything from the multitude of senseless shootings! Are we sick from reading in the papers about the loss of lives at the hands of mentally ill individuals! Heartbreaking. It is up to you, our leaders, to help protect all Americans from further attacks by sick individuals. There are no reasonable controls on the semi-automatic weapons- these should all be banned without question. Thank you in advance for supporting reasonable controls being placed on guns.
Why is it so difficult to get some common sense measures passed? We need to require criminal background checks for all gun sales.
We need to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines, and we need to make gun trafficking a federal offense. Yes, we need to make some changes in how we deal with mental health issues in the country, but that is more complicated and will take time. So the first thing we need to do is limit access to these kinds of guns. Yes, there may be some who will still get access, but do we have to make it so easy? Pass common sense legislation, please!
Don’t let money or extremism run our nation. It is to be run by a majority of sane minded people and the NRA extremists are just as dangerous as any terrorist in any part of the world.
I grew up back in the days…there was hardly any violence at all. Hardly anyone had guns and if they did, they were kept under lock and key…Certainly no children
got to them….now, not only do they get to them, the children these days use them….how disgusting it all has become.
The most ridiculous thing …..it keeps happening. Totally unbelievable…it hardly surprises anyone anymore…nothing is done about it….everyone is talking…yap, yap,
yap…we must stop it…yes, we must stop it…but, no one stops it..what the hell is going on??????? I have an idea…stop selling guns to everybody and anybody.
My God…anyone can get a gun…they steal it from their parents or they go somewhere and steal one from someone else, or better yet….they go into a store and
are able to purchase one….this has got to stop..it is awful enough that we have adults killing adults. We have drive by shootings where so many, so many innocents
get killed, something has got to be done. Why in hell is this so hard???? Pass a law, a felony law. If you are caught with a firearm, prison for one year, if you hurt
someone with a gun-5 to 10 year felony in prison. If you kill someone…bye bye – prison 20 to life. Of course everything depends on circumstances. However, we
must get tuff….no ifs, ands or buts…..
End the gun merchants lobbyists stranglehold over common sense reforms and restrictions of gun ownership – it should not be any less restrictive to own a gun of rifle than it is to own and drive a motor vehicle – period!
enough already!!!…the NRA has to be stopped..who gave them the right to have so much power over the US Governemnt…banning assault rifles and large ammunition clips is a no brainer…gun enthusiasts might like them but as the Rolling Stones famously sang “you can’t always get what you want”…Jod Lourie
Please see my Huffington Post article regarding this issue, written the weekend of the tragedy in Newtown. I believe we should all organize town meetings to petition the government for tighter gun control. Supporting Biden’s recommendations.
Running a background check on gun buyers is NOT the same as not allowing people to buy guns at all. Everyone should be checked and regulations should be tightened. Also, a pistol or hunting rifle is one thing but there is no reason or excuse for people to be running around with AK-47s. For the NRA to oppose this is just another sign of their insecurity and desire for control. Frankly, I don’t trust them. People that afraid are just the ones who go off the deep end. Find a good therapist!
It has never been more clear that illegal guns, and illegal users of guns are completely out of control in ths country. Immediate strong measures are needed to find and eliminate as many illegal guns as possible from our society.
Legal gun licensing also requires stringent control and enforcement, and high penalties for transgressions, including lifelong removal of gun licenses from offenders.
Law enforcement everywhere needs a clear mandate and public support to use all possible measures, bth overt and covert, to find and confiscate illegal weapons and to cripple the sellers of weapons at the highest levels. We do not need more or less marijuana or laws related to it, we need to pursue diligently, and as much as possible eliminate, illegal guns in this country.
As a support measure we need to take money from the military budget to increase budgets for child care and education in our poorest communities so kids ther have an alternative to growing up to be either gun wielders or their victims.
The public and the press need to provide all of the support and assistance they can to legislators to do all of the things listed here. This is a public prioblem and requires a public solution, and that means we all need to particpate by making our demands clear at legislative and enforcment levels.
Please take immediate action to make our nation safer for our citizens. How would you feel if your child was a victimi in one
of the many mass shootings that have occurred in our country over the last 15 years? There is No reason for the huge number of
guns that are ubiquitous in our nation. And we must address ways to meet the needs of mentally ill people and their families.
Thanks for listening.
As a mental health partitioner, I realize that gun control really needs to mean keeping guns out of the hands of people who would use them to murder other people. That’s partly our responsibility and thanks to the Tarasof ruling, we do have to report if we feel someone is a threat to others or themselves. We do that. I support legislation that would clarify the purpose of owning a gun, where the gun will be kept and whether there are family members who have access to the gun who have mental health issues.
To all congresspeople: We disgrace ourselves as a “civilized” country when we allow the continual murder of so many of our citizens due to our
FANATICAL worship of assault weapons in particular….not so surprising in a country that casually participates in endless
warring and use of (terrorist) drones.
I am ashamed to be an American. Please elevate the ideals and morals in the USA,
and begin a discussion of the clear paranoia on the right that supports such violence ( and cowardice on the left!!)
If we use teeth for teeth and power for power?
We would not need any law to control.
The law need power over the gun.
No citizens need any carrying lisences and or possesive of armors.
Please start a meaningful conversation with lawmakers about gun control. Specifically, putting in place an assault weapons ban. We cannot continue to let our innocent children be mutilated by these guns. It simply does not make sense that in a civilized society, these guns are so readily available. Please also loosen the gun lobby’s stranglehold on CDC gun data. When we track every minute detail of our society in graphs and charts, we need data about guns, and how lethal they are.
Please support these common sense initiatives aimed at curtailing gun violence.
Our children depend on us to make their world a place where their lives matter
Dear public servant: You can have your legacy be one of doing nothing more than rubber stamping ALEC and/or whoever it is who has paid for your campaign, rubber stamping corporate interests, the NRA, Norquist, or whatever but if you want your legacy to go in history as being a leader for the people then you will need to represent the people. That can’t be just in theory and/or according to a think tank talking point. That has to be each and every person you represent for you do represent all in your district. You have to listen and absorb all the points and mesh them together into legilslation that is based upon fact, takes into consideration what has and what has not worked historically and pass legislation in a timely manner that will benefit the people of this nation. That is what you were voted in for and that is what you are as a public servant. You all collect benefits from the public so make absolutely certain that every time you decide something you do what is best for the public. In the case of gun regulation and management, if you buy into the NRA then you are not representing the people of this nation; you are in fact leading to more and more gun fire deaths as we have seen as more and more weaponry is out in the hands of those who do not respect human life and/or are mentally disturbed. There is nothing in the 2nd Amendment that even remotely implies what the NRA is shoving down the throats of this nation and in time it will ruin gun ownership for all of us. Furthermore it is shameful that gun shops have to follow laws that do not have to be followed for all other gun sales or even for owning a car for that matter. Any transfer of a vehicle has to be registered and accounted for but not for guns? Let’s stop showing the world that we are an unbalanced nation of ideologues and instead start showing the world that we are intelligent, thoughtful, wise, and courageous.
I am fortunate to live in Oregon where we have Sen Merkley and Sen Wyden but it doesn’t hurt to repeat this. We need sensible gun control. The 2nd Ammendment did not say that every American citizen had to become a fully armed vigilante, just because it would be fun. Too many innocents are being killed. Let’s grow up and get civilized. No more assault weapons, no more large magazines, background checks everywhere that guns are sold, and better mental health assistance.
There exists excellent, effective gun laws passed within 12 days of a horrific shooting incident in New Town Australia in 1996. Look these laws up and replicate them. There has not been a single mass shooting in Australia since they were passed. In addition, all deaths by gun have consistently been reduced over this period. Why re-invent when there already exists an excellent remedy? Compromise? Ask, who or what will be compromised if this is your guiding mantra.
It is time our Congress works for the people and demand strict gun control in PA and our country. Countless murders by guns happened on a daily basis in PA; majority are children under the age of 18, yet you continue to work for what benefits yourselves and allow these senseless murders continue.
Please fight for us. We need to stop gun violence now with meaningful bans on assault weapons. Universal background check are not enough! I have worked in the employment background field and I know the pitfalls to getting complete background screening completed. Many jurisdictions simply do not report. Employers are not willing to do a county search. We need to ban all weapons that were designed to kill people, except for law enforcement and military uses.
With all the peace in the world at stake, I strongly urge you to control, indeed to outlaw the purchase, use, and sale of assault weapons anywhere in the USA. Those who live by the gun, perish by the gun. Perish those who live by the gun.
I am writing to express my fervent feelings as an American citizen that we need to clamp down hard on guns in our nation.
Some problems are hard to see a solution to. This one is not that kind of problem. The evidence from other countries overwhelming proves that gun control works and works well.
There is no point in even discussing it.
On the other hand, one thing I feel as a society we take too lightly is the egotistical nature of people who would put us all in danger because their puerile “2cnd amendment right’ to have guns. How can they think of the families from Newtown and not cringe with shame and horror at what these guns have wrought on a school, a movie theater, or a college campus?
In 2011, the National Research Council found life expectancy in the United States was increasing at a slower rate than in other high-income democracies; twelve peer nations were evaluated Shortly after, the NRC and Institute Of Medicine convened a panel of experts to investigate why. They concluded amongst other things that fragmented healthcare, gun violence, drugs and obesity were causing the USA to fall behind. All the peer nations have national healthcare systems and all have strong gun control laws – none with a constitution including anything along the lines of our 2nd Amendment. We call ourselves civilized and we allow people to die because they don’t have health insurance or be one of the 30,000+ that are the result of gun related violence?
I am urging my representatives in Congress to pass legislation to control the rampant gun violence in out country. The NRA for years has had too much influence in these matters. The second amendment authorized guns for self-protection, not assault rifles and large rounds of ammunition which were not even dreamed of in the days of our Founding Fathers.
I am urging my representatives in Congress to pass legislation to control the rampant gun violence in out country. The NRA for years has had too much influence in these matters. The second amendment authorized guns for self-protection, not assault rifles and large rounds of ammunition which were not even dreamed of in the days of our Founding Fathers.
Please limit access to assault weapons – automatic and semi-automatic weapons. There is no sense in allowing these in civilian hands! None, whatsoever.
I am a strong supporter of gun control, but I did not sign the petition in the email I received from the organization that sent this link. Although I agree with the sentiments, I found the language too emotional and decisive to get results. Below is my email to Ted Cruz, the right-wing Texas senator, whom I will probably not convince. However, I think the tone is rational and could appeal to more moderates, if there are any left.
“I am writing as a constituent, a concerned citizen, and as a teacher of the United States Constitution. The Bill of Rights guarantees citizens individual rights, but these rights have always been balanced against the common good and the safety of the public. Various types of speech are regulated under the First Amendment and even political speech, the most protected form of speech,can be restricted when that speech incites violence.
The right to bear arms likewise should be and must be balanced against the safety and good of the general public. Sensible and comprehensive legislation is the most reasonable approach. If past legislation has failed, it was because it was not comprehensive enough; this matter is a national issue that can not be left up to the states. Mass killings, private arsenals owned by unstable or paranoid individuals, and weapons capable of killing multiple people before the perpetrator can be stopped are not the well “regulated” militia the framers had in mind. The framers envisioned citizen farmers with muskets.
Arming our school personnel and fortifying schools is not the solution to these attacks. Civilized, free countries should not have to turn their schools into fortresses. It is time for Congress to listen to the majority of citizens, many of whom are gun-owners like myself, and enact some comprehensive, reasonable legislation that has teeth to protect its citizens. So far, this Congress seems to hear only the NRA and the gun lobby.
Congress needs to represent the interest of the majority of American citizens who want comprehensive legislation and effective enforcement to curb the ever escalating gun violence in our country.”
I am a strong supporter of gun control, but I did not sign the petition in the email I received from the organization that sent this link. Although I agree with the sentiments, I found the language too emotional and decisive to get results. Below is my email to Ted Cruz, the right-wing Texas senator, whom I will not doubt not convince. However, I think the tone is rational and could appeal to more moderates, if there are any left.
I am writing as a constituent, a concerned citizen, and as a teacher of the United States Constitution. The Bill of Rights guarantees citizens individual rights, but these rights have always been balanced against the common good and the safety of the public. Various types of speech are regulated under the First Amendment and even political speech, the most protected form of speech,can be restricted when that speech incites violence.
The right to bear arms likewise should be and must be balanced against the safety and good of the general public. Sensible and comprehensive legislation is the most reasonable approach. If past legislation has failed, it was because it was not comprehensive enough; this matter is a national issue that can not be left up to the states. Mass killings, private arsenals owned by unstable or paranoid individuals, and weapons capable of killing multiple people before the perpetrator can be stopped are not the well “regulated” militia the framers had in mind. The framers envisioned citizen farmers with muskets.
Arming our school personnel and fortifying schools is not the solution to these attacks. Civilized, free countries should not have to turn their schools into fortresses. It is time for Congress to listen to the majority of citizens, many of whom are gun-owners like myself, and enact some comprehensive, reasonable legislation that has teeth to protect its citizens. So far, this Congress seems to hear only the NRA and the gun lobby.
Congress needs to represent the interest of the majority of American citizens who want comprehensive legislation and effective enforcement to curb the ever escalating gun violence in our country.
Respond to the majority of U.S. households who advocate universal background checks for all firearms sales. Ban semi assault weapons nationwide and Repeal Bush’s 2004 Lawful Commerce in Arms Act which immunizes the Firearms industry from civil suits. Society ALONE must not bear the costs and tragedies responding to assault weapon massacres while the firearms industry profits.
The frequency of These massacres are increasing and will continue unless you legislate for the people’s safety over special interest profits. I am the concerned mother of 2 children, and a non practicing attorney.
I am from Rocklin California and my conressman is McClintock . He, nor hiss, ever responds to my emails so the chance of him reading or thinking about my email is zero. However I totally support reasonable gun control!!!!!
no citizen should be walking around with assault weapons…… “a weapon of mass destruction” To me that is a no brainer. If a citizen has a background check and is mentally fit and desires a gun or rifle or bow and arrow for that matter ..that is another issue
The status quo is unacceptable, you must bepart of a real plan to stop this. Hunting rifles and pistols are an accpeted part of the american fabric but, semi-automatic weapos with thirty round magazines are not. The arguement that legal weapons protect the innocent has been burst buy the recent shootings, whcih legal obtained weapons were wused in both cromes and one of which the owners weapon ewas used against herself. Compromise is the word but not inneffective meaasures.
The USA also needs to think about how you look to the rest of the planet! I’m from way down under in quiet and peaceful New Zealand and strongly support MUCH tighter gun laws in the USA. I’m sick of my family and I switching on our TV’s and radios to hear of yet another human slaughter at the hands of some maniac with a killing machine capable of the horrific massacres we have been exposed to over the past 10 or more years.
Surely you realise you are living in a fish bowl with the rest of the earth peering in at the insanity within. You are spending trillions of dollars on protecting yourself from others – ware, security, anti-terror measures – and yet a few million red-necks who don’t feel like a true man (or American) without an automatic killing machine in their hands hold the country to ransom with completely disproportionate power to what they should hold. You hang on, like children to their last piece of candy, to a constitutional amendment right which was written in a different time which, in truth, now makes little sense and has antiquated meaning. Wake up America – you are supposed to be world leaders and yet this draconian approach to guns continues to make you look incredibly 3rd world in the eyes of the rest of the developed world!
Speaking as simply a no-body but citizen of that “rest of the world” – I say, “Wake up and smell the roses America!” “Embrace change now and in doing so, prevent yourselves continuing to be a world-wide laughing stock due to continued support for gun laws that clearly put the lunatics in charge of the asylum!”
God Bless America, God Bless the innocent people and God Bless the little Children! Amen.
Please enact legislation to restore the ban on assault weapons, large capacity magazines and metal pearcing ammunition . Please enact legislation to require background checks for all firearms sales including gun shows, internet sales and personal sales.
Guns out of control are the result of deeper causes: disrespect of working people through wage control and medical coverage that benefits business profits before health.
Whenever power is given to people to control their income (coops, etc.) corporations who control the creation of regulations (by controlling regulatory decision makers) denounce efforts to change the system as socialism, etc. When people want to stop the predation of their life energy to support a bloated plutocracy, they are
blocked by laws that depend on a system that gives verdicts to those who have the money to hire expensive lawyers…..that is not justice. The last resort
for those who do not trust their government is obvious.
Guns are not the problem. The problem is a that the USA is the Walmart of gun business for the world. We promote war. We promote plundering the
earth for its resources without regard for indigenous people and other nations’ sovereignty. Just because we almost wiped out native “Americans”, doesn’t mean we got away with that government sanctioned pogrom. If our country is going to have an ethical/moral/spiritual basis to exist, we have to change our goals.
Then the reality that this country is equated with greed will change, away from manipulation and hoarding, toward cooperation and sharing.
