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CoryCop25
01-18-13, 20:28
I fired off several letters in the past few weeks but only received one reply. It was from Senator Robert Casey Jr. (PA-D). His letter was a form letter and it seemed to have one for people opposed to the AWB and one for the AWB. The one that I received stated that he is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment BUT supports the Administration's ban on assault weapons and high capacity clips. His obvious decision to follow what the left wants and the obvious lack of knowledge pressed me to write this response.....

Senator Casey,
As a police officer, firearms instructor, and an active shooter response instructor, I have to respectfully disagree with your stance on an assault weapons ban. I completely understand your concern for the safety of the people of this Commonwealth and this great country. I am also sickened by the actions of the evil individuals in the past several years.
I can not agree that you are a strong supporter of the Second Amendment if you support a ban on ANY firearm or high capacity magazine (not clip). As the Second Amendment to the Bill of Rights states, "The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." Although this Amendment was written over 200 years ago and its writers had no knowledge of the ability of a modern assault rifle, it was those writers that gave this great country the ability create the modern technology to create such weapons to protect the nation and its citizens. The modern assault weapon like the AR-15 platform rifle, absolutely has a purpose in this country. I am a single parent of 4 children. I use an AR-15 to protect them in my home. The reason I choose this particular weapon to protect my family is because the projectile will not travel through rooms inside my home and cause harm to others inside. This is also a weapon I use at work as a police officer, to enter apartment complexes or town homes to ensure the safety of innocent citizens in the vicinity. Handguns and large caliber rifles will over penetrate and can potentially cause undue harm.
This country must work harder to punish the criminals that commit crimes with firearms, ensure that prosecutors do not plea down gun charges and that people with mental health issues do not get access to firearms. Taking the rights from law abiding citizens will NOT reduce crime and make them easier targets for criminals, as criminals are weak and prefer easy victims.
If you continue to support ANY assault weapons ban, I can not give you my vote for election to any office. I am telling you this as a citizen of the United States of America, a resident of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a police officer on the front lines of gun violence and an instructor that teaches law enforcement how to train, prepare and respond to incidents that have occurred in this country that has the potential to infringe of the rights of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms.

Thank You,
Cory

CoryCop25
01-19-13, 14:17
Casey responded today with the same form letter I received that made me decide to write him.... :rolleyes:

CoryCop25
01-19-13, 14:47
Here is the original letter he sent me.....



Dear xxx:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me about the tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.

As you know, on December 14, 2012, an individual in Newtown, Connecticut forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School and opened fire on teachers and staff in the building. In total, the perpetrator murdered 20 students between the ages of six and seven years old, as well as six adults, many of whom heroically sought to stop the shooter and save the lives of children. Like many Americans, I was deeply affected by the scope and brutality of this act. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

The motives that led to this senseless massacre will likely never fully be comprehended. However, I believe that all public officials have a responsibility to work to prevent such an event from occurring again. This incident reflects a complex problem that requires a comprehensive strategy, including funding for law enforcement officers and the mental health care system. Too many individuals with mental illness are not receiving the services they need and tragically, sometimes a small number of these individuals turn violent. I have supported access to affordable and accessible mental health services for all Americans and I will continue to review proposed solutions to improve our mental health system.

As you may know, I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. Pennsylvania has a fine hunting and sporting tradition, and I will defend the right to bear arms as it is enshrined in our Constitution. However, I also believe that the attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School highlights very serious dangers posed to public safety by the misuse of certain weapons and technology originally developed for warfare. According to reports, the shooter was able to kill many children and adults very quickly because he possessed a military-style semiautomatic weapon. He also allegedly used magazines containing up to 30 rounds of ammunition and carried hundreds of rounds more. After much reflection and careful study of the issue, I have decided to support a federal assault weapons ban as well as legislation restricting high capacity clips. In light of what occurred at Sandy Hook, these are two measures that will lessen the chances that this will happen again soon.

Our Nation has already begun a critical dialogue as we examine what steps must be taken to prevent this type of tragedy in the future. On December 19, 2012, President Obama announced the formation of an inter-agency task initiative, led by Vice President Biden, to study these issues and recommend possible actions. I look forward to reviewing these proposals, as well to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address this complex issue.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website, http://casey.senate.gov. I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator

P.S. If you would like to respond to this message, please use the contact form on my website: http://casey.senate.gov/contact/

Hmac
01-19-13, 15:08
Writing to our elected officials is important and something we all should be doing. We have to be realistic about it, however.

That mail and email would be rarely, if ever, seen by the Senator/Representative himself. It will be opened and reviewed by some junior staffer and the only aspect of it that the boss will see is a tabulated total labeled Gun Control, "For" and "Against". If harsh or disrespectful language is included, it's likely to just get tossed and not even counted. A particularly well-written or well-worded letter might get passed on to the legislator, but only if it reinforces his/her pre-conceived position...something that can be used to demonstrate the will of his/her electorate.

Shorter is better, with a clear indicator as to whether you're "For" more gun control, or "Against" it.

Belmont31R
01-19-13, 15:39
Check to see if they are FB. I've talked to my rep a few times on there when he got on there. We got him to turn a yes vote on the internet pirating bill last year to a no vote.

J-Dub
01-19-13, 15:47
Pretty radical stuff there.


I personally think we should get down on our knees and thank our Government officials that know whats best for us.

Rights are bad. We cant be trusted with any freedom.

Frankly I believe all firearms should be registered and regulated. Maybe rfid chips should be in them too. Or monthly firearm checks in your home so the authorities can make sure your weapons are kept properly.

I would love that. Also guys, make sure if you "see something, say something". Always rat on your neighbors, friends, and family. The Government will take care of you down the road if you rat on people now.


(Hopefully this wont be deleted, I tried to make it jellyfish enough to fit in here and be non threatening.)

CoryCop25
01-19-13, 17:01
Check to see if they are FB. I've talked to my rep a few times on there when he got on there. We got him to turn a yes vote on the internet pirating bill last year to a no vote.

Good idea but I avoid FB like the plague.

Matthew
01-19-13, 17:34
Casey responded today with the same form letter I received that made me decide to write him.... :rolleyes:

I got the same form letter from Casey, and replied to him that he was not elected to take away the Second Amendment rights of US citizens, and that I would do everything reasonable to make sure he is not re-elected.

Did you email and call Pat Toomey? I got a very pro-Second Amendment reply from him.

CoryCop25
01-19-13, 21:50
I got the same form letter from Casey, and replied to him that he was not elected to take away the Second Amendment rights of US citizens, and that I would do everything reasonable to make sure he is not re-elected.

Did you email and call Pat Toomey? I got a very pro-Second Amendment reply from him.

I did. I know Pat and a letter would be a waste of time as he is VERY pro gun.

Littlelebowski
01-19-13, 22:37
Good idea but I avoid FB like the plague.

Smart man.