My reply to Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici

I sent the following email reply to Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. ?I sincerely hope that she will research the issues further and come to a more educated position on the current issues than the one she is taking today.

 

Dear Congresswoman Bonamici,

I want to thank you for your reply to my letter and concerns. ?I do want to express to you that I find your?apparent?intent of supporting proposals to restrict lawful citizens access to large capacity magazines or any other restriction of our constitutional rights under the second?amendment?disturbing. ?As a law abiding citizen and gun owner who has served this country in the U.S. Air Force to defend our freedoms and rights, I find it unconscionable when our elected officials propose or support any restriction of those rights which so many have fought and died to defend and provide to us.
Your stated stance on these issues is of great concern and I will never support or vote for any candidate that would choose to use horrific world events to bolster a political agenda that decapitates the constitution and the freedoms that it gives this country and its people. ?Misrepresentation of the statistics and facts around gun violence by the?politicians?and media to further the agenda of gun control being levied against the lawful citizens of this country should be a criminal act. ?Any and all who do so should be brought to justice for criminal acts against the citizens of this country.
I have had many conversations with people about the current media and political frenzy towards gun control. ?Most people, I find, are less than fully educated on the actual statistics and facts in this country around violence related to guns. ?I refer people constantly to a book??Gun Facts by Guy Smith.? ?I also encourage them to view?this video?that clearly outlines the misuse of data to mislead and provide false information about gun use in violent crime. ?Both of these sources provide accurate statistical data that is in direct opposition to what is being published in the media and by many of our politicians. ?Both sources bring not only the facts and statistics but also provide the sources and information to back up the data.
While I agree that there can be dialogue and change where needed to better a system that has flaws, I will never support the restriction of rights on the law abiding citizens of this country. ?Changing or enacting laws that restrict our constitutional rights only impacts those who are law abiding citizens and who are not the cause of the problem trying to be solved. ?I find it odd that many people do not understand that laws only impact the lawful. ?The criminal who commits an act of terror is already not following the law. ?What makes anyone think that suddenly, they are going to change their behavior because a new law says the tool they want to use illegally is now illegal. ?Laws are only applicable to those who follow the law to begin with.
I sincerely hope you will take the time to review the information provided here and use it to further shape your approach for the future in dealing with these difficult issues.
Thank you very much for your time on this.

Stevn Bartley

Gray Wolf Guns, Inc.

Letter from Representative Suzanne Bonamici

I received the following reply letter from Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. ?This letter was, I believe, in reply to the “Protect Your Rights”?form letter that I signed.

January 23, 2013 

 

Dear Mr. Bartley,

 

 

Thank you for contacting me?about?guns and how we can?prevent gun violence. I appreciate hearing from you.

 

The tragic shootings in?a?Connecticut?elementary school, the Clackamas Town Center, and a?theater in Colorado are the latest in a long list of?senseless mass shootings that occur too often?in our country. These examples, and others like them, show that we must do more to prevent gun violence.

 

Our?priority should be to find ways?to keep?guns out of the hands of people who use them to kill or injure innocent victims. One of the first steps we should take is to pass federal legislation to?require background checks on all gun sales at gun shows, a law that Oregon already has on the books.?Cracking down on gun trafficking and illegal sales would keep more guns out of the wrong hands.?I?also?support?a?ban?on large capacity magazines like those used in the Colorado?theater?shooting.

 

Importantly, we must also address the mental health aspects of violent crime.?Critical components of reducing violence include identifying and treating people with mental illness and offering education and resources to their families, teachers, and communities. We need a community effort to?destigmatizethose who seek treatment for mental illness, and policymakers must work to break down barriers to access these services.

 

I support the Second Amendment rights of individuals to own firearms?for recreation and protection, but with every right comes a corresponding responsibility not to abuse or exploit that freedom to the detriment of others.

 

Thank you again for writing to me, and?please know that I will keep your input in mind as Congress considers proposals to prevent gun violence.

If you would like to know more about my work in Congress, please sign up for my newsletter at?http://bonamici.house.gov?or visit my?Facebook?page at?http://www.facebook.com/CongresswomanBonamici.?

 

 
Sincerely,

Suzanne Bonamici
Member of Congress
https://www.facebook.com/CongresswomanBonamicihttps://twitter.com/RepBonamici

Gun Control Thoughts

I have been giving a lot of thought over the past weeks to the ongoing debate that is building over gun control. ?I feel that it is imperative as an American citizen, gun owner and law abiding citizen to stand up for my rights and the rights of all others that fall within these categories.