I had an M16A2 fully automatic assault rifle and 9mm Berreta semi-automatic hand gun when I served as a soldier in the United Sates Army in the Persian Gulf War – a soldier in a war zone in war time. These are weapons. They are people killing weapons and they kill people very well and they are pretty easy to use to fire a lot of lethal bullets very quickly and potentially very accurately. It made sense to have combat level weapons as a soldier in war time in a war zone. That’s not what’s happening here in America. People are being killed by combat weapons – high capacity magazine semi-automatic rifles and hand guns in our schools, at political gatherings, in movie theaters, in the work place, at the mall….!? What’s going on here? How are these disturbed people getting hold of such deadly, lethal weapons to perpetrate their deranged atrocities? Some will say something to the effect of ‘arm everyone and everyone will be safe.’ This is ludicrous. As a soldier at war armed with combat weapons opposing those who had weapons themselves did not guarantee my safety in the Gulf and neither would it necessarily guarantee my safety in peace time at a local public school or a local mall or local theater. There seems to be a general feeling that having a weapon makes one safe, but I encourage those who feel that way to really consider does it really guarantee you will not be harmed by someone with a firearm even though you yourself have a firearm? I charge that, though it may feel so, it, in reality, is not necessarily so. My fully automatic M16A2, and I was trained how to use it, did not necessarily guarantee me safety against an armed opponent. Arming everyone will not increase safety. Combat weapons and high capacity magazines are for war, not for peace time.
Please close the gun show loop hole, stop selling high capacity ammunition magazines to civilians, re-instate and/or improve the assault weapons ban, require handguns to be registered and liability insurance for gun owners.
I am happy that the ACA will improve access to mental health care. If the community care that the mentally ill were supposed to have available existed, I would be happy about that, too.
Please see to the safety of the citizens of this great country and put common sense regulations in place around firearm ownership. In the current environment, they do much more harm than good. Of course, allow studies that quantify that trade off would also be a fine idea.
I was talking to friend today,we both agree that guns are not the major part of the problem. If you would like to know what we concluded. PLease contact me via
e-mail I would be glad to tell you what I think the problem is. Its by no means an easy answer you are headed in the right direction but not going far enough.
We in the US need to legislate the sale and use of guns. There have been way too many deaths due to indiference and lack of oversight. Assault weapons should not be used by private individuals. There needs to be gun control accross the board.
I want to live in a country where children do not need to fear that they will be gun down by military style assault weapons in their classrooms. I do not want my kids to have to participate in drills that involve what one does to respond to a gun-related emergency. Its ridiculous. Military weapons are for military. period. Civilians should be banned from them. if owners of weapons are being irresponsible with their guns and family members or friends or someone other than the owner are fount to be using these, owners should be punished. permit revoked. much like owners of cars. i am sick and tired of the immunity guns and gun owners have. we need to regulate regulate regulate. much like cars. tabacco. these are weapons that can kill.
The NRA has too much power. Gun’s on our streets will continue to increase without tighter restrictions. Countries that have no guns have less violence. Oakland, Palo Alto, San Francisco, LA has too many gangs with guns. End this by new laws that greatly control gun ownership.
We must get rid of assault weapons. Please have the courage to do what is right. Too many people are being killed in this country.
We are not against the ownership of guns but cannot understand the need for weapons of war. Please look at what other countries have done. They have a fraction of the killings.
The radical people of the NRA must not get their way.
The following is a letter that i submitted to the Anchorage Daily News:
January 10, 2013
Letters to the Editor
Anchorage Daily News
Anchorage, Alaska
RE: Guns.
Dear Editor:
I received a letter/survey from Wayne LaPierre, NRA, that begins “With the re-election of President Barack Obama, we must face the fact that we’re at the beginning of a four-year nightmare”. It continues with no mention of Sandy Hook or any other atrocities.
The Second Amendment reads “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.” If you’re a constitutionalist, as a member of a militia, you’ve the right to bear a musket. Nowhere does the amendment state that you’re entitled a 10-infinity magazine WMD.
Timothy Shine’s opinion (ADN, 1/ that there should be guns in schools is inline with the NRA. As a student at Dimond High School 1969-71 there was a security guard named Dan White. White killed San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978–he intended to kill more–his defense was the infamous “Twinkie defense”. Do you really think guns in schools are the answer?
Sincerely,

Samuel Duff Combs, AIA, NCARB, Architect
I believe that all assualt weapons shoud be banned and including all ammunition clips that hold greater then 6 shells.
A thorough back ground check on the purchaser should be made on the sale of all guns, clips and ammunition.
I know they want to ram thru any legislation before the furor dies down but don’t you think that they should at least review the JHU public health gun control summit and book filled with the best statistical studies of the gun legislation, mass shootings and gun death statistics before reaching their conclusions for the president? It is out today and contains compilation of the best statistical studies from around the nation available to date.
I sincerely hope you will support gun control efforts by Vice President Biden. I believe assault weapons should be banned and that there should be background checks on anyone who purchases a gun. I don’t think this is un-reasonable and I am not trying to take guns away from anyone. I really don’t think anyone needs an assault weapon.
The pettiness that drives you politicians to do nothing about removing assault weapons and high capacity magazines must stop. To be blunt, if you do not take action to remove these then your constituents will vote someone into office that will!
To think one child’s life as less important than the right to carry a grotesque arsenal is barbaric.
Our country loses its power daily as we buy into this blackmail. Our country no longer leads the world.
We can not any longer think we are taking the high ground when our streets and schools are no longer safe
as we acquiesce to this archaic 2nd amendment. We all live on this planet and we must learn respect for
the sanctity of life and the rights of children to grow up without fear. There is no more divine right than that.
We only can lead the world when our own populace can live in tranquility.
I support sensible gun control. I am a retired Army Colonel with two combat tours. I urge you to the correct thing to protect our citizens. There is no need for assault weapons in this country other than in the hands of the police or military. Thanks!
It is about time that we realize that guns kill. A bullet has no eyes and does not care where it falls. Too many innonce victims because of gun violence. It is time to do something meanfull to prevent gun violence.
Get it together. I imagine if it was your grandchild that was shot 11 times by a high mag rifle you would be angry. What about the thousands of black men you think are not worth the debate who die every year because the may be so called gang bangers. A life is a life. You should all be ashamed of yourself. Mr Speaker grow a set of balls and deal with real life issues. I’m white I live in the suburbs … McConnell you will loose your job and you deserve to you raciest pig.
I am concerned about the extent of gun violence in America today, and I strongly feel that more should, and can be done to help prevent it. I urge you to carefully consider all of Joe Bidens recommendations, and not to discount them for fear of not getting re-elected, or getting a bad score with NRA. I do not feel that it would infringe upon our Second Amendment rights to do more careful background checks on gun purchasers, to increase gun safety mechanisms so more children aren’t accidentally killed, to improve our mental health system, close gun fair loopholes, etc. Unlike many, I do also believe that more should be done about the amount of violence on TV and video games. Perhaps greater restrictions on violence shown on TV, like the bad words not allowed, would be a good thing for all.
Sincerely,
Heidi Zemach
Seward, Alaska
Dear Mr. Biden, Please work hard on behalf of our fellow citizens that believe that there is too much gun violence in America and too many guns available to be used against our neighbors and our first responders. I try to have civil conversations with my friends and family about semi-automatic weapons and large ammo magazines, asking them as gun owners to be a part of the conversation, but I am always met with outrage and defensive behavior, as if they think that making some weapons less available and making all other guns part of a more responsible registration process were a covert plot to take away their right to bear arms, when clearly it is not. I do not see the need for people to be armed to the teeth and in my life time, the only time I owned a gun was a 22 for scaring off coyotes and taking out poisonous snakes if we ran across them on our farm….I would prefer to see far less weaponry among civilians, but have come to the realization that this will not happen in my lifetime if ever. I am speaking out against gun shows and the loopholes for obtaining semi-automatic guns and ammo, I speak out against practices that allow guns to fall in the hands of dangerous and/or mentally ill people, I speak out against the notion that people cannot develop mentally illnesses after they have obtained a gun or have access to one, I speak out against lobbyists and enterprises that make obscene amounts of money under the guise of protecting second amendment rights and then use those funds to influence leaders and buy politicians to promote their agenda. No one in the last 4 years has clearly addressed the ban of assault weapon, which is a sad legacy for an otherwise wonderful President and Vice President. It is time for a representation of those who want sanity when addressing the issue of gun control. Please be that clear voice. Thank you. Susan K. Demiglio
I JUST CANT SEE WHY A FEW PEOPLE CAN SEE THE 4TH ADMENMENT ALLOWING THE SIMI AUTOMATIC AND MALTI CALLABER GUNS IN THE HANDS OF PEOPLE OTHER THAN THE GOVERNMENT. THESE GUNS ARE MENT FOR KILLING LARGE AMOUT OF PEOPLE AND SHOULD NOT BE IN THR HANDS OF EVERY ONE EVEN THOES WITH PERMITS. AS FOR THE BACKGROUND CHECKS IT SHOULD BE EVERY ONE GETTING THEM NOT JUST A SELECT FEW.
Friggin’ do something about gun control!!! don’t be afraid of the NRA or their bravado!! Hardly ANY of their candidates got re-elected this last election. They have NO power; you and I do.
There is no question our country needs stiffer gun control laws – both for the weapons and the ammunition that operates the guns. Also, based on the mental history of those involved in the recent shootings, our country needs to look out for potential citizens who may have mental health issues that could cause this horrific incident to happen again. It has happened too many times already by people with mental health issues. By helping one person in need, we are potentially saving the lives of countless innocent people.
Please expand the background checks to include voluntary, but verifiable, information about the mental and emotional health, as well as the age of every person who is living in the home of the purchaser of any gun; guns should never be sold to people with young children in the home; and please eliminate the gun show loophole; All gun sales should be subject to the same rigorous process; and please ban all guns that can rapidly fire more than one bullet at a time, except for the use of the police and the military; and please regulate the sales of ammunition to the extent that no one can purchase multiple rounds without justification (as did he guy who shot all the people in Aurora, CO. Hunters and ranchers should be able to verify their needs for shotguns by providing their verifiable rural addresses and there should be trackable information regarding their shooting of wild animals on their ranches before additional ammunition is sold to them. Sales of Sudafed and similar drugs are tracked when purchased at the drug store; so guns and ammunition should also be tracked and additional purchases should be regulated. Guns should all be licensed and the guns should be “tracked” by serial number throughout their lives, just like cars. Gun store sales people should be held liable for guns and ammunition sold to people like Jared Loughner, just like bartenders are held liable when they sell too many drinks to drunk people. There should be a public education campaign developed in order to teach people how to recognize the signs of mental illness that are correlated with murders and mass shootings. A similar campaign regarding depression has been somewhat successfull. Psychotic disorders and anti-social personality disorder have certain key characteristics that everyone should be made aware of. Before a crime is committed, these folks should be referred for mandatory mental health interventions, rather than imprisonment. Family members should be encouraged to report those in their families who may be unstable in this way, but they should not have to risk their own lives as a result. All of these things need to be done to eliminate these kinds of murders and mass shootings.
Dear Mr. Biden, Please work hard on behalf of our fellow citizens that believe that there is too much gun violence in America and too many guns available to be used against our neighbors and our first responders. I try to have civil conversations with my friends and family about semi-automatic weapons and large ammo magazines, asking them as gun owners to be a part of the conversation, but I am always met with outrage and defensive behavior, as if they think that making some weapons less available and making all other guns part of a more responsible registration process were a covert plot to take away their right to bear arms, when clearly it is not. Don’t get me wrong, I do not see the need for people to be armed to the teeth and in my life time, the only time I owned a gun was a 22 for scaring off coyotes and taking out poisonous snakes if we ran across them on our farm….I would prefer to see less weaponry among the public, but have come to the realization that this will not happen in my lifetime if ever. But that is not what I am speaking out against. I am speaking out against gun shows and the loopholes for obtaining semi-automatic guns and ammo, I speak out against practices that allow guns to be fall in the hands of dangerous and/or mentally ill people, I speak out against the notion that people cannot develop mentally illnesses after they have obtained a gun or have access to one, I speak out against lobbyists and enterprises that make obscene amounts of money under the guise of protecting second amendment rights and then use those funds to influence leaders and buy politicians to promote their adgenda. No one in the last 4 years has clearly addressed the ban of assault weapon, which is a sad legacy for an otherwise wonderful President and Vice President. It is time for a representation of those who want sanity when addressing the issue of gun control. Please be that clear voice. Thank you. Respectfully, Susan K. Demiglio
Certainly there are measures that should and can be adopted, to forge curtailment of violence and the use of assault weapons in our country.
It is definitely a multi-faceted problem,however, mass production of assault weapons figures largely into the equation. Misinterpretation and gross misrepresentation of the 2nd amendment is bound to keep many ignorance. Do propose and enact common sense legislation to pass gun regulations in our country. Do not forget about Newtown, Connecticut and the loss of so many children and educators.
it is disgracefull that over 32 people loose there life due to gun violence . nobody needs a gun that should be left to the militry that riddles little children,
I trust that we will accomplish something to put brakes on this carnage in out nation.
We can not let it drift away as we have so often when issues become critical mass.
Extreme situations may require extreme actions to stop the Lobbying industry from
their daily assault on our country’s politicians, with prewritten bills to be rubber stamped…
with out reading…time being a factor in railroading … so we pay a terrible price for
our reluctance to step on special interest toes.
That has to be PAST.
NOW is the time to actively create bans on assault weapons and the magazines/clips for mass murder.
To do a total overhaul to our mental health system of less than half measures which cure nothing.
If it costs money, so be it. That’s CHEAPER than lives of children never having an opportunity to grow
up and give of their potential talents to a natiinb in dire need of such intelligence and moral advancement.
The NRA needs to be brought to heel.
It is now your job.
As I believe you’re [all three] on board with Vice President Biden’s recommendations on reining in gun tragedies, so I’ll simply say Thank You for your progressive legislation. I feel my desires are well represented.
Please stand up to the NRA. People do not need assault weapons and magazines. Make it harder to buy guns – long waiting periods – certificates of mental health – limits to number of guns owned – whatever it takes. Enough is enough
I am veteran and I believe in the second amendment now is the time to ban all magazines and assault Guns that be use in war. It defies all logic that anyone would need that kind of weapon. BAN ALL ASSAULT WEAPONS PLEASE NOW. NO MORE NEWTOWN.
The general public does not need access to rapid-fire weapons or the ability to purchase ammunition on the Internet. Please work to at least stop the general sale of these items. When I take my kids to a movie I shouldn’t have to look for the exits. When I take them to school I shouldn’t have to look for how many exit doors there are in their classrooms. Help us use common sense to make us a safer America. Thank you. Jeanne
It is time. We have tolerated the NRA and their support of the freedom to die from gun violence for too long. The fact that the freedom to own weapons that can kill 26 teachers and young children is more highly valued in our nation than the freedom to grow up safely and without fear is shameful. This has to be the last straw for our nation to maintain it’s status as a civilized nation.
I am not against a citizen’s right to bear arms/possess a fire arm used to hunt and protect self, family & home. Yet assault weapons and stock piling enough ammunition to wipe out a Country is certainly not for hunting or protection.
Gun Violence is out of control. NO private citizen has any reason to own and have in their home semi automatic weapons that have the capability of supporting/using magizines of 30+ rounds in them. We need to do more to be sure that guns do not get into the hands of people with mental health issues and CERTAINLY no one should be able to buy large amounts of ammunition. THere should be mandatory back ground checks on ALL gun purchases along with a waiting period of at least 3 days! It should be illigal to purchas guns and ammunition over the web where no one in a position to say “no” can interact with you, do a background check and determine if you are potentially NUTS and if so, refuse to sell you a gun!!
Mental health issues need to be addressed and people need to feel like they can do so without being belittled and scorned.
just a few suggestions……tell all those NRA jerks that they can all have Muskits (sp???) …the kind of weapons known to our founding fathers when they wrote the 2nd amendment!!!
Please Please please support any possiible gun control legislation.
At minimum, we must have a ban on assault weapons.
They were meant for war ONLY. NOT HUNTING.
Dear Senators, Representatives.
The way the NRA speaks sounds like they are the “Law of the Land” and they do not even consider the rest of Americans, except their 4 million members. Well that is not how America works. Let’s take a vote and put the NRA in perspective. Let them know that most Americans do not accept the NRA as our spokesperson. They seem absurdly arrogant thinking they have the final work on the 2nd Amendment. The times were different then, when our individuals states, territories and foreign countries were all potential enemies. Our states are “UNITED” and we do not need local militias other than what our Federal, State and City provides in the way of protection and law enforcement. The NRA takes us backwards with their interpretation of the 2nd Amendment. Our common American goal that we share among all Americans is that we move forward with education, defense, environment, and civilization in general. We are evolving, not de-volving as the NRA demands us do. Please do not let the backward, arrogant, and money-influencing NRA! They cannot argue against common sense. And protecting one innocent child is worth it all. Thank you.
I am using reducing gun violence as an example of how a public health approach differs from a political approach for my Foundations of Public Health class. Essentially I am telling them that a public health approach begins with questions and works its way rationally toward answers, rather than screaming at each other about what we think would fix the problem.
I have not heard that public health authorities (CDC, USPHS, NIH, as well as city/county/state health departments) have been one of the groups invited in to explore all options. Will this be happening?
Just what is it you elected people do anyway that a internet petition is what is needed to get you to take action banning these mass killing weapons! Think about it….over 20 beautiful innocent children were gunned down and the fear they must of have endured in those last moments of their young lives! This is not about your precious gun lobby money machine that feeds your pockets, it is about what is right!! Wake up and be leaders not a bunch of sheep!!
