Congress Sends Letter to Obama Regarding Gun Control.

[Guest RobThatsMe]

Congress sent this letter to Obama a few days ago.

 

This is a copy of the letter.  At then end is a list of all the congressmen who signed it.

See if yours did.  If not, send him or her a copy and ask why they didn't.

 

 

http://benishek.house.gov/sites/benishek.house.gov/files/documents/Benishek_LettertoPresidentObama_SecondAmendment_FINAL2.pdf

 

[Wingshooter]

Hmm, my Rep., Scott DesJarlais did not sign it.

 

:confused:

 

 

This is his official stance on the matter from his website...

http://desjarlais.house.gov/blog/?postid=316857

 

We Can Protect Our Children and Our Constitution

Posted by on January 15, 2013

 

It is hard to imagine anything more horrific than the December shooting that took place in Newtown, Connecticut. By the end of that fateful day, we learned that 20 first-graders and six educators had been shot and killed by a deranged gunman. As a nation, we came together to pray and offer our deepest condolences to those who had lost a loved one. In the days and weeks following Sandy Hook, my office received numerous calls and letters from residents in Tennessee’s Fourth Congressional District. It was touching to read and listen to these heartfelt expressions of sympathy.

 

Many of the individuals who contacted my office were concerned parents who wanted to know what we could do to ensure something like this never happens again. As a parent with three school aged children of my own, I share their concerns. Our children are our greatest treasure and should be treated as such.

 

But while the overwhelming majority of parents I have spoken with recognize the need to enact sensible measures to protect our children, they are deeply concerned that this administration is using the tragedy at Sandy Hook as way to limit their Second Amendment rights.

 

It is not surprising that the issue of gun control has grabbed headlines, especially after President Obama tasked Vice President Joe Biden to lead a taskforce with the goal of developing a package of proposals to curb gun violence.

 

Unfortunately, so far it seems that the administration is more focused on attacking our Second Amendment rights than truly addressing the underlying causes of gun violence. In fact, the president has stated on numerous occasions that he has no problem bypassing Congress through the use of executive orders to achieve his gun control objectives.

 

Lawful gun owners in my district have good reason for concern. This administration has a long track record of circumventing the Congress. The president bypassed the Senate confirmation process in appointing his “czars,” allowed the IRS to re-write portions of ObamaCare, unilaterally changed federal immigration policy and instructed the Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act. The list goes on.

 

If the White House feels it must resort to the use of an executive order, it would signal that the president knows that his policies cannot pass Congress. Therefore, his actions would be in clear defiance of the will of the American people and our democratic process.

 

If the president seeks to violate our constitution and degrade our Second Amendment rights, I stand ready to look at any and all available legislative and legal options to protect and maintain our separation of powers. I sincerely hope that the president will abandon this autocratic approach though and instead engage in a meaningful conversation. 

 

I am a proud supporter of our Second Amendment and believe strongly in our right to bear arms. But I am also a parent and want to ensure that our children are kept safe. I, along with the vast majority of my constituents, do not believe these views to be mutually exclusive of one another.

 

I am reminded of a statement made by former Congressman Bob Barr of Georgia that, “It's not a gun control problem; it's a cultural control problem.” There are in fact real issues that Congress should address to ensure our children are protected, but infringing on our Second Amendment rights will not prevent troubled people from committing terrible acts.

 

We can and must do a better job of ensuring those with mental health issues are identified and receive the support and counseling they need. That starts with making our mental health system more efficient and responsive. We can decide as a nation that we no longer want to promote a culture of violence and work with the key stakeholders to ensure our children are not being bombarded with violent imagery. Finally, we can do a better job of simply enforcing the laws that are already in existence.  

 

President Obama stated that Sandy Hook was the worst day of his presidency. I believe him. But that is not an excuse for the president to use executive orders to push through controversial gun control measures that run counter to the wishes of the majority of the American people.

Edited January 28, 2013 by Batman

[D3vo]

Diane Black was also absent.  I am waiting for her response.

[Guest RobThatsMe]

Yes, I also noticed that Diane Black did not sign it.

[sigrug17]

Just wrote a message to Rep. D. Black...and suggest we all do the same.... keep vigilant everyone and continue to fight.....

 

Continue to write your REPs..... !!!!!!

 

Just wrote Alexander and Corker again.....

Edited January 29, 2013 by sigrug17

[polecat]

happy to see John Duncan signed it. I was surprised that the number of people signing it was so small.

[LagerHead]

Jim Cooper is my rep. I don't need to send him a letter to know why he didn't sign it.

[R_Bert]

I did not see Chuck Fleischman.

