I just posted this on my FB Status.
An Open Letter to all Members of Congress:
(Please feel free to copy and use)
Dear (insert Sen/Rep name), i am writing you today to address the recent tragedy in Connecticut and the resulting emotional outcry for Congress to "Do Something" about Gun Violence.
Surely Sir/Ma'am, you realize that the problem is not Gun Violence, but the Violence itself and those who choose such reprehensible behavior. The type of person who would commit such an atrocity is interested only in the carnage, not the means used to cause it. The abhorrent acts of these individuals have not been sudden reactions to external stimulus, they were planned, meticulously in some cases, and their targets chosen specifically because they offered the most chance of success and the greatest impact.
Therefore, I submit that the legislation meant to restrict certain firearms or firearms related accessories currently being debated is merely an attempt to mollify those who would insist that Congress react emotionally and will have little effect on the underlying problem. The example of England and Australia's rapid rise in violent crime rates following their gun bans should serve as proof that the object used is less relevant to this discussion than the type of people who use them.
I further submit that such legislation will only shift the means employed in the commission of such an atrocity, which I fear will have even more lethal results. I would remind you that the Oklahoma City Bombing occurred a scant one year after the Clinton Assault Weapons Ban went into effect.
Please Sir/Ma'am, I encourage you and every other Member of Congress to take time to focus on an actual solution to the underlying problem instead of forging ahead with more ineffective legislation that punishes your law abiding constituents for the actions of criminals and mentally ill.
Respectfully Yours,
An Open Letter to all Members of Congress:
(Please feel free to copy and use)
Dear (insert Sen/Rep name), i am writing you today to address the recent tragedy in Connecticut and the resulting emotional outcry for Congress to "Do Something" about Gun Violence.
Surely Sir/Ma'am, you realize that the problem is not Gun Violence, but the Violence itself and those who choose such reprehensible behavior. The type of person who would commit such an atrocity is interested only in the carnage, not the means used to cause it. The abhorrent acts of these individuals have not been sudden reactions to external stimulus, they were planned, meticulously in some cases, and their targets chosen specifically because they offered the most chance of success and the greatest impact.
Therefore, I submit that the legislation meant to restrict certain firearms or firearms related accessories currently being debated is merely an attempt to mollify those who would insist that Congress react emotionally and will have little effect on the underlying problem. The example of England and Australia's rapid rise in violent crime rates following their gun bans should serve as proof that the object used is less relevant to this discussion than the type of people who use them.
I further submit that such legislation will only shift the means employed in the commission of such an atrocity, which I fear will have even more lethal results. I would remind you that the Oklahoma City Bombing occurred a scant one year after the Clinton Assault Weapons Ban went into effect.
Please Sir/Ma'am, I encourage you and every other Member of Congress to take time to focus on an actual solution to the underlying problem instead of forging ahead with more ineffective legislation that punishes your law abiding constituents for the actions of criminals and mentally ill.
Respectfully Yours,