Please be assertive and make plenty of noise on gun control. The current situation is ridiculous. The NRA no longer represents their membership but have become a lobbying arm for the firearms industry. Please act appropriately. Please push for outlawing assault rifles rather than banning future sales of them.
There needs to be – for the protection of everyone / every age, a much more aggressive screening and regulatory process regarding guns and users of them. Please vote and represent the citizens and permanent residents, everyone living in the U.S., in a way that is taking everyone’s rights into consideration. Greater protection is possible and it is not through the continued availability of guns to too many people, in an indiscriminate way.
I believe in the second amendment but I also support most gun control proposals. It’s past time for America to do something. So, what is the real issue? The real issue isn’t my right to bear arms, it’s the type of arms I have a right to bear. I support the Brady Campaign suggestions.
I recently started a blog (website above) that I’m going to use to write about a variety of subjects from things that pique my interest to things that aggravate me. Currently it’s gun control. Please read my blogs for good commentary about controlling guns.
time at last to move on making homes, streets, schools, shops safer. time to make our politicians peform their most important job for us; keeping our society safe. time to hold those responsible for murder accountable, including those who knowingly sell instruments of death to criminals. time to make this country a better place to live.
There is no reason to have Assault weapons and 30 round ammunition clips in the hands of any citizens, these are weapons of war.
And support background checks at Gun Shows, its sensible.
Don’t love Guns more then the children of Newtown, please.
Respectfully, Steve Chenoy
I don’t want to worry as I send my 5 year old off to Kindergarten. We need to reform gun laws. Please help us to do this.
Columbine. Red Lake Minnesota. Essex Vermont. Lancaster. Aurora. Virginia Tech. To name a few. How many more innocents must die at the hands of an antiquated and oft-misinterpreted amendment? Enough.
It’s time to stop the violence.
The time for Americans to be held hostage by the NRA is over. While some may claim that the right to bear arms is in the constitution, I would respond that Americans have a higher priority in that Americans deserve to live and not be dominated by a group who are determined to take our breath away permanantly.
My children are out of the school system but the last thing I as a parent of two teachers and as a grandparent want to worry about is someone who is reacting in a stressful situation and my family member is killed because of it. And if there truly was a legitimate case for the NRA’s pleas to arm our teachers, then they wouldn’t work so hard to limit my right to take away their financial resources forever when the next killing occurs. They, like too many politiicans, worry too much about protecting their wallets and not enough about protecting my family’s right to live without terror of the NRA and other gunmen.
VOTE to protect your constituents and not special interests whose sole purpose for existence is to sell more guns and more ammunition.
Stop the sale, distribution and availability of combat weapons to the public. Stop the arms trafficking from the USA to foreign countries. Stop laws that make these sales legal.
We do not need automatics or semi-automatics. We need a gun policy that reflects the message of the Christ: be not afraid and be not angry, both required emotions for owning mass instruments of death. I wish we could repeal the 2nd amendment. It denies the power of nonviolence, denies the power of Jesus Christ, of Gandhi and Martin Luther King.
Action to limit access to firearms, especially those designed to kill on the battlefield, is very long over due. Please do something sensible and substantial.
Rapid fire weapons have no place in our society. Australia banned rapid fire weapons after one slaughter and their death by gun rate is almost non existent. We must do the right thing for the safety of our children. Let us lead by example.
I am requesting that my representatives at the federal level pass ALL gun control legislation they can. I do not want leave our generations to come in a a nation with 300,000,000 guns and skyrocketing, with so few gun safety laws on the federal books. PLEASE do all you can to pass as much gun control as possible!! It’s now, or not for many years to come that we will have this much backing from the American public for gun control ( any and ALL). Please act quickly to keep the American public safe from gun violence before this moment to act is gone.
Please create strategies for preventing easy access to guns. It is more difficult to be certified to volunteer with children than to get a gun in this country. That is wrong.
It is long past time to take strong action to reduce the number of guns in this country. I ask that you ban semi-automatic rifles and all handguns. Any hunting rifle is a better tool for defense than a handgun in the home and no one but police officers or the military should be carrying weapons on his person. Children are more important that anyone’s right to own or carry weapons of the variety we see being used daily for murder. Our soldiers who have fought and are still fighting on foreign soil know that they are fighting to prevent Americans from having to live in fear of combat violence here in America. We can not let the NRA and the powerful gun industry turn America into a battlefield that requires that our children attend school under armed guards. This dishonors all brave soldiers who have fought for our freedom.
The second amendment was written in a very different world than the one we live in today. I wonder what the founding fathers would think of assault weapons in hands of children. Certainly this isn’t what they had in mind. The NRA has used this amendment to defend their right to sell weapons and promote the use of firearms with reckless abandon. They haven’t made our world safer. They’ve made it more deadly.
Congress should enact a ban on all assault weapons and the ban on high-capacity magazines. Start working for a safe America free from gun violence now and stop working for the NRA and gun manufacturers.
I am old and not good at all with computer. are you reading this right now. If so my facebook page is amelia and I have the song posted there and I can also e-mail it to anyone. xavierb414@gmail.com. This gun violance has to stop.
Please support the recommendations of the President and Vice President on the Gun Safety Regulations. You are aware of all the gun violence in Nebraska.
I back President Obama’s proposal for gun control. We need to do this now.
We have reached a point in this great Nation of the United States of America where the lawful use of guns has been badly breached. In the year 2013 we see men, women and children gunned down ruthlessly in our schools and streets because there is not a series of laws currently employed or actively instituted in Congress that is working to save the lives of American people. When will the blood being being shed be enough? It is my ardent belief that every person interested in purchasing a firearm for any reason MUST undergo a background check. That includes all uniformed police officers to receive annual or biannual background checks to ensure ALL people in this great Nation that they are fit to serve to KEEP THE PEACE. If it is found that any individual has a history of violence, imprisonment, crimes or mental illness that the individual in question should NOT be licensed to carry a firearm. All firearms must be licensed. If firearms are easy to acquire via the internet or through other means that are difficult to monitor the FBI and the CIA, Homeland Security and other agencies directly engaged in operations regarding cyber security must be continuously and without fail on high alert for any and all threats to harm other people to ensure the safety of all American people and for that matter the WORLD. The FBI, CIA and all institutions dedicated to cyber security must FIND every potential perpetrator of senseless crimes BEFORE they take place. We are successfully averting problems on the WORLD stage regarding Al Queada, now we must concentrate more thoroughly on what is happening within the border of this great Nation, the Nation of the United States of America. Thank you…Cynthia Walker, Laurel, Maryland USA
This is madness. They have gone too far. Assault rifles. Body armor piercing bullets. The 2nd amendment? What-cowards hiding behind a false shield never intended to harm citizens but to protect them. Tools of the NRA gun industry. USA biggest gun in the world.
I will be checking to see that my representatives fully support and vote for all components of gun control that the White House is putting forth.
it is high time that some commonsense prevails and the govenrment does something really effective to help reduce gun violence. No other civilized Western country
has such lax laws regarding the purchase and possession of guns. Most Americans don’t need to have guns to protect themselves. Yes, criminals will always find a way to obtain weapons, but many crimes committed by guns are by people who were not prior criminals and found it very easy to buy a gun or get hold of one.
Providing better mental health is a farce. The vast majority of people who can obtain guns easily and then subsequently use them against others, are not those who would be found so mentally incompetent that they could be treated in institutions or be restricted from possessing any guns.
Reducing or stopping gun violence is by taking many steps at the same time, not by a few meaningless individual steps to make some people feel good thaat they are doing something.
Here are some steps to consider:
1) Cigarette companies are sued when people who smoke die from using cigarettes. Maybe gun manufacturers could be sued when their weapon is used to kill
innocent people !!
2) Increase the tax on guns and ammunition, just like taxes on tobacco have been increased.
3) Have ads that show people that owning guns is not the right thing to do. Americans have come a long way since the days of the wild wild west. Have they??
4) Increase the penalties SUBSTANTIALLY for possessing illegal weapons or obtaining them under false pretences and for carrying them illegally.
5) Only a stupid fool thinks that constantly watching violent movies, playing violent video games and listening to ‘music’ that glorifies violence has no effect on the
thinking and outlook of all people, let alone the younger ones who are the most susceptible to this kind of mental barrage. Address this fact !
6) Get the message to kids in schools that owning guns is not necessary, that it leads to death and the punishment could be
severe for misusing a weapon.
7) Children in schools must be taken to see the victims of gun violence, and they must also see the punishment meted out to individuals who disregard the law.
8) In general, most Americans today disregard various laws and rules. The majority do not get punished. This lack of punishment or lack of a svere enough
punishment is what makes Americans think that they can do anything and get away with it. Especially children and those with lesser intellects. This is why ALL
laws and rules need to be enforced, and anyone consciously disregarding laws should be punished.
I do not for a moment think that Americans as a whole have the will or the intelligence to forgo guns. Guns are a part of the American way of life and for making people feel stronger and safer and making them feel they have power. Until this mental attitude towards guns is addressed, there can be no banning of guns or any form of gun control no matter how useless or little.
PLEASE support Presisdent Obama’s gun control intiatives.
One of the ten commandments from our God is “You shall not murder” (NIV). The NRA and others who support possession of guns as the means for protection are petuating violence. What an awful impression to give our youth. The reality is, violence, persecusion, slavery, theft, greed, corruption, false doctrines and idolatry have all primarily influenced the making of our nation as it is today. Even religious leaders have selectively chosen to speak out or not speak out against civil and political matters that appease their interest group, rather than being unconditionally convicted to the commandments of God. In Exodus 21:14. God tells us that “If a man schemes and kills another man deliberately, take him away from my altar and put him to death.” We have evidence of schemes for killing are becoming more acceptable everyday ;such as, the recent killings of unarmed teenage boys Jordan Davis and Travon Martin who were killed in the state of Florida). Their cases have yet to be resolved. More and more laws are protecting the killers of such innocent people. There are many more cases of killings of citizens of all age groups (ie Sandy Nook Elementary School in Connetticut) that indicate evil thinking and permissable laws permeate in our country. NRA doesn’t understand the warning God gives his people when we are warned that we will reap what we sow. It is times to gather data that supports this warning. When man’s law discriminates and selectively chooses who deserves to die and who deserves to live, all are at risk of dying by the sword. It is quite apparent the NRA and supporters are made up of fearful people who need to live by faith in Jesus Christ. These people may be fearful because of guilty thoughts and deeds they harbor. I believe their is a militia of people that are a threat to our country. They are a part of a conspiracy that intends to fight for the preservation of mankind based upon race and nationality. If this proves to be so, our country will self-destruct because of such evil doers. Innocent lives will suffer the consequences. There is an enemy within our nation who wants to rule the world and doesn’t care who he destroys. WAKE UP AMERICA AND STUDY BIBLE PROPHESY AND PRAY. GOD HAS ALREADY WARNED ALL MANKIND ABOUT THIS DAY IN THE SCRIPTURES, AND HIS RETURN AS JESUS CHRIST TO JUDGE THE WICKED WHO WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES (they and their descendants).
Support common sense reform. I am part of the 85% who do not support the NRA’s intollerant position. The NRA is not the USA!
I believe it is finally time that the government takes action
to try to reduce gun violence in this country. Action is needed
At both the Federal as proposed by the President today and
also at the State level, as demonstrated by the State of New York.
My husband and I will be writing to both our Senators and Representative
urging them to support President Obama’s legislative initiatives.
If there is anything else we can do let us know.
Can we all agree that the right to stay alive is more important than carrying a gun of any kind? Can we all agree that hand guns and automatic weapons are created for one purpose, killing people? So, what is the problem with getting rid of them? The lives of the the children who were slaughtered in Conn. were precious. So are the lives of children killed on the streets of Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago and Oakland. We are a violent society. This must change. We need to take care of one another without using violence. Think about it. Would you change places with any parent who has lost a child to gun violence? I think not
Congress should enact the assault weapons ban and the ban on high-capacity magazines.
Now is the time to have courage and CHANGE our gun crazy culture in America ! We must do EVERYTHING we can to stop GUN PROLIFERATION !!
We must now stop the stranglehold the NRA has on state and National legislators…Today the President took the first step..I will follow him 100% on this move !
What will it take for you to stand up and do what’s right for all ? Your position is one of trust, please don’t represent the NRA but do what right and represent us all in your decisions.
Gun control and a step up for mental are pararment for this country
I recommend you, as an elected representative of the USA, and not the wild West or even Mexico where people shot people with too many of our guns if they feel like it, I recommend you accept Vice President Joe Biden’s plans in order to prevent more needless deaths and injuries. To let the gun lobby dictate to you what you should vote is insane. It buys them more gun purchases, but we get more deaths in families. Where are your family values? Vote for Biden’s proposal.
Let us do something about availability of the wrong type of guns and the ease of getting them in our controls.
We must be adults about the trends, which have be one pandemic in our nation. To do nothing is hiding our
Heads in the sand, hoping the problem will correct itself.
Please Support the Gun Control law. we should have not have the Guns in the hand of regular people…
Please do everything possible to ban assault weapons, AND amunitions, limit the number of weapons that can be registered to one individual, ban anyone who has ever had a psychicatric hospitalization from owning ANY weapon (to include those retroactively who must surrender their guns), mandate life long mental health treatment and compliance for anyone who has had a psychiatric hospitalization.
Can’t we just take reasonable action? No one is looking to take anyone’s guns away but why do people need automatic weapons of military caliber? This has nothing to do with the second amendment . . . it’s about saving lives. Why do the extremist get to set the rules?
Ww need STRONG gun control laws. I’ve seen a lot of “bad stuff” happen over 77 years, still I wept openly when I heard about those kids in Connecticut. I feel that the NRA has too much influence over our legislature and our laws; their positions bespeak arrogance.
We need to put a stop to all this terrible violence, the victims of these shootings will never have a chance to speak out for their rights and that would have been the right to grow up like other children.We elect officials to go to Washington to speak for all of us. What makes or gives the NRA the right to run our Government. Tired of the money that rules Washington it should be common sense. To bad the “do nothing congress” is so afraid of the money people, no concern for the regular guy.
This congress is sooooo bad it can almost make you cry to see what they are doing to most of us, just because they hate our leader so much.
ENOUGH< this country and the poor folks who have lost their lives have suffered far to much.
The Nation has just quoted Senator Harry Reid as saying, “We have too much violence in our society, and it’s not just from guns. It’s from a lot of stuff. And I think we should take a look at TV, movies, video games and weapons. And I hope that everyone will just be careful and cautious.” I am APPALLED. He is parroting NRA discourse. But let’s turn that around and remember that TV, MOVIES AND VIDEO GAMES DO NOT KILLE PEOPLE. They are not lethal weapons, and they don’t seem to have any part in violent killings anywhere (else) in the western world. GUNS DO KILL PEOPLE in the hands of people who use them. The issue at hand is GUN VIOLENCE and GUN CONTROL, not images of violence, verbal violence or anything else. LET’S WORK TO ENACT AND ENFORCE A BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS.
I retired from the military after 20 years on active duty. I own a couple of revolvers and a bolt action .22 rifle. I used to hunt but no longer bother. I also served in the Persian Gulf with the 1st Infantry Division. I supported five other wars as a combat information analyst for the U.S Army. We do not need to have large semiautomatic assault rifles with high capacity ammunition clips. These are weapons of war for soldiers on the battlefield. We do not need semiautomatic pistols with large capacity clips either, like the Glock 9mm with a 15 round or 30 round clip. When we bring weapons of war to the streets of America we get the costs of war that we the people get to pay for with our tax money.
The Second Amendment is being abused by the NRA to protect corporate gun makers who make tens of millions of dollars from the sale of assault weapons. Gun violence costs our society $174 billion annually in total costs that society must carry. One study for the Virginia Tech shooting cited a figure of $48 million just in general costs but the real costs are much more. Think of all the economic productivity lost when 32 young people get slaughtered with these weapons of war. Each gun homicide is essentially a $5 million event in costs. One shooting victim’s medical bills were going to be $2 million but the man was a husband of a young wife with a newborn baby. This man was shot in the eye and is probably a vegetable for life. Think of each gun massacre with a semiautomatic with a large clip as an act of economic terrorism. Every time a gunman shoots off one of those 30 round clips in a public place think of the societal costs of at least one million dollars per bullet fired. I am not sure anyone else is putting the costs in this light but our media is doing a terrible job of explaining who gets to pay the costs of these acts of domestic economic terrorism by semiautomatic weapon with large ammunition clips. We the people get to pay for these costs. When we bring the weapons of war to the streets of America, we the people get to pay for the costs of this domestic terrorism with our tax dollars.
Those kids in Newtown, CT deserved to have a better country. We failed those children totally as a society. Our entire system should be geared towards protecting American families in a safe good country. I sure as hell did not serve 20 years on active duty so corporate gun makers can make more profits peddling their weapons of mass murder. I served 20 years on active duty so young couples can get an education, get married, have a career, and raise their kids in a safe, good, decent country. We basically have a Newtown everyday across America. At the cost of $5 million per homicide and a total cost of $174 billion annually how much longer can we afford to have this economic terrorism waged upon us by our own corporate gun makers? As long as we allow weapons of war on the streets of America we will have the carnage and the economic costs of war here in our country. This should give every taxpayer pause to say enough. Go support Senator Feinstein’s bill for an assault weapons ban immediately. We should tax ammunition like we tax tobacco and alcohol only higher because the costs of ammunition are far higher than either one. Yes, that’s right drunk drivers cost us $129 billion annually where ammunition costs us $174 billion annually. Take back your country or else the NRA and their corporate gun lobby will take it from you leaving you with all the bills to pay. Hunters and sportsman need bolt action rifles and shotguns not weapons of war for the battlefield. The NRA is all corporate gun maker hogwash period.