[Guest EYEMAN]

happy to see John Duncan signed it. I was surprised that the number of people signing it was so small.

I like you was glad to see Duncan's signature.  I have emailed Alexander and have not had a reply, but it's not the first time he has ignored me.  I am concerned about his position based on his past stances.  If anyone has heard from him I would like to know.  I,ll call his office in the morning.

[RED333]

JUMP THEIR A$$s, I did and will vote them out if this goes wrong.

[leroy]

Thanks for posting.

 

leroy

[runco]

Thanks for posting too, my representative, Honerable Mr. Duncan did sign!

[Lumber_Jack]

Glad to see Dr Roe on the list.

[Oh Shoot]

Looks like just Roe, Blackburn, and Duncan from TN

 

Only 77 of 432 currently installed.

 

Assuming they are all GOP, so that's also only 77 of 232.

 

Not all that rosy, seems.

 

 

- OS

[Lumber_Jack]

Looks like just Roe, Blackburn, and Duncan from TN

Only 77 of 432 currently installed.

Assuming they are all GOP, so that's also only 77 of 232.

Not all that rosy, seems.


- OS

Yeah, I'd say several just simply chose not to participate in the letter for whatever reason. I'd say the number is better than 77 on our side. I'm not sure how much better but surely it's more than that.

[Guest Razz]

I just email Mrs. black. Hopefully there is a page missing from the document linked...

[Guest EYEMAN]

Has anyone heard from Alexander? I'm concerned about his position.

[gregintenn]

I emailed Dianne Black and asked why she didn't sign the letter. I got back the same damned form letter I get every time I email her.

[Oh Shoot]

Has anyone heard from Alexander? I'm concerned about his position.

 

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/57992-response-from-lamar-alexander/?hl=alexander

 

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/58153-lamar-alexanders-response-a-bit-better/?hl=alexander

 

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/58170-i-got-this-reply-from-senator-alexanders-office/?hl=alexander

 

I'd say if you haven't "heard" from him, you haven't you know "contacted" him?

 

If you mean regarding this letter, this was from the House.

 

- OS

Edited January 29, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[D3vo]

Response from Diane Black....
This did not feel like a form letter. I may be proven wrong, but the language was very similar to my own.

Dear Mr. XXXXXXXXX,

Thank you for contacting me regarding our 2^nd amendment rights and, more specifically, a letter sent to President Obama by my colleague, Rep. Dan Benishek (R-MI) on January 23, 2013.

First, let me be clear in stating that I am strongly opposed to President Obama's executive orders on gun control, Senator Dianne Feinstein's proposed ban on so-called "assault weapons" and any other legislation that would infringe upon our fundamental right to keep and bear arms.

As a handgun carry permit holder and a lifetime member of the NRA, I believe that our 2^nd Amendment rights must be protected. The discussion on gun control by the President, the mainstream media and some of my colleagues in Congress will only treat the symptoms of our country's gun violence crisis, doing little to address the root cause behind how these incidents occur. Furthermore, they operate on the completely misguided premise that criminals will obey gun laws.

I can understand how my name being absent from this letter may give the false impression that I am complicit with the President's decisions but I want to assure you that, as I explained in a recent interview with a local media outlet, I do not believe in any kind of additional gun control.

Ultimately, I believe that President Obama has made up his mind to overstep his authority and initiate a backdoor power grab to subvert the 2^nd amendment. I am committed to taking my message to the people I serve and exposing the President's executive overreach.

I hope this letter has alleviated your concerns and removed any doubts as to my position on this issue. As discussion continues over what can be done to stop future acts of violence and keep our citizens safe, you can count on me to vocally oppose policies that infringe upon our 2^nd amendment rights.

Sincerely,
Diane Black
Member of Congress Edited February 6, 2013 by D3vo

[sigrug17]

Just got the same letter from Rep. D. Black

[Oh Shoot]

Response from Diane Black....
This did not feel like a form letter. I may be proven wrong, but the language was very similar to my own.

 

Just got the same letter from Rep. D. Black

 
It's a joke to think any US Congress Critter would write a unique personal response unless it were to a big dog benefactor. To be fair, how could they, really? Not enough hours in the day even if they didn't do anything else.
 
- OS Edited February 7, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[mav]

As a side note, some of our representatives have the absolute worst penmanship I have seen.

[npgunner]

Quote from the letter in the OP: "That a proposal would not pass both houses of Congress is not a justification to circumvent Congress, but all the more reason why we must respect the constitutional process of law-making."

 

They pretty much summed up his idea on legislation in 17 words.