Response from my Congressman

March 7, 2013


Mr. Jason Reed
Allen, TX 75002-3209


Dear Mr. Reed:

Thank you for contacting me regarding your support for the Second Amendment. I appreciate having the benefit of your views on this issue.

I fully support the Second Amendment and believe it is critical to ensure the federal government does not pass laws that infringe upon a citizen's right to keep and bear arms. The 2008 Supreme Court ruling that reaffirmed Americans have a right to own firearms for personal use was a positive step towards this goal. In the June 2010 ruling, the Supreme Court affirmed that the right to keep and bear arms is among one of our most fundamental rights as citizens.

You can be certain I will continue to work to uphold the Second Amendment. Eligible law-abiding citizens should have the right to purchase and own firearms. With more than 20,000 local, state and federal gun laws on the books, it is clear that more gun control laws are not the answer to eliminating gun violence. Instead of imposing new, onerous restrictions on gun ownership, the best means of reducing crimes committed with firearms is to enforce existing laws against these crimes and fully prosecute those who use guns to commit crimes.

Please know that I remain strongly opposed to legislation that attempts to infringe upon our constitutional right to own a firearm. Keeping honest citizens from owning a firearm in no way impairs a criminal's ability to obtain a weapon. I have consistently received an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association and the Gun Owners of America for my voting record on the right to bear arms, and you can rest assured I will strongly oppose any efforts by this President to try and erode any of the freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution.

Thank you for taking the time to get in touch with me. Your interest and input are valued and I hope to hear from you in the future regarding other matters of importance. I encourage you to visit my website and sign-up for my monthly e-newsletter at www.samjohnson.house.gov to learn more about other issues impacting the 3rd District of Texas.


Sincerely,


SAM JOHNSON
Member of Congress
SJ/TH

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.

Sounds like a straight-shootin' dude!

In the southern part of our state the legislators are more 2A than the ones near NYC. We have a lot of sportsman here who vote and attend rallies, so they do listen to us.

I received several replies back from my reps.

I ended up deleting the emails after reading though them, so I can't copy and paste them here.

But, they sounded pretty much like the email that Pup posted..

I spoke to state politician that recognized me from fire department functions and let her know how I feel about gun control, the economy, and cost of living in the area... I said told her just as soon as I get the next opportunity I am taking my stuff to Texas, where I can have what I want, I can carry my gun with a concealed permit, and make basically the same money and afford to do the things I like and raise a family.