I will gladly not vote for anyone who does not think we need sensible gun control.
GUNS, the ONLY thing manufactured by man with ONE and ONLY ONE PURPOSE — TO KILL You don’t need these automatic weapons of mass destruction. The NRA work for the Gun Manufacturers and Sellers NOT the owners interest . Want hunt, fine, want to have a hand gun, fine, but weapons that shoot 100 bullets per second are not needed by anyone other than or armed forces.
Dear Rep. Coffman:
The 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the USA was written at a time when crude pistols, rifles, and canons were “arms.” We live in a far different world with 100 round magazines, assult rifles, nuclear bombs, drones, rifles that can hit a target half mile or more away. Since conditions have changed dramatically, we must use REASON to appropirate the basic meaning of the 2nd Amendment. The writers of the Constitution and its Amendments could not possibley have envisioned the mass destructive force of individual “arms” that could kill dozens in seconds. We have the power of the intellect to appropriate the 2nd Amendment to our day and limit the use of “arms.” The 2nd Amendment also provided that the right to bear arms was for the purpose of having a government militia. I am aware of the distortion of the Supreme Court’s interpretation. Only a reasonable contemporary interpretation would see the current situation as madness which allows the murder of thousands upon thousands in the USA annually. that’s what the writers of the 2nd Amendement had in mind??? I doubt it. Please support a ban on assult rifles, magazines with multiple bullets, gun registration fees paid by gun owners, longer waiting periods, mental health background checks, and any other measures that would bring greater sanity to our country regarding our love affair of with guns and our acceptance of murder as a way of legal life in the USA. John Bengston
Please control guns and do your best to prevent such a terrible accident!!
I can’t believe anybody can get a gun and kill people in anytime in USA.
Are the rights of a few million Americans worth the safety of the rest of all Americans? I think not. When will the insanity stop and when will common sense prevail in our country if not now?
I urge the members of Congress to do join togetherg to pass effective legislature that will protect the rights to safety for all Americans. I doubt our founding fathers had assault weapons when the wrote the Second Amendment to our constitution.
PLEASE CONTROL ASSAULT WEAPONRY & ARSENALS. Please outlaw such unnecessarily violent tools on American soil, save them for WAR. There is no civilian war calling for such horrific violence as we’ve seen these past several months. It is high time that Washington steps in & takes control of this situation. It has obviously gone Out-of-Control! The killing of innocent children & their teachers, or holiday shoppers, or seated theater goers.., the list goes on & on. Please. Please get a true GRIP on those who are so filled with hate, & fear, that they’ve begun to purchase arsenals of assault weaponry for some paranoid vision of America. Please take this step for PEACE. Thank you.
After the recent tragedies there can no longer be any excesses. We need sensible gun control immediately. This should start by re-authorizing the automatic earphones ban and making background checks mandatory for every gun & ammunition purchase
ban heavy duty guns!
Assault-sytle weapons should only be sold and used to those individuals for whom it’s a necessity (e.g., law enforcement, military, etc.). There is no reason for the average U.S. citizen to have these types of weapons in their possession, and lets not forget many of these people have children will deliberately/inadvertanly use these weapons on themselves, family, friends, or GQ Public. Innocent people are at risk or dying due to the irresponsibility of weapons owners. Enough is enough!
Please, please, stop the madness with guns! Please legislate reasonable gun laws. No automatic weapons except for wars. We need a more peaceful loving society, free of anger and assaults. Please help us. You have the power.
Sincerely,
Susan Speir
Justice William Brennan stated,”the genius of the Constitution rest not in any static meaning it might have had in a world dead and gone, but in the adapability of its great principles to cope with current problems and current needs”. As a nation we have a current problem, the inability and courage of our elected leaders to test just where resonable restrictions to the second amendment reside. Pass a law requiring univeral background checks and registration and curtail military style weapons and then let the court decide just where the individual rights assigned to the second really reside in todays world.
While there is no vaccine that wil fully immunize the country from tragedy, rational restrictions may be effective therapy. Do nothing and the epidemic of gun violence will continue.
Alan W.
Florida
i very much trust into vice president joe bidens theorys on these issues he will do a great job glad to have him place his hands on this very important topic to due more for gun violence and thank you once again mr vice president for going to bat for all u.s citizens sincerly manny quintero
It is time to limit the manufacturing of all Automatic guns and high capacity magazines. Yes it will take time to get them off the streets, but if we stop the manufacturing of new ones we can in time become a safer country.
Don’t let the NRA hold democracy hostage!
No automatic weapons of any kind. No high capacity magazines. No high caliber ammunition. Thorough background checks for gun purchasers along with those who live in household. Stringent laws dealing with violates of gun control laws; diligently enforced
Individual ownership of appropriate guns o.k. For use in: hunting, target shooting, home self defense, and self defense where appropriate in business.
For use in self defense, mandatory training in use of the weapon as well as training in situational scenarios.
NRA is right —- it is not the gun that kills it is the individual person holding the weapon that does it. The problem is that those that are supposed to be so well trained haven’t the foggiest notion on the proper respect of handeling or uising any type of firearm. They think that just because they own a weapon and hit a target pretty acurately they now are an expert on discharging a weapon in a crowded area under very adverse conditions. If one checks the facts, only a vey select few military and civilian law ernforcement officials are claasified as “expert” and can hit a target accurately under extreme advese conditions. Even the OK Corral in Deadwood City, AZ can testify to this. What the NRA is offering is a point of “self-eddification” and not the 2nd Ammendment as they would like to claim. For if they truely beleived in the Constitution they would not infringe on the rights of others.
In the late 1800s – early 1900s many of the communities around the nation started outlawing the carrying of weapons in public, especially where alcohol is served or hot tempered individuals who cannot control their emotions abound. I am in my late 70s, grew up with and have owned firearms all my life, was taught by my parents as a youngster to treat all weapons as being loaded, never to point it at anything unless I intended to discharge it, and turned to archery for hunting as too many people are sound shooters and haven’t the foggiest notion where the bullet will travel or strike with any degree of certanty. Irrespective of gender most everyone who fires a weapon think it is a “macho thing” to do and they are better than anyone else. That is why more and more people are requiring better and safer gun control laws to protect all the citizens of this nation from “nuts” that the NRA says it is alright for them to own and carry them in public to intimidate and/or injure others.
ONLY assault weapons and 30 round ammunition holders. DO NOT try to take away ANYTHING else or the GOP will suffer!
To stop further killing I would not like any one to carry gun in our country except Army, whose job is to protect us. I understand gun lobbyist is very powerful which makes our own representatives which we elect do not listen to us. But please don’t make general public compelled so they get together and in next election may not give vote to representative who are pro-gun.
This is not threat but as same time please do not under estimate power of people who puts trust in you and who puts their and this countries future in your hands.
Thanks.
Please take this rare opportunity of overwhelming public sentiment in favor of gun control and act with VP Joe Biden.
We need serious improvements in laws to control guns. A background check should be enforced, and guns on sale should be limited to a certain type. We cannot do anything to recover those (automatic, army-types) arms that are out already, but we CAN ban the ammunitions that go with those guns, so eventually those are no longer useful.
I am sick and tired of ignorant Americans believing that all guns will somehow become illegal. it will never happen. ever. assault weapons have one purpose; to kill people. and that is the one and only reason to make them illegal…..make this madness stop…the rest of the world looks at us and wonders how stupid can we be? oh, pretty stupid; we elected George Bush TWICE!!!
The NRA are accomplisses to murder. Need I say more
Enough is enough with circulation of automatic weaponry throughout our country. THese need to be banned or extremely highly regulated to be able to use for competitions. The second amendment did not intend these type of guns. Safety of our citizens is at stake.
We need to tell the gun death lobby to stick assault rifles up their private parts. Please find the courage to deny the death lobby its wishes.
I mad as hell hearing from gun owners who worry their 2nd amendment will be taken away. Instead they should focus and put all their angry energy towards controling gun violence.
Enough already. The facts and statistics on gun-related violence and gun laws are all readily available; there are plenty of comparative analyses to be made with the status of gun laws and crime in other nations; and there are just too many people gone forever because of guns. Poll after poll shows the majority of American citizens open and willing to discuss the situation and enact new gun control laws.
What are we waiting for? Let’s get to work!
Let’s go with the Biden group recommendations and catch up with the other smart nations on this planet.
(and do it now! your vote on this issue will influence my vote in 2014.)
I am greatful to be apart of this movement, this is History that is not world known. However if we continue in unity we will then one day be recognize as a nation that will take the necessary steps for action, and that we are a force to be wreckin with.
Enough is enough. When an individual right threatens the public safety, the government has a responsibility to intervene. The Second Amendment protects the right to gun ownership. It does not exempt the exercise of that right from regulation in the public interest. When the evidence indicates an unacceptable level of gun violence, the government has an obligation to protect public safety. Government has stepped in when deaths from automobile accidents mount. Highway safety has come to rely upon the government licensing who may drive, registering the vehicles drivers own and enforcing traffic safety laws. Our obligation as citizens is to accept that there are circumstances under which individual rights must be weighed against the public interest. Gun owners must understand and be reassured that restricting the types of guns a citizen can own does not abridge the right to gun ownership. Registering the guns that a citizen can buy does not abridge gun ownership. Gun regulation is not a slippery slope. The misinterpretation of the Second Amendment as a “bulwark against tyranny” is the slippery slope that has led to the proliferation of large-magazine weapons that threaten our republic’s safety. Insisting upon a “right” despite the threat to public safety is not patriotic, it is antisocial.
In honor of all the innocent lives taken by gun violence each year, I urge you to to take action for sensible gun control. A national database of gun purchasers along with a background check for past crimes or mental illness is needed. Also, there is no reason anyone should have possession of semi-automatic/automatic weapons for domestic use. I understand owning a gun to protect oneself or to hunt, but to have the capability to mow down dozens of people at a time is complete madness. Please don’t cave in to the NRA– protect the innocent citizens who just wish to live a peaceful life without the threat of needless violence. Some say it is not the guns that kill people, but the people themselves. I disagree. Guns are tools that are meant to kill– they give weak people a sense of power and a motive to act in ways they otherwise would not.
Dear Senator Burr:
Pass the gun safety and gun control bills so that we may curtail and stop the senseless violence. Imagine if you will seeing or hearing that your child or sibling was shot without any provocation and he/she died on the spot or a few days later. How would you feel? Maximize that to the massacres of Columbine, Aurora, Newtown, Texas, and any other place where mass killings took place.
Have a conscience.
Thank you
Please have the guts to buck the gun lobbyists who represent the gun manufacturers. Isn’t it ironic that the death of 20 first graders and 6 adults has brought about the sale of more guns, amunition and 50 round clips! We look for your leadership to stop the carnage.
This is my second comment. It concerns me that the media is indicating the assault weapons and clips ban may not get through congress or be part of the gun legislation plan. I STRONGLY urge ALL representatives to reconsider as the ban is a “must do” portion of this plan along with all gun purchasers having a background check. I also concur mental health and violent video games/movies need to be addressed and part of a comprehensive package. The time is now and if the assault weapon/clip ban is not a part of this legislation, our representatives have failed the American public as in all surveys I’ve seen, the majority of Americans want them banned. We DO NOT need these guns “out there” for public use in hunting or range shooting. I’ve yet to hear even one logical explanation why they’re needed. The gun lobby and gun users cannot wrap this in their second amendment rights. No one is taking away their right to have a gun….just not an assault weapon that can massacre large groups of people in a very very short amount of time. The Connecticut shooting of innocent children would obviously been less horrific if the mentally challenged shooter had only had revolvers or rifles. That is a fact that cannot be disputed. So please do not be cowardly and move forward on including this extremely necessary part of the gun legislation. To not do it at this time is inexcusable.
Thank you
Innocent people all through out my life time have been killed by guns. People in diners, schools, malls, outside and inside department stores, outside and inside homes, work, two Presidents, Congressmen and Congresswomen, TV personalities, and of course one of my favorite all time singer/songwriter John Lennon. The NRA say it’s people with mental illness that cause these killings. I honestly believe the NRA have problems with mental illness when they think that an antiquated gun control law takes presidents over innocent people. We need to lobby very hard this time to get assault weapons off the streets!!!!
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE make this country safer and pass sensible gun control laws! Gun laws are not keeping this country safe, it’s makes the country more dangerous!
There is no godly reason for private citizens to have automatic or semi-automatic weapons, or high capacity ammunition clips. I’m disgusted by how the Second Amendment has been twisted and perverted by the NRA and the pro-gun lobby. If we have the unimpeded right to bear arms, why can’t I have a lump of plutonium?
Time for a brave new world of non-violence and not having the NRA run our country.
Please support gun control.
We have created an environment where our children are not safe going to school because some people live in total fear and therefore feel they need guns to be safe. No wonder we have so many shooting of innocent individuals. This is not the direction I want my country and my world to go in. I want us to move to a place of unification and peace. Please be an advocate for what is for the greatest good of all. I urge you to support sensible gun control measures.
Dear Scott, Frank and Bob, please make sure that sensible gun laws are enforced in congress. Limit magazinee, assault rifles and enforce identity checks and a longer waiting and checking period… Julie Zier, a concerned citizen and a voter
There are far to many innocent people killed by people who should not own or have access to a gun. I have grown tired of reading and hearing about the most recent deranged person who some how got hold of a high powered weapon and opened fire on a group of people going about their lives. I don’t care how much money the NRA has or how much money the Gun Lobby has. Please use your position of power to put an end to the gun problem that is causing so much pain in this country. There is something wrong with the gun industry and I think gun dealers lust for money has something to do with it.
We must act now to stem the tide of violence that has washed over our country in recent years. In the name of Newtown, CT, let’s push forward to ban the sale of assault weapons and multiple round ammunition clips, to require background checks and responsible gun ownership (and secure storage), and to strictly enforce all laws concerning gun control.
We must act now to provide safe schools and gathering places in our communities by better controlling access to those places, not necessarily with armed guards, but rather with more secure doors and windows and fewer entry points.
We must act now to improve detection and treatment of mental health issues that may lead to violent behavior.
Those sweet students and brave teachers who died in Sandy Hook have left behind a legacy of renewed purpose for those who want a rational, comprehensive solution that will guarantee a future of less fear, pain and suffering for us all.
Turning this tragedy into a transformation . Our children are our future ,to notice they need to tought values of life n the families need to be held accountable for their families mental needs n assualt weapons should be banned !
Please act to protect our society from wanton violence. Arms made to kill as many people a possible with minimal skill
don’t belong in the hands of the general public.
It is extraordinary the amount of mayhem this country is tolerating in the name of some grossly misunderstood form of freedom. It is fear that dominates the psyche of Americans, fear and the weird mantra that we are the strongest nation of Earth… which we are not, since we are at the mercy of fear.
I urge you to start looking into your souls and question whatever motivations prevent you from taking action to control military grade weapons from reaching the general public. Even regular weapons should be removed from circulation.
There is no need for anyone to own assault weaponry. I have known two people relatively close to me that own 55MM killing machines. Why?
What would anyone need such a weapon for? the USA seems recently to be inhabited with birthers, gun nazi’s, and out right morons, many are part of our congress…the time has come to stop this “sky is falling” foolishness…
Please support a bill to prevent others from so easily being able to kill people with automatic weapons and restrict ammunition purchases. It’s obscene for any person to aquire enough ammunition to kill many many people. Why is it taking the lives of the innocent to make such a logical intelligent decision? Support a bill that will have information to track every gun owned by a person or persons in our country just as we do for our own vehicles.
Thank You.
And Jesus said to Simon Peter son of John,
“Do You Truly Love Me”
“Feed My Lambs”
“Do You Love Me”
“Take Care of My Sheep”
“Do You Love Me”
“Feed My Sheep”
John 21:15
Leaders, Teachers, Disciples of the Word, why have you kept silent at the slaughter of the Lambs and Sheep’s of Christ that you promised to care for? Remember that he who lives by the sword dies by the sword? Remember also that no man has been given the right to judge. How can man declare another man sane or rational? Who declared this judge sane and rational? How can we stand for the defense of owning a device designed for the sole propose of killing for the justification of protection and still consider ourselves sane, rational and children of GOD? Is this what the WORD teaches? Please show me because I have missed that lesson. Leaders who are you appeasing? Who are you afraid of? Stand up for the Word, rise and Sheppard GOD’s flock without hypocrisy to gain Peter’s reinstatement!
I support reasonable gun control measures to prevent deaths and injuries in America. These measures should consider ammunitions/bullets, as well as, stricter requirements for acquiring a gun license, including extended verification waiting periods and psychological and criminal background checks.
Likewise, these laws should respect the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by not infringing on American citizens rights to bear arms.
I support reasonable gun control with measures that maintain the Second the Amendment to our U.S. Constitution – doesn’t infringe on American citizens rights to bear arms.