Our country was founded by people who understood the nature of mankind and the needs of our country to have both a strong law and a people with the armaments necessary to enforce those laws and defend them when needed. ?They built the United States Constitution with these goals and needs in mind. ?They provided each and every one of us with the legal rights to obtain, maintain and use our weapons if needed.

As a young man, I served this country in the United States Air Force in the defense of this land and its people. ?I did so voluntarily and proudly in an effort to contribute to this great country and its proud heritage of military service for the rights of its people. ?I am a law abiding citizen with a proud history of having served to protect the rights I have been given by the laws and documents of this country.

I find it extremely difficult to not get emotionally invested when the topic of gun control comes up. ?I believe very strongly in my right to bear arms, my freedom of speech and my dedication to the upholding of all the laws of this country. ?Thus, when those rights are threatened and my ability to maintain those rights are in jeopardy, I am moved to defend them at all costs.

As I listen and read the articles and dialogue of other American people, I am often moved to wonderment at what I perceive to be the blindness of most people to the realities of life and the nature of mankind. ?The apparent willingness of people to believe whatever they are told blindly without?conscious thought to the message being given or the repercussions of their actions or intent.

It seems that the common thread of dialogue in most news articles and political discussion around the tragedies that have?occurred?in this country over the past several weeks are centered on how do we legislate change that will keep these tragedies from happening again. ?How do we put laws in place that will keep our children safe? ?How do we put law in place that will keep the shopper at the mall safe from a gunman? ?How do we legislate change so that we can all live in peace and harmony???????

Really??? ?Do people really believe this line of thought? ?Are the majority of people in this country truly so naive as to believe that the criminals responsible for these terrible acts are to be deterred by written law? ?Are they truly so naive as to believe that someone who is willing and seeking to kill other human beings for whatever purpose is to be deterred from doing so regardless of whatever written law may be created to supposedly prevent such actions? ?These people are criminals!!!! They are law breakers already or are intent on being law breakers!!! What exactly about that makes anyone believe that this type of person will give one single thought to the concept that one more law exists to supposedly prevent them from doing these heinous acts???

I am at a loss for understanding how anyone can believe that the criminals involved in these activities are to be swayed one second by any of the proposed laws and changes being discussed. ?The ONLY people that laws affect are the law abiding citizen. ?The law abiding citizen who IS NOT?committing?the criminal acts being perpetrated on innocent people. ?The law abiding citizen that is already OBEYING THE LAW!!!!

I have seen proposals and dialogue covering items from assault weapon bans, magazine capacity restrictions, ammo control, gun registration, background checks and concealed carry permit restructure just to name a few. ? How is it that the people involved in these discussions so easily forget that the criminal elements who instigated these conversations through heinous acts of terror were criminals??? ?The guns used were guns obtained illegally. ?In the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the gunman stole the guns from his own mother. ?In the Clackamas Town Center shooting in Oregon, the gunman stole the guns used from an?acquaintance. ?The gunman in the Webster, New York firefighter shooting ambush was a convicted felon who obtained his weapons illegally. ?These are just the three most recent shootings that are top of mind today. ?They all three involved ILLEGAL acquisition of weapons for the carrying out of these acts on innocent people. ?How can any normal person believe that more laws and restrictions on law abiding gun owners will prevent these criminals from obtaining weapons illegally and using them in criminal acts? ?There are just too many cases to prove otherwise.

I highly recommend that anyone looking for statistical data on firearm use and criminal acts involving firearms should read: Gun Facts by Guy Smith

I also recently found this video that very clearly outlines the misuse of data to mislead the population into false information about guns in violent crime. ?Check it out and become educated!!!!

The statistics show that gun related crime in America is extremely low and that the number of legal guns and gun owners involved in these criminal acts is less than 1%. ?It is impossible for me to understand how anyone armed with facts could fall for the sensational media and political representation that gun control is an answer to criminal behavior.

 

Please support lawful gun ownership and use by pushing your individual law makers to work for support of the 2nd?amendment?and continued enforcement of our rights as citizens of this great nation. ?I encourage all concerned persons to research the laws and their rights and to pursue safe and responsible gun ownership. ?Exercise your rights and push our legislators to uphold those rights and defend those rights or we will surely lose them through the actions of those who are naive and believe that a criminal can be controlled by passing laws that restrict those rights for you and I.