Here is what mine hast to say:
RE: Opposition to Gun Control Measures Before the State Legislature
Dear Mr. Quigley:
This is in response to your recent communication to our 9th District Legislative Office in opposition to the gun control package introduced in the State Legislature and recently considered by the Assembly as an infringement upon your Second Amendment rights. Your outreach is greatly appreciated as our Delegation always welcomes input from constituents actively engaged in the legislative process, especially on such a key issue that involves constitutional rights.
Please know that our Delegation has a deep respect for the Second Amendment rights provided for under the U.S. Constitution which, as elected representatives, we have pledged to uphold. Further, we recognize that the protection of gun owner rights is an extremely important issue to a large segment of our constituency, whom we have the privilege of representing as their State Representatives.
In representing the interests of our constituents, such as you, our Delegation stands opposed to the gun control package introduced in the State Legislature, as the record clearly shows. Like all Americans, we abhor gun violence. Our hearts go out to the loved ones of those whose lives were lost in recent shooting tragedies, including in Colorado and Connecticut. But, when carefully considering the circumstances surrounding these tragedies, which were catalysts for the majority of the legislation recently considered by the Assembly, the answer is simply not to fast track gun control measures in a state that already has among the most stringent gun laws in the country.
To believe that ramrodding through more gun control legislation will somehow prevent deranged individuals from carrying out murderous acts of violence is to ignore the fact that violence in America is a complex, multi-faceted problem that requires a holistic approach. Vilifying gun owners and charging that the Second Amendment is outdated will do nothing to address the core causes behind the violence that we all want to see ended.