Please take serious the need to ban assault rifles, and the importance of closing fire arm loopholes such as ordering magazines, guns and bullets through the internet. Further, the NRA should not be allowed to continue its interference of free speech and representative government with the deception that they are representing us. We do not need assault rifles to have a free democracy. They, in fact, may get in the way.
Thank you.
Military grade weaponry is available to essentially everyone in America.
More people in America are killed on our streets every day than are killed overseas.
How could anyone not see the correlation of that without pretense? The gun lobby is ridiculous.
Control guns, now!
the senseless murders of the innocent at newtown should NOT be an issue for debate. this country and people have “debated” for too long and too many years to allow another american tragedy to slip and fall by the way side. N O W is the time to act. N O W is the time to let the grieving survivors know that we as a country and we, as a government of this country, WILL end gun violence. if we, as a country and government, only “choose” to “curb” gun violence, what message are we sending any survivor of gun violence? curbing gun violence will do NOTHING but continue to condone and add to the escalating gun violence in this country.
ending gun violence starts NOW. debate is NOT the issue. this IS the time we stand united together as a nation and people and say to the world and each other, “we are ALL victims, and THIS IS personal”. i stand with the world against gun violence.
The bans established in Australia make sense to me; certainly the manufacture, sale, ownership and repair of assault weapons and munitions is not the sign of a civilized people.
We donot want any more innocent victims like the Sandy Hook Elementary. It broke my heart and this should be stopped at any means. BAN on all assault weapons. Please have gun control.
People have the wrong idea totally about gun control. The ban against assualt weapons is only the beginning. And whether the NRA agrees or not it needs to be a stand alone bill. There will be other bills to do with mental health, violent video games, movies and so on. There also needs to be something about better educating the public about guns and assualt weapons. And lastly there must be something done about the attitude of the American youth today. The hatered. The bitterness. The anger. And even the predjudice of race, color, religion needs to become an education. Like it or not we are all brothers and sisters. Try and count how many different nationalities, religions and so on are in American today. It is time for change.
Vote yes to control the use of all firearms, keep them out of schools, begin to act on plans to heal the social wounds that promote fear and want and violence.
Please add your voice to the current movement to establish sensible gun control limits, such as restricting assault weaponry and multiple round clips from the average citizen. These weapons are unnecessary for general self defense, and contribute to the increasingly higher risks of the average person being endangered. Also please require delays for purchases of weapons and tighter background checks. We have gone too far in extending the original intent of the 2nd amendment!
Thanks you,
David S. Tenney
Mr. Bround:
Please take charge & vote to eliminate assault weapons from the gun-buying public. Don’t let the NRA dictate how you vote.
We have to do something about all the killings in this country, on the streets, in the schools, on jobs, every day, thousands a year. Americans want to change this.
The politicans who are against any measure of common sense gun control, like background checks, like database gun registration, like assault weapon bands and bands of large clips holding hundreds of bullits. Are bought off with political donations by the NRA and gun manufactrues. PERIOD
Someone said, “If we pass gun laws, they’ll do no good – people will just break the law.” So the question is: then why do we have any laws at all?
I WANT A BAN ON ASSAULT RIFLES. I WANT HIGH CAPACITY MAGAZINES BANNED. I WANT A NATIONAL REGISTER OF GUN OWNERSHIP. I am sick to death of the NRA and other gun clubs who insist on their precious guns but offer NOTHING to help us put an end to the carnage. (No! Arming teachers is NOT the solution. It’s idiocy.)
Tell gun manufacturers that they’re no longer allowed to produce these weapons or magazines. It’s all about money, and most recently it’s cost us the lives of 20 babies and their teachers. God only knows how badly those bullets ripped those children apart.
Until I retired, I taught second grade. Those children are seven years old when they enter second grade. I have visions of what it must have been like in those classrooms that day. I can see those terrified children before they were blown away, and it’s an image I can’t bear. I hope that never happens again in this country or anywhere. It’s got to stop. It’s got to stop NOW.
I support President Obama and Vice President Biden in whatever they do to address this issue, and I want YOU to support them too.
WE NEED TO MAKE MORE RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP LAWS.
ALSO, EVERY TIME AMMO IS PURCHASED, THE PEOPLE SHOULD SHOW AND HAVE SCANNED THEIR DRIVER’S LICENSE (just like I have to when I but Mucinex which is an over the counter medication). THIS WAY, THERE IS A RUNNING DATABASE OF WHO IS BUYING LARGE QUANTITIES OF AMMO…WHICH WOULD BE A RED FLAG, (just like buying too much Mucinex could mean it’s being melted down to make designer drugs).
Those are my suggestions!
Thanks you,
Frank Rendo
We have to stop the spiral of murders o f Americans by Americans.
Senseless murders can be avoided by real gun control.
I expect our elected representatives to curve the rate by taking real measures and not delivering lip services.
The moment is now to act if we care to save lives.
Time for All Loopholes to be shut down. All Guns Bought should require a background heck.
Please support gun control
Tribute to Corey Bush
Guns breath deadly violence, let’s do something to combat the unnecessary violence against innocent people.
Dear Congressman Van Hollen,
I urge you to support legistation for strictor gun control laws. I have lobbied for this since the shooting of Bobby Kennedy. How many lives will have to be taken by the lack of responsive monitoring in selling lethal weapons? No one is safe from harm as long as we continue to be blind to the obvious. The obvious is that until there are measures in place to thwart the ability of individuals with evil intent from obtaining a weapon as easily as one would buy pack of cigarettes, precious lives of adults and children alike will be cut short.
Sincerely yours,
Diane Inselburg Spirer
since we have yet to become the united corporation of America. did i say not yet? the arrogance of these gun peddlers is not to be tolerated. V P Biden is on a mission for his president and, by association, peace loving Americans. he’s thee to stem the blood bath and profiteering and deference must be paid.
in addition the time is long overdue when this administration needs take the bully pulpit. i think required reading in the white house is the two Roosevelts, HST, Abraham Lincoln and the Reverend King. oh, throw in Tom Paine for the sake of sanity.
thank you.
Assault rifles should be banned from the general public. Only the authorities should be able to legally get these weapons. If the average person who lives in a typical neighborhood in the U.S. feels he or she “needs” an assault rifle to “be ready,” they should be ordered to have a psychiatric evaluation. NO ONE needs an assault rifle to “be safe.” Yes, I like guns and I support the 2nd amendment. I truly believe that the generation who grew up on video games that cause the user to get desensitized to gun violence. I am NOT saying that “If you play military video games, you will be a violent person.”
What I am saying is…if you see graphic gun violence on the TV screen several hours per day, you probably would not get as upset if you saw a real shooting. On one hand, video games train you to be ready for the unexpected. Flight simulators, driving simulators are great tools for learning.
Learning to take out as many people as you can with an assault rifle while playing a video game in NOT CONSTRUCTIVE.
In the sixties, most parents spanked their kids in public if they were misbehaving. Now, MOST parents do not do this anymore. If a child is spanked in a department store nowadays, more often than not, the police are called to report this.
What’s the point?
If we banned assault rifles now, maybe when people hear that someone has one of these weapons or practicing with one of these weapons, the police will be called. Yes, we have the right to bear arms, but not keep an arsenal of assault rifles in our basements…COME ON! WAKE UP.
BAN ASSAULT RIFLES NOW…AND TOUGHEN GUN REGISTRATION LAWS NATIONALLY NOW. (If we got this signed into law quickly, the perception of the American people may actually be that Congress actually got something done.)
If you hear your neighbor has an assault rifle, call the police, even if it’s licensed and legal. LET THE COPS KNOW WHETHER THEY WANT TO KNOW OR NOT.
REPORT IT ANYWAY.
I am writing to Lois Capps who I urged my friends to vote for and reelect . I hope as a member of the House of
Representatives for a long time, that you will you will,use your influence on as many members as possible to ban assault
weapons. Also, I hope that we can stop places like Walmart to indiscriminately sell unlimited amounts
of ammunition with no background checks, no restrictions on the amount sold.
I can’t remember when I have been so upset about something in our country, and allowing the NRA
to hold our country hostage and to misinterpret and lie about what our Founding Fathers meant in the
Second Amendment.
the second amendment of the constitution, however one interprets it, does not allow gun owners and their lobby to take away citizen’s right to their life, especially our children. the Constitution was created to protect our right to life and public safety.
The NRA made the point that we should have armed guards at the schools. Who would pay for that? I propose that since we tax cigarettes, liquor, gasoline, that we proceed and place a heavy sales tax on guns and bullets. That might not pay for all that we need, but it would certainly discourage most people from buying guns!
Dear Congressman – Is it going to take one of YOUR family members or a person YOU are close to to change the course of gun laws in our country? I have never been more scared in my life in my own country. I feel safer going on a airplane than doing things like going to the movies, my kids school, or the mall. Please wake up!! The people need you to stand up and make changes to our gun laws instead of fear the NRA. If you do not make SIGNIFICANT changes than it will be assumed that YOU think this violence and acts of terrorism are okay in America. Please do the right thing.
Time for gun laws to change, and I support change in honor Of all those little kids.
I feel as though we have been lead in such a way as to not see that common sense checks and balances are long over do.The first step is to fill the ATF position which has been with out leaderships for sometime.We cannot be called an civil society w/t the continuing levels of gun violence that is tearing @ the American ppl.No one is safe under these conditions,as unfortunate as this will be for gun enthusiasts and the like….Legislation is needed to insure the safety of all Americans.
I say: If you can not stop a person with a 38 or 45, then something is wrong with you!!! NO ONE should have any gun bigger then a 38 or 45— I repeat—NO ONE!!!!
It’s really a disgrace for the USA to have thousand of senseless killings each year. On the streets of every city, schools/colleges, malls and homes. Only military persons, police officers and others in positions should have access to these high power assault weapons that can destroy so many lives. The aftermath of innocent victims and families that will never recover from these deaths. This is CRAZY and people that is tired of the madness should put a stop to it. It’s not only mental persons that should not access to these weapons & ammunition there is also just MEAN people. Stop the killings. Stop the purchasing of SO MANY guns in a household. Who need 10-15 or more guns for one person. That’s crazy when people always thinking of defending themselves from the government. Who fault is it to have all the guns for purchase? PROFITS, PROFITS, PROFITS that has taken so many innocent people life.
There is absolutely no reason why sportsmen need an assault rifle. There is absolutely no reason why anyone finding reason to protect themselves in their home has the need of an assault rifle. There is absolutely no reason anyone at all needs to buy hundreds of rounds of ammunition nor even to own mega-sized clips to put all those in! Unless of course he is mentally deranged and has anger issues and a suicidal bent.
THE RIGHT TO LIVE WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING GUNNED DOWN HAS MUCH HIGHER STATUS THAN THE RIGHT TO OWN ASSAULT RIFLES!
And while we are at it, I demand that every sale of ammunition should include a registry for that transaction: The caliber, the total amount purchased, who it was sold to, that person’s age, the location. Picture ID must be demanded. Come on! If pharmacology transactions demand such information, surely ammunition should shoulder the same burdens. GUNS DON’T KILL PEOPLE, BULLETS DO!
I would like to see a law that says any congressman that takes money or gifts in exchange for representing the NRA or any other gun lobby should be arrested and thrown in jail!
BAN assault weapons NOW.
The high-capacity military artillery ban should never have been allowed to expire. Bush really dropped the ball with that one. It would be great if he could make a public statement supporting re-enacting of the ban for the sake and safety of the American People and our Children. Please support VP Biden in his efforts.
supporting the right to bear arms makes sense; however, the vagueness of this law is fueled with dialectical logic. With the U.S. constitution drafted to contain laws to help guide a civilized nation to “Live and let Live”. The vagueness of the right to bear arms has guided this civilized society to reverse the intent of the law to inspire a “kill or be killed” interpretation. To correct/ resort the original intent of this law, amendments to clarify in details what arms a civilized society has the right to bear, for what propose, how many arms citizens are entitled to bear, who can distribute these arms and what criteria qualifies one to bear arms must be included in this law. As the law reads today, even denying a certified insane person the right to bear arms violates their constitutional right.
there is no need for assault weapons, period!
Rep. Upton,
I am urging you to support common sense measures that will impact the level of gun violence in this country. Gun violence is caused by guns. There’s no other way to look at it. All perpetrators of gun violence have one thing in common. They all had access to a gun. And in way too many cases, a military styled weapon and large magazine capacities. It does not matter that the perpetrators were mentally ill or players of violence video games. What matters, is they all had access to weapons of mass destruction. You, in fact, supported an entire war with a country that did not even provoke us just because you were bamboozled into believing that they might have used weapons of mass destruction against us. Well, here’s a news flash. People right here in this very country- the one you are sworn to serve- are using weapons of mass destruction to perpetrate great bodily harm against United States citizens. Do something about it. Now.
Since 2005 when the ban on assault weapons was lifted we have seen an increase in horrific assault weapon gun violence. In addition, more than any other industrialized nation our death due to a gun incident is 100% plus higher. This is not right, it’s just night right. All the other countries play video games too, all the other countries have violent movies too. These are excuses. Those of use who are smart enough to know these are excuses need you to see you are hurting our children by allowing this to continue. Drug testing for gun ownership. Any one with mental illness should not have a gun. Anyone who has threatened suicide should not own a gun. Responsibly uphold the 2nd amendment. Do not morph it into a means to profit. The cost is too great.
How can we call ourselves a civilized nation when we arm our mentally ill citizens with semi-automatic weapons?
There is know reason to have assault weapons on our streets, all assault weapons should be removed and banned, Please make our children safe!
NO automatic weapons. NO military style rifles, automaitic, semi auto or single shot. NO magazines capable of carrying more than 5 rounds. NO semi automatic weapons that can fire more than 60 rounds per minute.
From 90 years experience, I want this senselesss loss of lives to stop!!!!!!!
Congress, for once in your time in congress do the right thing,an vote yes on gun law reforms, think of all the lives you can save. Just think of your own beloved children, or any one you love .WE all have to care about more then the Gun makers— making more money.
Up in NE Minnesota, it is commonly a rite of passage to go hunting. I have no problem with guns to shoot the game that will be served at ones table. BUT it does NOT mean one needs a hand gun nor a automatic weapon to do so. These guns are not for hunting but to harm other humans. Please put a stop to this. Thanks you.
I live in Oakland California. Every other day there is a death by gunshot. Yes, we need to address issues of youth crime and education, yes we need to address the needs of the mentally ill. But until then, we need to get the guns and the bullets off our streets.
We need to not only pass good gun control laws but we also need to change the national mindset regarding the perceived need for people to have guns. It is dangerous and not needed. Human life is the most important thing and the only thing that guns really lead to is death, not protection. I pray for our nation to come to its senses; teach our children to value human life; and rid our homes and streets of civilians with guns.
We owe it to the citizens of our country and especially to the families who have suffered tragic losses from gun violence to regulate assault weapons and their ammunition.
Enough is enough. I did not vote for the NRA. Take away their voice!
We cannot be held hostage by the extreme right of the Republican party, the fanatics of the NRA and those lunatics who would rather every teacher be armed with a gun rather than give up the privilege of owning weaponry designed for warfare and for the express purpose of killing many humans in a short amount of time. Assault weapons, high capacity magazines, and the like, AT A MINIMUM, must be banned. More needs to be done to restrict people from obtaining weapons of mass destruction. It is too easy for any person to get their hands on a weapon. The 2nd amendment does not mean their right to form a militia with guns trumps my right to live free from the fear of a being gunned down in a public place. A civilized society does not need to prioritize the rights of few over the rights of the many to live in a safe place. My daughter is in 1st grade and every time I look at her, I see every child lost in Newtown. It is not a solution to send her to a school with more guns in it. We must demand a fairer society and a gentler society – one not so filled with rage and hatred but compassion and shared sacrifice so that we can all live more peacefully.
Thank you for listening.
The time is now for sensible talk and
Sensible legislation concerning the ban
Of assault weaponry
These weapons have no place in our
Neighborhoods but belong only
On the battlefields of war
If not now, when…….
This is a nation that lives in fear of threats from both inside and outside its borders. We need to do something to curb gun violence. Please institute a longer background check waiting period, and do what you can to get assault rifles off the street. It’s time.
The NRA is using the 2nd amendment to cover their real interest in making money. The rights of children to grow up totally supercedes owning a semiautomatic rifle.
Janet Teeple
I am a concerned parent, urging you to work toward peace. I don’t believe in “fighting” against anything, but guns need to be out of reach.
The issue is obviously way beyond guns- it is about better parenting, loving homes, bullying prevention, mental health, etc- but I am tired of feeling fearful each day sending my child to elementary school. What a shame. I am here to help create more conscious communities!
Thank you-
We need put an end to the violent gun culture in this country. Assault weapons have no place in a civilized society and the fact that they are legal is ridiculous.
Please help put a stop to this NOW!
Please move quickly on the gun laws to prevent more violence with assult weapons. The rush to buy guns lately is a big red flag to not be ignored by those who can put restrictions where they need to be.
Hopefully we have elected officials who have the intelligence to protect us through legislation without unnecessary arguments, while the bullets are flying.
We need to take advantage of the public’s interest in tightening up gun control in this country…in hopes of saving lives!
WAKEUP!!!!!!!
