Wondering if everyone got the same form letter?
So offensive.
January 29, 2013
Dear Mr. XXXXX,
Thank you for taking the time to contact me about the debate Congress is currently having about our nation's gun laws. I appreciate your input and thoughts on this incredibly important issue.
As you may know, federal law currently allows for the purchase of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines that can fire 20 rounds in 10 seconds. In most states, there is no requirement to undergo a background check before purchasing one of these guns or magazines from a private seller at a gun show.
In an effort to address this, President Obama and Vice President Biden have put forward a comprehensive plan to reduce violence in the United States by keeping weapons out of the hands of criminals and getting military-grade weapons and high-capacity magazines off our streets. The plan would also increase access to mental health services and provide teachers and counselors with the training they need to identify mental illness in young people.
We can uphold the rights of law-abiding citizens to own firearms -- while taking reasonable steps to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and ensure that military-grade weapons aren't being used to kill law enforcement officials and innocent people.
As someone elected to uphold the Constitution, I take seriously the Second Amendment and the rights of Americans to own guns and defend themselves. When the Supreme Court ruled in District of Columbia v. Heller that the Second Amendment gives our citizens the right to keep a handgun in their home, Justice Antonin Scalia, perhaps the court's most conservative justice, stated that "the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited...nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms."
In the past, many elected officials have been reluctant to support stronger gun laws, but I hope that the recent tragedies across America -- from Connecticut to Colorado -- will spur bipartisan passage of common sense proposals like universal background checks for gun purchases and a ban on military-grade weapons and high-capacity magazine clips.
I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts with me regarding this serious matter. I take seriously the trust Delawareans have placed in me and my responsibility to represent them in Congress, and I look forward to serving you in the coming years.
Sincerely,
