The victims of criminals and nuts with guns deserve a vote... tell Graves, Gingrey, Isakson, and Chambliss.
Comments
Dawn N Luke Andrews
Of course....all those criminals with guns will immediately renounce their evil intentions due to new gun laws.....come on Mr T!
Terrell Shaw
Come on Luke. I am so tired of that lame argument. Criminals by definition defy laws. We have laws so we can make them liable for breaking them. And, in some cases, so law-abiding folk don't enable them.
Terrell Shaw
Let's have a vote. What are McConnell & Co afraid of?
Adaïr AIis
I
guns
Terrell Shaw
Adair, what does your love of guns have to do with anything? The 9 out of ten Americans who want universal background checks include lots of folks who own anf enjoy guns. They just want to find sensible ways to reduce the horrible gun violence in this country. Those kids in Newtown deserve our best efforts. They deserve a real debate and a vote.
Adaïr AIis
Eh I just felt like saying it.
Duane Parsons
Interesting (might be an understatement) punditry starting to surface around public opinion (e.g. 9 out of 10 Americans) and Republicans and/or Democrats blocking or filibustering legislation they have not even seen. It goes something like this – if Congress is not responsive to public opinion and does not debate and vote on the current gun violence proposals, the short term consequences are unknown and uncertain. However, the long term consequences are dire and ominous in that we have lost our representative form of Government and thereby Democracy itself.
Responding to Bob Schieffer’s questions regarding a Republican filibuster on this Sunday’s “Face the Nation”, Senator John McCain said, “I don't understand it. The purpose of the United States senate is to debate and to vote and to let the people know where we stand—“ and continued “I would not only encourage it [not to filibuster]. I don't understand it. What are we afraid of? Why would we not want, if this issue is as important as all of us think it is, why not take it on the world's greatest deliberative--that's the greatest exaggeration in history, by the way--but, you know, why not take it up an amendment and debate. The American people will profit from it. I do not understand why United States senators want to block debate when the leader has said that we can have amendments.”
I am one of those that have contacted my Congressional representatives urging them to examine cultural attitudes toward violence, create meaningful federal support for mental healthcare, and pass common-sense gun laws.
Below are excerpts from their boilerplate e-mail responses:
Congressman Tom Graves
Thank you for contacting me with your support for gun control in response to the senseless shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. It is good to hear from you.
First, let me say that the loss of innocent lives in the Connecticut shooting, and all shootings, are horrible tragedies and the actions of these criminals are reprehensible. As a father of three school-aged children, it is particularly painful to think about what the parents and families of the victims endure when these senseless events occur.
That being said, as an advocate for responsible gun ownership, I have concerns with any executive action or legislation that seeks to address crime not through punishing criminals, but through taking away the Second Amendment rights of law abiding gun owners in Georgia and elsewhere. While I am a strong advocate for gun owners and upholding the Constitution, I agree that this awful event has spurred a healthy debate on what positive solutions can be enacted to prevent such horrific events in the future. Please be assured, I am committed to participating in the conversation about increasing penalties on violent criminals and to evaluating the availability and quality of mental health treatment in America. You can be certain that as long as I have the privilege of serving you in the U.S. House of Representatives, I will continue to seek positive solutions to our nation's problems and protect American's Constitutionally granted rights. Should any legislation related to this event come before me in the 113th Congress, I will be certain to keep your thoughts in mind.
Senator Johnny Isakson
Thank you for contacting me regarding a proposed ban on assault weapons. I appreciate your thoughts, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to respond.
Sen. Feinstein (D-CA), author of the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban that expired in 2004, has introduced a new bill to ban assault weapons. This legislation would stop the sale, transfer, importation and manufacturing of more than 100 specifically-named firearms as well as certain semiautomatic rifles, handguns and shotguns that can accept a detachable magazine and semiautomatic rifles and handguns with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds. Sen. Feinstein's bill also would stop the sale, transfer, importation and manufacturing of large-capacity ammunition feeding devices (magazines, strips and drums) capable of accepting more than 10 rounds.
I do not believe that bans on assault weapons or cartridges are the answer to ending acts of mass violence, nor will such measures pass Congress. As history shows us, the 10-year ban on assault weapons that was in effect from 1994 to 2004 could not prevent the mass shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. The common threads running through these shootings are mental health issues. I believe that more effective and sensible solutions are those that focus on background checks and mental health care, rather than restrictions on our Second Amendment right to bear arms. I look forward to working for commonsense solutions that keep our children safe without infringing upon our Constitutional rights.
Senator Saxby Chambliss
Thank you for writing me regarding the right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. Your taking the time to contact me is appreciated.
I have always been and remain a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. While I am certain that the president's proposal is well-intentioned, it is Congress' responsibility to make sure that Americans' constitutional rights are protected. We must make certain that the rights and freedoms of law-abiding citizens are not unfairly impeded. I believe that the ability of sportsmen, hunters, gun enthusiasts and citizens concerned with their personal safety to own a gun, whether for sport or protection, is clearly defined in the Constitution and must not be compromised.
In response to recent tragic and high-profile acts of violence, there is a renewed focus on government regulation of guns. Congress will soon have an extensive and detailed conversation about all of the potential causes of these crimes, including mental health issues, depictions of violence in television, movies, and video games, and firearms
I know that dialogue regarding acts of violence will likely result in a wide range of legislative proposals seeking to address the underlying causes. As these pieces of legislation come before me in the Senate, I will keep your thoughts in mind.