Liars can figure but figures don’t lie…..look at all other nations gun violence rates and their gun laws…..GOP needs to get over the fear of their own shadows and quit trying to scare the rest of the country with B S LIES!!!!!
Our country is speaking out about the need for sensible gun control. As citizens, we also have rights; to be safe from gun violence in our schools, movie theatres, malls and to walk free in our communities. Our children have a right to grow up to live long healthy lives free from constant fear. We must act now and stop protecting the elite few, who don’t have our best interests at heart. This violence will not stop until we stop it.
We are citizens of a great country. Why is it we are having this fight about guns? We are gun owners, but we used them for hunting game, not for gunning down fellow citizens. Sport hunting used to be the reason we bought guns. The shootings in Tucson, Aurora, and now Newtown have just been devastating to us. Things have to change. The NRA is way out of line and we have to beat them this time. I stand with the President and Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelley. We expect the House and Senate to act like human beings and look into their hearts. They should think about their children and their grandchildren. They could be killed just like the Sandy Hook children if something isn’t done.
We have a grandson that has one of those big guns and he plays war games with it. I am ashamed to admit such a thing and it saddens me to my core. He has never hunted game with any gun he has. My husband always says, “Guns are a tool, they are not to be used as a toy.”
I hope and pray that some of these changes are made in Washington very soon. There will be a lot of different avenues to go down including mental illness.
An assault rifle has no place in a loving culture. They are made to kill. I hope we can get back a peaceful culture.
Grace Smith
Why does anyone need automatlc weapons that shoot 30 or more rounds. These weapons are for the battle fields, to just kill…..The NRA is just a shill organization for the gun manufacturers. How much is the life of an innocent child worth? America is the violence capital of the world. The answer to all these gun deaths is more guns??????
As a mother, wife, teacher, American, and a human being, I DEMAND that congress develops a clear plan on gun control. AT THE BARE MINIMUM, all assault rifles and clips holding more that a half a dozen bullets are outlawed, requiring background checks on EVERY gun purchase, and having laws in place for people with mental illnesses wanting to purchase guns.
As a group of people who write the laws to protect its constituents, I feel that you are not doing enough, fast enough to prevent another Sandy Hook, Aurora, Virginia Tech, or Columbine from happening yet again. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ALREADY!
If Americans as a whole are unable to take responsibility for their freedoms, then maybe it’s time that some freedoms are taken away. NO MORE GUNS! NO MORE MASSACRES! NO MORE INNOCENT CHILDREN KILLED BY GUNS purchased ‘legally’.
Thank you for your time. I look forward to a real discussion and meaningful legislation taking place soon,
Angie Mackey
Littleton, CO
It is time to put the extremist ravings of the NRA behind us and pass sensible gun legislation. While the NRA claims to have 4.2 million members, there are 300 million other Americans who do not subscribe to their rabid politics. Stand up for your real constituents and support bans on assault type weapons and ammunition, and better control over all weapons. No one complains about the registration of vehicles and licensing of their operators. The same could and should be done with guns. It is not an accident that the United States, with the largest number of guns per capita of any developed country, also has by far the largest number of gun-related deaths. It’s time to tell the NRA, which is little more than a mouthpiece for the profitable weapons industry, to take a hike and pass meaningful controls on our outrageous gun problem.
With respect to sensible gun control regulation(s) and civic responsibility–in the wake of the Sandy Brook massacre (of inocent lives) at the Sandy Brook school in Newtown Ct. by a deranged gunman–the NRA should be getting behind gun control instead of hiding behind the 2nd ammendment as their absolute right.
They do not need automatic assault weapn(s) to go to a (designated) shooting range to blow away a target with one burst–it is overkill artillery; as such, I would be concerned about nut cases in the NRA as they cannot phathom the severity of the action at Sandy Brook. Since the killings in Littleton Colorado, the copy cat(s) are escalating. So, besides responsible gun control regulations, there needs to be action taken for better mental health–and stop the bullying at the root.
need sensible gubn control
Dear Sens. Schumer & Gillibrand & Rep. Rangel,
We need all guns registered, owners should have toughest possible weapons storage security & safety requirements to prevent children & other unauthorized people from gaining access & owners must have full liability insurance & be required to report immediately all instances of gun theft.
Backed up with a Universal Health System to include medical, mental health, dental, vision & secure crisis intervention, we can start to minimize gun violence.
The NRA has become an Anti-Government renegade organization just short of an illegal private militia. They must be stopped.
Thank you all very kindly for your time and attention & that of your staff.
Yours truly, Mr. Brett Greisen NYC 10025
With respect to sensible gun control regulation(s) and civic responsibility–in the wake of the Sandy Brook massacre (of inocent lives) at the Sandy Brook school in Newtown Ct. by a deranged gunman–the NRA should be getting behind gun control instead of hiding behind the 2nd ammendment as their absolute right.
They do not need automatic assault weapn(s) to go to a (designated) shooting range to blow away a target with one burst–it is overkill artillery; as such, I would be concerned about nut cases in the NRA as they cannot phathom the severity of the action at Sandy Brook. Since the killings in Littleton Colorado, the copy cat(s) are escalating. So, besides responsible gun control regulations, there needs to be action taken for better mental health–and stop the bulling at the root.
The founding fathers envisioned different arms when they endorsed the right to bear arms. There is no place for semi automatice guns or their 20-30 round ammunition casings. Also background checks should be done on all gun purchase including traveling gun shows and online purchases.
Please make it illegal to buy war weapons… guns that are only used in combat situations, fighting for a country and freedom.
thanks – lauren tripp
Please stop this madness!
Dear Congressman,
Please support real gun control for America. Please consider that most murders are committed with handguns and that countries with strong gun control have only a small fraction of the murders that we have in America. 10,000+ murders a year can not be the price we are willing to pay to “protect” gun owners.
Thank you.
Wendy Westphal
Elected Representative—
Please do all that you can to restore sanity to this issue instead of letting the
manufacturers of guns,
the sellers of guns and ammunition,
the authorities who claim reporting prospective purchaser of guns too expensive for their jurisdiction to comply with needs of a database that could eventually identify individuals likely to commit a gun crime (under the guise of privacy protection),
and owners who organize into advocacy groups for expansion of ownership privileges of all kinds of weapons with little restrictions,
don’t let the above
— dictate gun policy.
And above all, eliminate ownership, purchase of automatic weapons and ammunition and containers designed for war.
These weapons of war have no place in the hands of civilians in a free society.
–Russell
Please take decisive action now to strictly regulate gun sales and licensing. We need laws to protect Americans, not just gun owners. The Sales and ownership of all guns needs to be regulated and documented. Buy backs are needed to get many guns out of the reach of abusers. While our Constitution allows the right to bear arms, this should be for screened and licensed owners only. Ban Assault weapons and All undocumented sales.
We do not need more guns and more violence in our communities. It is very reasonable to request stricter gun laws in the light of all that has happened. Obviously more guns will not protect us (seeing as though Lanza’s mother had multiple guns and she is now dead).
We need to get guns off our streets and out of our communities! I do not believe guns are needed anywhere, but if they are needed in the wilderness to hunt for food lets keep them there.
normal citizens don’t need military weapons–AK-47, clips more than 5.
NRA and its multi-million bank account pushes its power. Meanwhile, sane parents who’ve lost children and loved ones say NO to assault weapons. More than a majority of Americans say: Start a database for ALL who have guns. Fearful folks buy more weapons. Pray that this country begins to understand NON-violence as a better way to live and raise our children. Have mercy!
You will lose our vote if you don’t take a strong stand & advocate to ban attack guns and multiple clips. Also there must be strict limits on all types of gun possession.
Assault weapons that have no other purpose than to kill people serve no purpose in a civilized society. They must be banned as a first step to move from a society that embraces violence to a society that embraces each other with arms of peace and joy.
PLEASE SUPPORT SENSIBLE GUN CONTROL MEASURES……….
I am writing to my Ohio members of Congress with the following messages:
To Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) : I know I can count on you to do the right thing, and trust that you will stand tall in support of reasonable and effective gun control legislation. Thank you.
To Sen. Rob Portman (R): Ohio voters will be watching you. Please do the right thing: stand up to the NRA and support reasonable and effective gun control legislation. Thank you.
CITIZENS: Please remember to THANK and RE-ELECT our representatives who are with us on this issue!
Get rid of these guns already! How many more innocent people have to die? No one other than law enforcement needs a gun! Shame on anyone that doesn’t help to fix this awful problem we have in the United States. You can’t even go to your first grade class without getting shot!!!!!!!!!! N
Please come up with some commpn sense gun control ideas that the majority of Americams can support.
I support this action wholeheartedly. Gun Control is necessary in the USA
Have we not learned anything from the multitude of senseless shootings! Are we sick from reading in the papers about the loss of lives at the hands of mentally ill individuals! Heartbreaking. It is up to you, our leaders, to help protect all Americans from further attacks by sick individuals. There are no reasonable controls on the semi-automatic weapons- these should all be banned without question. Thank you in advance for supporting reasonable controls being placed on guns.
Why is it so difficult to get some common sense measures passed? We need to require criminal background checks for all gun sales.
We need to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines, and we need to make gun trafficking a federal offense. Yes, we need to make some changes in how we deal with mental health issues in the country, but that is more complicated and will take time. So the first thing we need to do is limit access to these kinds of guns. Yes, there may be some who will still get access, but do we have to make it so easy? Pass common sense legislation, please!
Don’t let money or extremism run our nation. It is to be run by a majority of sane minded people and the NRA extremists are just as dangerous as any terrorist in any part of the world.
I grew up back in the days…there was hardly any violence at all. Hardly anyone had guns and if they did, they were kept under lock and key…Certainly no children
got to them….now, not only do they get to them, the children these days use them….how disgusting it all has become.
The most ridiculous thing …..it keeps happening. Totally unbelievable…it hardly surprises anyone anymore…nothing is done about it….everyone is talking…yap, yap,
yap…we must stop it…yes, we must stop it…but, no one stops it..what the hell is going on??????? I have an idea…stop selling guns to everybody and anybody.
My God…anyone can get a gun…they steal it from their parents or they go somewhere and steal one from someone else, or better yet….they go into a store and
are able to purchase one….this has got to stop..it is awful enough that we have adults killing adults. We have drive by shootings where so many, so many innocents
get killed, something has got to be done. Why in hell is this so hard???? Pass a law, a felony law. If you are caught with a firearm, prison for one year, if you hurt
someone with a gun-5 to 10 year felony in prison. If you kill someone…bye bye – prison 20 to life. Of course everything depends on circumstances. However, we
must get tuff….no ifs, ands or buts…..
we need gun controls
End the gun merchants lobbyists stranglehold over common sense reforms and restrictions of gun ownership – it should not be any less restrictive to own a gun of rifle than it is to own and drive a motor vehicle – period!
enough already!!!…the NRA has to be stopped..who gave them the right to have so much power over the US Governemnt…banning assault rifles and large ammunition clips is a no brainer…gun enthusiasts might like them but as the Rolling Stones famously sang “you can’t always get what you want”…Jod Lourie
moderation!! thats what got us in this crazy position in the first place…Jod Lourie
Please see my Huffington Post article regarding this issue, written the weekend of the tragedy in Newtown. I believe we should all organize town meetings to petition the government for tighter gun control. Supporting Biden’s recommendations.
Here is the article.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jack-schimmelman/help_2_b_2315948.html
NO guns. Period
Ban the assault weapons. No civilized country has as much crime as we have in our country.
We need to stop the violence and now.
Running a background check on gun buyers is NOT the same as not allowing people to buy guns at all. Everyone should be checked and regulations should be tightened. Also, a pistol or hunting rifle is one thing but there is no reason or excuse for people to be running around with AK-47s. For the NRA to oppose this is just another sign of their insecurity and desire for control. Frankly, I don’t trust them. People that afraid are just the ones who go off the deep end. Find a good therapist!
It has never been more clear that illegal guns, and illegal users of guns are completely out of control in ths country. Immediate strong measures are needed to find and eliminate as many illegal guns as possible from our society.
Legal gun licensing also requires stringent control and enforcement, and high penalties for transgressions, including lifelong removal of gun licenses from offenders.
Law enforcement everywhere needs a clear mandate and public support to use all possible measures, bth overt and covert, to find and confiscate illegal weapons and to cripple the sellers of weapons at the highest levels. We do not need more or less marijuana or laws related to it, we need to pursue diligently, and as much as possible eliminate, illegal guns in this country.
As a support measure we need to take money from the military budget to increase budgets for child care and education in our poorest communities so kids ther have an alternative to growing up to be either gun wielders or their victims.
The public and the press need to provide all of the support and assistance they can to legislators to do all of the things listed here. This is a public prioblem and requires a public solution, and that means we all need to particpate by making our demands clear at legislative and enforcment levels.
Cassandra Fraser and family
Please take immediate action to make our nation safer for our citizens. How would you feel if your child was a victimi in one
of the many mass shootings that have occurred in our country over the last 15 years? There is No reason for the huge number of
guns that are ubiquitous in our nation. And we must address ways to meet the needs of mentally ill people and their families.
Thanks for listening.
As a mental health partitioner, I realize that gun control really needs to mean keeping guns out of the hands of people who would use them to murder other people. That’s partly our responsibility and thanks to the Tarasof ruling, we do have to report if we feel someone is a threat to others or themselves. We do that. I support legislation that would clarify the purpose of owning a gun, where the gun will be kept and whether there are family members who have access to the gun who have mental health issues.
To all congresspeople: We disgrace ourselves as a “civilized” country when we allow the continual murder of so many of our citizens due to our
FANATICAL worship of assault weapons in particular….not so surprising in a country that casually participates in endless
warring and use of (terrorist) drones.
I am ashamed to be an American. Please elevate the ideals and morals in the USA,
and begin a discussion of the clear paranoia on the right that supports such violence ( and cowardice on the left!!)
If we use teeth for teeth and power for power?
We would not need any law to control.
The law need power over the gun.
No citizens need any carrying lisences and or possesive of armors.
Please start a meaningful conversation with lawmakers about gun control. Specifically, putting in place an assault weapons ban. We cannot continue to let our innocent children be mutilated by these guns. It simply does not make sense that in a civilized society, these guns are so readily available. Please also loosen the gun lobby’s stranglehold on CDC gun data. When we track every minute detail of our society in graphs and charts, we need data about guns, and how lethal they are.
Please support these common sense initiatives aimed at curtailing gun violence.
Our children depend on us to make their world a place where their lives matter
Dear public servant: You can have your legacy be one of doing nothing more than rubber stamping ALEC and/or whoever it is who has paid for your campaign, rubber stamping corporate interests, the NRA, Norquist, or whatever but if you want your legacy to go in history as being a leader for the people then you will need to represent the people. That can’t be just in theory and/or according to a think tank talking point. That has to be each and every person you represent for you do represent all in your district. You have to listen and absorb all the points and mesh them together into legilslation that is based upon fact, takes into consideration what has and what has not worked historically and pass legislation in a timely manner that will benefit the people of this nation. That is what you were voted in for and that is what you are as a public servant. You all collect benefits from the public so make absolutely certain that every time you decide something you do what is best for the public. In the case of gun regulation and management, if you buy into the NRA then you are not representing the people of this nation; you are in fact leading to more and more gun fire deaths as we have seen as more and more weaponry is out in the hands of those who do not respect human life and/or are mentally disturbed. There is nothing in the 2nd Amendment that even remotely implies what the NRA is shoving down the throats of this nation and in time it will ruin gun ownership for all of us. Furthermore it is shameful that gun shops have to follow laws that do not have to be followed for all other gun sales or even for owning a car for that matter. Any transfer of a vehicle has to be registered and accounted for but not for guns? Let’s stop showing the world that we are an unbalanced nation of ideologues and instead start showing the world that we are intelligent, thoughtful, wise, and courageous.
Its not enuf to go after high-calibur guns or magazines, go after the more frequently bought and mis-used handguns.
If conservatives want to be “constitutionalists,” then they are literally entitled by the second amedment to have muskets – no more.
Follow NZ’s lead and eliminate these weapons of death… and the NRA
historical re claiming of the american dream without fear, and without threat, and with justicre
I am fortunate to live in Oregon where we have Sen Merkley and Sen Wyden but it doesn’t hurt to repeat this. We need sensible gun control. The 2nd Ammendment did not say that every American citizen had to become a fully armed vigilante, just because it would be fun. Too many innocents are being killed. Let’s grow up and get civilized. No more assault weapons, no more large magazines, background checks everywhere that guns are sold, and better mental health assistance.
There exists excellent, effective gun laws passed within 12 days of a horrific shooting incident in New Town Australia in 1996. Look these laws up and replicate them. There has not been a single mass shooting in Australia since they were passed. In addition, all deaths by gun have consistently been reduced over this period. Why re-invent when there already exists an excellent remedy? Compromise? Ask, who or what will be compromised if this is your guiding mantra.
Deborah Andrew
deborah.w.andrew@gmail.com
It is time our Congress works for the people and demand strict gun control in PA and our country. Countless murders by guns happened on a daily basis in PA; majority are children under the age of 18, yet you continue to work for what benefits yourselves and allow these senseless murders continue.
Please fight for us. We need to stop gun violence now with meaningful bans on assault weapons. Universal background check are not enough! I have worked in the employment background field and I know the pitfalls to getting complete background screening completed. Many jurisdictions simply do not report. Employers are not willing to do a county search. We need to ban all weapons that were designed to kill people, except for law enforcement and military uses.
Please stop the violence only hunting rifles and shotguns not guns that could kill a member of your family. How would you feel?
With all the peace in the world at stake, I strongly urge you to control, indeed to outlaw the purchase, use, and sale of assault weapons anywhere in the USA. Those who live by the gun, perish by the gun. Perish those who live by the gun.
Dear Sir or Madame;
I am writing to express my fervent feelings as an American citizen that we need to clamp down hard on guns in our nation.
Some problems are hard to see a solution to. This one is not that kind of problem. The evidence from other countries overwhelming proves that gun control works and works well.
There is no point in even discussing it.
On the other hand, one thing I feel as a society we take too lightly is the egotistical nature of people who would put us all in danger because their puerile “2cnd amendment right’ to have guns. How can they think of the families from Newtown and not cringe with shame and horror at what these guns have wrought on a school, a movie theater, or a college campus?
Shame on such selfish people.
Johanna Gardner
In 2011, the National Research Council found life expectancy in the United States was increasing at a slower rate than in other high-income democracies; twelve peer nations were evaluated Shortly after, the NRC and Institute Of Medicine convened a panel of experts to investigate why. They concluded amongst other things that fragmented healthcare, gun violence, drugs and obesity were causing the USA to fall behind. All the peer nations have national healthcare systems and all have strong gun control laws – none with a constitution including anything along the lines of our 2nd Amendment. We call ourselves civilized and we allow people to die because they don’t have health insurance or be one of the 30,000+ that are the result of gun related violence?
I am urging my representatives in Congress to pass legislation to control the rampant gun violence in out country. The NRA for years has had too much influence in these matters. The second amendment authorized guns for self-protection, not assault rifles and large rounds of ammunition which were not even dreamed of in the days of our Founding Fathers.
I am urging my representatives in Congress to pass legislation to control the rampant gun violence in out country. The NRA for years has had too much influence in these matters. The second amendment authorized guns for self-protection, not assault rifles and large rounds of ammunition which were not even dreamed of in the days of our Founding Fathers.
Please limit access to assault weapons – automatic and semi-automatic weapons. There is no sense in allowing these in civilian hands! None, whatsoever.
please pass sensible gun control laws, it’s time!
I am a strong supporter of gun control, but I did not sign the petition in the email I received from the organization that sent this link. Although I agree with the sentiments, I found the language too emotional and decisive to get results. Below is my email to Ted Cruz, the right-wing Texas senator, whom I will probably not convince. However, I think the tone is rational and could appeal to more moderates, if there are any left.
“I am writing as a constituent, a concerned citizen, and as a teacher of the United States Constitution. The Bill of Rights guarantees citizens individual rights, but these rights have always been balanced against the common good and the safety of the public. Various types of speech are regulated under the First Amendment and even political speech, the most protected form of speech,can be restricted when that speech incites violence.
The right to bear arms likewise should be and must be balanced against the safety and good of the general public. Sensible and comprehensive legislation is the most reasonable approach. If past legislation has failed, it was because it was not comprehensive enough; this matter is a national issue that can not be left up to the states. Mass killings, private arsenals owned by unstable or paranoid individuals, and weapons capable of killing multiple people before the perpetrator can be stopped are not the well “regulated” militia the framers had in mind. The framers envisioned citizen farmers with muskets.
Arming our school personnel and fortifying schools is not the solution to these attacks. Civilized, free countries should not have to turn their schools into fortresses. It is time for Congress to listen to the majority of citizens, many of whom are gun-owners like myself, and enact some comprehensive, reasonable legislation that has teeth to protect its citizens. So far, this Congress seems to hear only the NRA and the gun lobby.
Congress needs to represent the interest of the majority of American citizens who want comprehensive legislation and effective enforcement to curb the ever escalating gun violence in our country.”
Please vote to increase gun control. In Sarasota, FL after the Newtown shooting there was gun show advertising play guns for the kids thank you
Please let’s all stand together for common sense and stop the insanity. Stand up to the N R A
I am a strong supporter of gun control, but I did not sign the petition in the email I received from the organization that sent this link. Although I agree with the sentiments, I found the language too emotional and decisive to get results. Below is my email to Ted Cruz, the right-wing Texas senator, whom I will not doubt not convince. However, I think the tone is rational and could appeal to more moderates, if there are any left.
I am writing as a constituent, a concerned citizen, and as a teacher of the United States Constitution. The Bill of Rights guarantees citizens individual rights, but these rights have always been balanced against the common good and the safety of the public. Various types of speech are regulated under the First Amendment and even political speech, the most protected form of speech,can be restricted when that speech incites violence.
The right to bear arms likewise should be and must be balanced against the safety and good of the general public. Sensible and comprehensive legislation is the most reasonable approach. If past legislation has failed, it was because it was not comprehensive enough; this matter is a national issue that can not be left up to the states. Mass killings, private arsenals owned by unstable or paranoid individuals, and weapons capable of killing multiple people before the perpetrator can be stopped are not the well “regulated” militia the framers had in mind. The framers envisioned citizen farmers with muskets.
Arming our school personnel and fortifying schools is not the solution to these attacks. Civilized, free countries should not have to turn their schools into fortresses. It is time for Congress to listen to the majority of citizens, many of whom are gun-owners like myself, and enact some comprehensive, reasonable legislation that has teeth to protect its citizens. So far, this Congress seems to hear only the NRA and the gun lobby.
Congress needs to represent the interest of the majority of American citizens who want comprehensive legislation and effective enforcement to curb the ever escalating gun violence in our country.
Let’s handle gun violence as a public health issue. Then we know the kind of remedies are available to reduce the prevalence and severity. Thanks.
There is no reason for any non military or police official to have a weapon that can kill so many so quickly. Please save our innocent citizens.
NO MORE PEOPLE MASSACRING PEOPLE, CHILDREN KILLING CHILDREN
We need to tell Congress that we the people want serious gun control !! not talk and bs…but laws…and we expect our voices to be heard !!
I support gun control
Respond to the majority of U.S. households who advocate universal background checks for all firearms sales. Ban semi assault weapons nationwide and Repeal Bush’s 2004 Lawful Commerce in Arms Act which immunizes the Firearms industry from civil suits. Society ALONE must not bear the costs and tragedies responding to assault weapon massacres while the firearms industry profits.
The frequency of These massacres are increasing and will continue unless you legislate for the people’s safety over special interest profits. I am the concerned mother of 2 children, and a non practicing attorney.
I am from Rocklin California and my conressman is McClintock . He, nor hiss, ever responds to my emails so the chance of him reading or thinking about my email is zero. However I totally support reasonable gun control!!!!!
no citizen should be walking around with assault weapons…… “a weapon of mass destruction” To me that is a no brainer. If a citizen has a background check and is mentally fit and desires a gun or rifle or bow and arrow for that matter ..that is another issue
The status quo is unacceptable, you must bepart of a real plan to stop this. Hunting rifles and pistols are an accpeted part of the american fabric but, semi-automatic weapos with thirty round magazines are not. The arguement that legal weapons protect the innocent has been burst buy the recent shootings, whcih legal obtained weapons were wused in both cromes and one of which the owners weapon ewas used against herself. Compromise is the word but not inneffective meaasures.
Right to own a gun?
Right to not get shot?
Can we please strike a balance?
We need a ban on assult weapons because no one needs a 100 arounds to hunt.
The USA also needs to think about how you look to the rest of the planet! I’m from way down under in quiet and peaceful New Zealand and strongly support MUCH tighter gun laws in the USA. I’m sick of my family and I switching on our TV’s and radios to hear of yet another human slaughter at the hands of some maniac with a killing machine capable of the horrific massacres we have been exposed to over the past 10 or more years.
Surely you realise you are living in a fish bowl with the rest of the earth peering in at the insanity within. You are spending trillions of dollars on protecting yourself from others – ware, security, anti-terror measures – and yet a few million red-necks who don’t feel like a true man (or American) without an automatic killing machine in their hands hold the country to ransom with completely disproportionate power to what they should hold. You hang on, like children to their last piece of candy, to a constitutional amendment right which was written in a different time which, in truth, now makes little sense and has antiquated meaning. Wake up America – you are supposed to be world leaders and yet this draconian approach to guns continues to make you look incredibly 3rd world in the eyes of the rest of the developed world!
Speaking as simply a no-body but citizen of that “rest of the world” – I say, “Wake up and smell the roses America!” “Embrace change now and in doing so, prevent yourselves continuing to be a world-wide laughing stock due to continued support for gun laws that clearly put the lunatics in charge of the asylum!”
God Bless America, God Bless the innocent people and God Bless the little Children! Amen.
Please support the legislation to increase gun safety laws. Too many innocent lives have been taken.
Please enact legislation to restore the ban on assault weapons, large capacity magazines and metal pearcing ammunition . Please enact legislation to require background checks for all firearms sales including gun shows, internet sales and personal sales.
Guns out of control are the result of deeper causes: disrespect of working people through wage control and medical coverage that benefits business profits before health.
Whenever power is given to people to control their income (coops, etc.) corporations who control the creation of regulations (by controlling regulatory decision makers) denounce efforts to change the system as socialism, etc. When people want to stop the predation of their life energy to support a bloated plutocracy, they are
blocked by laws that depend on a system that gives verdicts to those who have the money to hire expensive lawyers…..that is not justice. The last resort
for those who do not trust their government is obvious.
Guns are not the problem. The problem is a that the USA is the Walmart of gun business for the world. We promote war. We promote plundering the
earth for its resources without regard for indigenous people and other nations’ sovereignty. Just because we almost wiped out native “Americans”, doesn’t mean we got away with that government sanctioned pogrom. If our country is going to have an ethical/moral/spiritual basis to exist, we have to change our goals.
Then the reality that this country is equated with greed will change, away from manipulation and hoarding, toward cooperation and sharing.
Behind you every step of the way!
I had an M16A2 fully automatic assault rifle and 9mm Berreta semi-automatic hand gun when I served as a soldier in the United Sates Army in the Persian Gulf War – a soldier in a war zone in war time. These are weapons. They are people killing weapons and they kill people very well and they are pretty easy to use to fire a lot of lethal bullets very quickly and potentially very accurately. It made sense to have combat level weapons as a soldier in war time in a war zone. That’s not what’s happening here in America. People are being killed by combat weapons – high capacity magazine semi-automatic rifles and hand guns in our schools, at political gatherings, in movie theaters, in the work place, at the mall….!? What’s going on here? How are these disturbed people getting hold of such deadly, lethal weapons to perpetrate their deranged atrocities? Some will say something to the effect of ‘arm everyone and everyone will be safe.’ This is ludicrous. As a soldier at war armed with combat weapons opposing those who had weapons themselves did not guarantee my safety in the Gulf and neither would it necessarily guarantee my safety in peace time at a local public school or a local mall or local theater. There seems to be a general feeling that having a weapon makes one safe, but I encourage those who feel that way to really consider does it really guarantee you will not be harmed by someone with a firearm even though you yourself have a firearm? I charge that, though it may feel so, it, in reality, is not necessarily so. My fully automatic M16A2, and I was trained how to use it, did not necessarily guarantee me safety against an armed opponent. Arming everyone will not increase safety. Combat weapons and high capacity magazines are for war, not for peace time.
Please close the gun show loop hole, stop selling high capacity ammunition magazines to civilians, re-instate and/or improve the assault weapons ban, require handguns to be registered and liability insurance for gun owners.
I am happy that the ACA will improve access to mental health care. If the community care that the mentally ill were supposed to have available existed, I would be happy about that, too.
Please see to the safety of the citizens of this great country and put common sense regulations in place around firearm ownership. In the current environment, they do much more harm than good. Of course, allow studies that quantify that trade off would also be a fine idea.
Thank you.
Krysia Lynes
We need background checks every 5 years! So, domestic violence offenders can be recognized.
I was talking to friend today,we both agree that guns are not the major part of the problem. If you would like to know what we concluded. PLease contact me via
e-mail I would be glad to tell you what I think the problem is. Its by no means an easy answer you are headed in the right direction but not going far enough.
God Bless
Frank Shirley
USAF Retired
We need gun control to protect our innocent children.
We in the US need to legislate the sale and use of guns. There have been way too many deaths due to indiference and lack of oversight. Assault weapons should not be used by private individuals. There needs to be gun control accross the board.
Please, help to end gun violance !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GUNS = DEATH. Enough said!
I want to live in a country where children do not need to fear that they will be gun down by military style assault weapons in their classrooms. I do not want my kids to have to participate in drills that involve what one does to respond to a gun-related emergency. Its ridiculous. Military weapons are for military. period. Civilians should be banned from them. if owners of weapons are being irresponsible with their guns and family members or friends or someone other than the owner are fount to be using these, owners should be punished. permit revoked. much like owners of cars. i am sick and tired of the immunity guns and gun owners have. we need to regulate regulate regulate. much like cars. tabacco. these are weapons that can kill.
Please help our country to take a stand on sensible gun control and care for the mentally ill: we need both.
The NRA has too much power. Gun’s on our streets will continue to increase without tighter restrictions. Countries that have no guns have less violence. Oakland, Palo Alto, San Francisco, LA has too many gangs with guns. End this by new laws that greatly control gun ownership.
Please pass strong and restrictive gun control NOW.
We must get rid of assault weapons. Please have the courage to do what is right. Too many people are being killed in this country.
We are not against the ownership of guns but cannot understand the need for weapons of war. Please look at what other countries have done. They have a fraction of the killings.
The radical people of the NRA must not get their way.
RFS
We need more ways to live better not kill better.
The following is a letter that i submitted to the Anchorage Daily News:
January 10, 2013
Letters to the Editor
Anchorage Daily News
Anchorage, Alaska
RE: Guns.
Dear Editor:
I received a letter/survey from Wayne LaPierre, NRA, that begins “With the re-election of President Barack Obama, we must face the fact that we’re at the beginning of a four-year nightmare”. It continues with no mention of Sandy Hook or any other atrocities.
The Second Amendment reads “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.” If you’re a constitutionalist, as a member of a militia, you’ve the right to bear a musket. Nowhere does the amendment state that you’re entitled a 10-infinity magazine WMD.
Timothy Shine’s opinion (ADN, 1/ that there should be guns in schools is inline with the NRA. As a student at Dimond High School 1969-71 there was a security guard named Dan White. White killed San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978–he intended to kill more–his defense was the infamous “Twinkie defense”. Do you really think guns in schools are the answer?
Sincerely,

Samuel Duff Combs, AIA, NCARB, Architect
Please be tough and fight, fight, fight!!! Do not cave to the NRA. Protect our children and stand up for public safety for all.
it’s the nut jobs ..not the guns that are doing the killing! How dumb to think otherwise
I believe that all assualt weapons shoud be banned and including all ammunition clips that hold greater then 6 shells.
A thorough back ground check on the purchaser should be made on the sale of all guns, clips and ammunition.
Gun control is necessary for our society.
I know they want to ram thru any legislation before the furor dies down but don’t you think that they should at least review the JHU public health gun control summit and book filled with the best statistical studies of the gun legislation, mass shootings and gun death statistics before reaching their conclusions for the president? It is out today and contains compilation of the best statistical studies from around the nation available to date.
Lose the guns even if the NRA has pictures of you playing golf with Satan. Our lives are dependant on your action or reaction to this.
All fire arms should be insured for liabilty.
I sincerely hope you will support gun control efforts by Vice President Biden. I believe assault weapons should be banned and that there should be background checks on anyone who purchases a gun. I don’t think this is un-reasonable and I am not trying to take guns away from anyone. I really don’t think anyone needs an assault weapon.
The pettiness that drives you politicians to do nothing about removing assault weapons and high capacity magazines must stop. To be blunt, if you do not take action to remove these then your constituents will vote someone into office that will!
To think one child’s life as less important than the right to carry a grotesque arsenal is barbaric.
Our country loses its power daily as we buy into this blackmail. Our country no longer leads the world.
We can not any longer think we are taking the high ground when our streets and schools are no longer safe
as we acquiesce to this archaic 2nd amendment. We all live on this planet and we must learn respect for
the sanctity of life and the rights of children to grow up without fear. There is no more divine right than that.
We only can lead the world when our own populace can live in tranquility.
Dear Representative Perry,
I support sensible gun control. I am a retired Army Colonel with two combat tours. I urge you to the correct thing to protect our citizens. There is no need for assault weapons in this country other than in the hands of the police or military. Thanks!
Dave Roberts
Colonel USAR (Ret)
It is about time that we realize that guns kill. A bullet has no eyes and does not care where it falls. Too many innonce victims because of gun violence. It is time to do something meanfull to prevent gun violence.
Get it together. I imagine if it was your grandchild that was shot 11 times by a high mag rifle you would be angry. What about the thousands of black men you think are not worth the debate who die every year because the may be so called gang bangers. A life is a life. You should all be ashamed of yourself. Mr Speaker grow a set of balls and deal with real life issues. I’m white I live in the suburbs … McConnell you will loose your job and you deserve to you raciest pig.
Hello, my Alaska representatives,
I am concerned about the extent of gun violence in America today, and I strongly feel that more should, and can be done to help prevent it. I urge you to carefully consider all of Joe Bidens recommendations, and not to discount them for fear of not getting re-elected, or getting a bad score with NRA. I do not feel that it would infringe upon our Second Amendment rights to do more careful background checks on gun purchasers, to increase gun safety mechanisms so more children aren’t accidentally killed, to improve our mental health system, close gun fair loopholes, etc. Unlike many, I do also believe that more should be done about the amount of violence on TV and video games. Perhaps greater restrictions on violence shown on TV, like the bad words not allowed, would be a good thing for all.
Sincerely,
Heidi Zemach
Seward, Alaska
Dear Mr. Biden, Please work hard on behalf of our fellow citizens that believe that there is too much gun violence in America and too many guns available to be used against our neighbors and our first responders. I try to have civil conversations with my friends and family about semi-automatic weapons and large ammo magazines, asking them as gun owners to be a part of the conversation, but I am always met with outrage and defensive behavior, as if they think that making some weapons less available and making all other guns part of a more responsible registration process were a covert plot to take away their right to bear arms, when clearly it is not. I do not see the need for people to be armed to the teeth and in my life time, the only time I owned a gun was a 22 for scaring off coyotes and taking out poisonous snakes if we ran across them on our farm….I would prefer to see far less weaponry among civilians, but have come to the realization that this will not happen in my lifetime if ever. I am speaking out against gun shows and the loopholes for obtaining semi-automatic guns and ammo, I speak out against practices that allow guns to fall in the hands of dangerous and/or mentally ill people, I speak out against the notion that people cannot develop mentally illnesses after they have obtained a gun or have access to one, I speak out against lobbyists and enterprises that make obscene amounts of money under the guise of protecting second amendment rights and then use those funds to influence leaders and buy politicians to promote their agenda. No one in the last 4 years has clearly addressed the ban of assault weapon, which is a sad legacy for an otherwise wonderful President and Vice President. It is time for a representation of those who want sanity when addressing the issue of gun control. Please be that clear voice. Thank you. Susan K. Demiglio
I JUST CANT SEE WHY A FEW PEOPLE CAN SEE THE 4TH ADMENMENT ALLOWING THE SIMI AUTOMATIC AND MALTI CALLABER GUNS IN THE HANDS OF PEOPLE OTHER THAN THE GOVERNMENT. THESE GUNS ARE MENT FOR KILLING LARGE AMOUT OF PEOPLE AND SHOULD NOT BE IN THR HANDS OF EVERY ONE EVEN THOES WITH PERMITS. AS FOR THE BACKGROUND CHECKS IT SHOULD BE EVERY ONE GETTING THEM NOT JUST A SELECT FEW.
Friggin’ do something about gun control!!! don’t be afraid of the NRA or their bravado!! Hardly ANY of their candidates got re-elected this last election. They have NO power; you and I do.
There is no question our country needs stiffer gun control laws – both for the weapons and the ammunition that operates the guns. Also, based on the mental history of those involved in the recent shootings, our country needs to look out for potential citizens who may have mental health issues that could cause this horrific incident to happen again. It has happened too many times already by people with mental health issues. By helping one person in need, we are potentially saving the lives of countless innocent people.
Thank you.
Please expand the background checks to include voluntary, but verifiable, information about the mental and emotional health, as well as the age of every person who is living in the home of the purchaser of any gun; guns should never be sold to people with young children in the home; and please eliminate the gun show loophole; All gun sales should be subject to the same rigorous process; and please ban all guns that can rapidly fire more than one bullet at a time, except for the use of the police and the military; and please regulate the sales of ammunition to the extent that no one can purchase multiple rounds without justification (as did he guy who shot all the people in Aurora, CO. Hunters and ranchers should be able to verify their needs for shotguns by providing their verifiable rural addresses and there should be trackable information regarding their shooting of wild animals on their ranches before additional ammunition is sold to them. Sales of Sudafed and similar drugs are tracked when purchased at the drug store; so guns and ammunition should also be tracked and additional purchases should be regulated. Guns should all be licensed and the guns should be “tracked” by serial number throughout their lives, just like cars. Gun store sales people should be held liable for guns and ammunition sold to people like Jared Loughner, just like bartenders are held liable when they sell too many drinks to drunk people. There should be a public education campaign developed in order to teach people how to recognize the signs of mental illness that are correlated with murders and mass shootings. A similar campaign regarding depression has been somewhat successfull. Psychotic disorders and anti-social personality disorder have certain key characteristics that everyone should be made aware of. Before a crime is committed, these folks should be referred for mandatory mental health interventions, rather than imprisonment. Family members should be encouraged to report those in their families who may be unstable in this way, but they should not have to risk their own lives as a result. All of these things need to be done to eliminate these kinds of murders and mass shootings.
Dear Mr. Biden, Please work hard on behalf of our fellow citizens that believe that there is too much gun violence in America and too many guns available to be used against our neighbors and our first responders. I try to have civil conversations with my friends and family about semi-automatic weapons and large ammo magazines, asking them as gun owners to be a part of the conversation, but I am always met with outrage and defensive behavior, as if they think that making some weapons less available and making all other guns part of a more responsible registration process were a covert plot to take away their right to bear arms, when clearly it is not. Don’t get me wrong, I do not see the need for people to be armed to the teeth and in my life time, the only time I owned a gun was a 22 for scaring off coyotes and taking out poisonous snakes if we ran across them on our farm….I would prefer to see less weaponry among the public, but have come to the realization that this will not happen in my lifetime if ever. But that is not what I am speaking out against. I am speaking out against gun shows and the loopholes for obtaining semi-automatic guns and ammo, I speak out against practices that allow guns to be fall in the hands of dangerous and/or mentally ill people, I speak out against the notion that people cannot develop mentally illnesses after they have obtained a gun or have access to one, I speak out against lobbyists and enterprises that make obscene amounts of money under the guise of protecting second amendment rights and then use those funds to influence leaders and buy politicians to promote their adgenda. No one in the last 4 years has clearly addressed the ban of assault weapon, which is a sad legacy for an otherwise wonderful President and Vice President. It is time for a representation of those who want sanity when addressing the issue of gun control. Please be that clear voice. Thank you. Respectfully, Susan K. Demiglio
Certainly there are measures that should and can be adopted, to forge curtailment of violence and the use of assault weapons in our country.
It is definitely a multi-faceted problem,however, mass production of assault weapons figures largely into the equation. Misinterpretation and gross misrepresentation of the 2nd amendment is bound to keep many ignorance. Do propose and enact common sense legislation to pass gun regulations in our country. Do not forget about Newtown, Connecticut and the loss of so many children and educators.
Common sense, please! Nobody disagrees with limitations on crazy assault rifles except those who stand to profit.
it is disgracefull that over 32 people loose there life due to gun violence . nobody needs a gun that should be left to the militry that riddles little children,
I am an active opinion leader in Florida and I feel strongly about strict gun control. Strongly and I take it very seriously
I trust that we will accomplish something to put brakes on this carnage in out nation.
We can not let it drift away as we have so often when issues become critical mass.
Extreme situations may require extreme actions to stop the Lobbying industry from
their daily assault on our country’s politicians, with prewritten bills to be rubber stamped…
with out reading…time being a factor in railroading … so we pay a terrible price for
our reluctance to step on special interest toes.
That has to be PAST.
NOW is the time to actively create bans on assault weapons and the magazines/clips for mass murder.
To do a total overhaul to our mental health system of less than half measures which cure nothing.
If it costs money, so be it. That’s CHEAPER than lives of children never having an opportunity to grow
up and give of their potential talents to a natiinb in dire need of such intelligence and moral advancement.
The NRA needs to be brought to heel.
It is now your job.
Joseph H. Lindsley
I CANT BELIEVE HOW PEOPLE DONT WANT TO SUPPORT GUN CONTROL ,AFTER ALL THE CHILDREN DIEING, FOR SUCH CARELESS REASONS
ENOUGH ALREADY! WE LOST A 12 yr OLD FRIEND LAST YEAR. IF IT WERE YOURS, YOU WOULD ACT FASTER
Dear Congress person(s):
As I believe you’re [all three] on board with Vice President Biden’s recommendations on reining in gun tragedies, so I’ll simply say Thank You for your progressive legislation. I feel my desires are well represented.
There is no reason on earth why anyone should need an assault rifle or a magazine with more than 6 bullets in it.
ENOUGH ALREADY! WE LOST A 12 yr OLD FRIEND LAST YEAR. DAMN ALL OF YOU – IF IT WERE YOURS, YOU WOULD ACT FASTER
Please stand up to the NRA. People do not need assault weapons and magazines. Make it harder to buy guns – long waiting periods – certificates of mental health – limits to number of guns owned – whatever it takes. Enough is enough
I am veteran and I believe in the second amendment now is the time to ban all magazines and assault Guns that be use in war. It defies all logic that anyone would need that kind of weapon. BAN ALL ASSAULT WEAPONS PLEASE NOW. NO MORE NEWTOWN.
The general public does not need access to rapid-fire weapons or the ability to purchase ammunition on the Internet. Please work to at least stop the general sale of these items. When I take my kids to a movie I shouldn’t have to look for the exits. When I take them to school I shouldn’t have to look for how many exit doors there are in their classrooms. Help us use common sense to make us a safer America. Thank you. Jeanne
It is time. We have tolerated the NRA and their support of the freedom to die from gun violence for too long. The fact that the freedom to own weapons that can kill 26 teachers and young children is more highly valued in our nation than the freedom to grow up safely and without fear is shameful. This has to be the last straw for our nation to maintain it’s status as a civilized nation.
I am not against a citizen’s right to bear arms/possess a fire arm used to hunt and protect self, family & home. Yet assault weapons and stock piling enough ammunition to wipe out a Country is certainly not for hunting or protection.
Gun Violence is out of control. NO private citizen has any reason to own and have in their home semi automatic weapons that have the capability of supporting/using magizines of 30+ rounds in them. We need to do more to be sure that guns do not get into the hands of people with mental health issues and CERTAINLY no one should be able to buy large amounts of ammunition. THere should be mandatory back ground checks on ALL gun purchases along with a waiting period of at least 3 days! It should be illigal to purchas guns and ammunition over the web where no one in a position to say “no” can interact with you, do a background check and determine if you are potentially NUTS and if so, refuse to sell you a gun!!
Mental health issues need to be addressed and people need to feel like they can do so without being belittled and scorned.
just a few suggestions……tell all those NRA jerks that they can all have Muskits (sp???) …the kind of weapons known to our founding fathers when they wrote the 2nd amendment!!!
STOP gun violence now. Too many innocent people have been killed.
The future started yesterday and we’re already late! We are close to the point of NO RETURN …the gun laws need to be changed NOW!!!
Please – no one needs assault rifles or multiple fire rounds. Please help make our country safe.
Please Please please support any possiible gun control legislation.
At minimum, we must have a ban on assault weapons.
They were meant for war ONLY. NOT HUNTING.
Remember people like me watch how you vote.
Keep up the good work.
Cherrie Olson
Dear Senators, Representatives.
The way the NRA speaks sounds like they are the “Law of the Land” and they do not even consider the rest of Americans, except their 4 million members. Well that is not how America works. Let’s take a vote and put the NRA in perspective. Let them know that most Americans do not accept the NRA as our spokesperson. They seem absurdly arrogant thinking they have the final work on the 2nd Amendment. The times were different then, when our individuals states, territories and foreign countries were all potential enemies. Our states are “UNITED” and we do not need local militias other than what our Federal, State and City provides in the way of protection and law enforcement. The NRA takes us backwards with their interpretation of the 2nd Amendment. Our common American goal that we share among all Americans is that we move forward with education, defense, environment, and civilization in general. We are evolving, not de-volving as the NRA demands us do. Please do not let the backward, arrogant, and money-influencing NRA! They cannot argue against common sense. And protecting one innocent child is worth it all. Thank you.
I am using reducing gun violence as an example of how a public health approach differs from a political approach for my Foundations of Public Health class. Essentially I am telling them that a public health approach begins with questions and works its way rationally toward answers, rather than screaming at each other about what we think would fix the problem.
I have not heard that public health authorities (CDC, USPHS, NIH, as well as city/county/state health departments) have been one of the groups invited in to explore all options. Will this be happening?
Just what is it you elected people do anyway that a internet petition is what is needed to get you to take action banning these mass killing weapons! Think about it….over 20 beautiful innocent children were gunned down and the fear they must of have endured in those last moments of their young lives! This is not about your precious gun lobby money machine that feeds your pockets, it is about what is right!! Wake up and be leaders not a bunch of sheep!!
We need serious gun control. There is too much violence and too easy access to guns and ammunition.
Please be assertive and make plenty of noise on gun control. The current situation is ridiculous. The NRA no longer represents their membership but have become a lobbying arm for the firearms industry. Please act appropriately. Please push for outlawing assault rifles rather than banning future sales of them.
There needs to be – for the protection of everyone / every age, a much more aggressive screening and regulatory process regarding guns and users of them. Please vote and represent the citizens and permanent residents, everyone living in the U.S., in a way that is taking everyone’s rights into consideration. Greater protection is possible and it is not through the continued availability of guns to too many people, in an indiscriminate way.
I believe in the second amendment but I also support most gun control proposals. It’s past time for America to do something. So, what is the real issue? The real issue isn’t my right to bear arms, it’s the type of arms I have a right to bear. I support the Brady Campaign suggestions.
I recently started a blog (website above) that I’m going to use to write about a variety of subjects from things that pique my interest to things that aggravate me. Currently it’s gun control. Please read my blogs for good commentary about controlling guns.
time at last to move on making homes, streets, schools, shops safer. time to make our politicians peform their most important job for us; keeping our society safe. time to hold those responsible for murder accountable, including those who knowingly sell instruments of death to criminals. time to make this country a better place to live.
There is no reason to have Assault weapons and 30 round ammunition clips in the hands of any citizens, these are weapons of war.
And support background checks at Gun Shows, its sensible.
Don’t love Guns more then the children of Newtown, please.
Respectfully, Steve Chenoy
Semi-automatics is this the future we want for our children? Please don’t let the gun lobby own you. Do what is right for the future of America.
Thank you
I don’t want to worry as I send my 5 year old off to Kindergarten. We need to reform gun laws. Please help us to do this.
Columbine. Red Lake Minnesota. Essex Vermont. Lancaster. Aurora. Virginia Tech. To name a few. How many more innocents must die at the hands of an antiquated and oft-misinterpreted amendment? Enough.
It’s time to stop the violence.
Thank you for your time,
Chiara
No one needs military capability weapons. We should also require that all guns be stored with trigger locks or in a locked case.
The time for Americans to be held hostage by the NRA is over. While some may claim that the right to bear arms is in the constitution, I would respond that Americans have a higher priority in that Americans deserve to live and not be dominated by a group who are determined to take our breath away permanantly.
My children are out of the school system but the last thing I as a parent of two teachers and as a grandparent want to worry about is someone who is reacting in a stressful situation and my family member is killed because of it. And if there truly was a legitimate case for the NRA’s pleas to arm our teachers, then they wouldn’t work so hard to limit my right to take away their financial resources forever when the next killing occurs. They, like too many politiicans, worry too much about protecting their wallets and not enough about protecting my family’s right to live without terror of the NRA and other gunmen.
VOTE to protect your constituents and not special interests whose sole purpose for existence is to sell more guns and more ammunition.
Stop the sale, distribution and availability of combat weapons to the public. Stop the arms trafficking from the USA to foreign countries. Stop laws that make these sales legal.
We do not need automatics or semi-automatics. We need a gun policy that reflects the message of the Christ: be not afraid and be not angry, both required emotions for owning mass instruments of death. I wish we could repeal the 2nd amendment. It denies the power of nonviolence, denies the power of Jesus Christ, of Gandhi and Martin Luther King.
Action to limit access to firearms, especially those designed to kill on the battlefield, is very long over due. Please do something sensible and substantial.
It is time to stand up against the NRA, we hold your back!
Rapid fire weapons have no place in our society. Australia banned rapid fire weapons after one slaughter and their death by gun rate is almost non existent. We must do the right thing for the safety of our children. Let us lead by example.
I am requesting that my representatives at the federal level pass ALL gun control legislation they can. I do not want leave our generations to come in a a nation with 300,000,000 guns and skyrocketing, with so few gun safety laws on the federal books. PLEASE do all you can to pass as much gun control as possible!! It’s now, or not for many years to come that we will have this much backing from the American public for gun control ( any and ALL). Please act quickly to keep the American public safe from gun violence before this moment to act is gone.
Thank you,
Sarah Moberly
Please create strategies for preventing easy access to guns. It is more difficult to be certified to volunteer with children than to get a gun in this country. That is wrong.
It is long past time to take strong action to reduce the number of guns in this country. I ask that you ban semi-automatic rifles and all handguns. Any hunting rifle is a better tool for defense than a handgun in the home and no one but police officers or the military should be carrying weapons on his person. Children are more important that anyone’s right to own or carry weapons of the variety we see being used daily for murder. Our soldiers who have fought and are still fighting on foreign soil know that they are fighting to prevent Americans from having to live in fear of combat violence here in America. We can not let the NRA and the powerful gun industry turn America into a battlefield that requires that our children attend school under armed guards. This dishonors all brave soldiers who have fought for our freedom.