Posted: 1/31/2013 7:26:00 PM EDT
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Here are a few of the replies I got from emails I sent about 2A issues.
Dear Constituent, Thank you for taking the time to contact me and the Colorado Attorney General's Office. While we do review all emails, due to the volume of communication received by my office, it is not practicable for me to respond to each one. However, learning your thoughts helps guide the work at the Department of Law so thank you for taking your time to share your thoughts. Regards, Attorney General John Suthers Dear Mark: Thank you for contacting me regarding some of the different gun proposals that have been introduced during the 113th Congress, including S.2 introduced by Senator Harry Reid, S.150 introduced by Senator Diane Feinstein, and the proposal put forth by President Obama. I appreciate hearing from you. The numerous tragedies that our nation has had to face over the past year have been staggering. My own family, like all Americans, has been repeatedly shocked and deeply saddened by the violence we have witnessed, and my heart continues to be with the victims and their families. As Coloradans, we know how this type of tragedy can shake a community to its core and in the aftermath of these abhorrent acts our priority should be on supporting the survivors and families, and healing our communities. We must have a real discussion in this country about finding ways to stop these senseless shootings. I believe a combination of improved access to mental health services, restrictions on certain weapons intended for warfare, and elimination of the gun show loophole are sensible steps that can protect our communities and particularly, our children. In Colorado, we support the right to bear arms and the ability of people to recreate, hunt, and protect their homes, and we want to keep the wrong weapons out the hands of the wrong people. I believe we can have a civil discussion that addresses these issues and as the recommendations by the President's task force are considered in Congress, we will ensure that Colorado's voices are heard. In addition to the bills referenced above, there are a number of different legislative proposals on gun policy currently before Congress. I am evaluating all of the different bills, and I will keep your thoughts in mind as we work on this issue in the Senate. Let us all continue to keep the communities affected by these tragic acts in our thoughts and prayers. I value the input of fellow Coloradans in considering the wide variety of important issues and legislative initiatives that come before the Senate. I hope you will continue to inform me of your thoughts and concerns. For more information about my priorities as a U.S. Senator, I invite you to visit my website at http://bennet.senate.gov/. Again, thank you for contacting me. Sincerely, Michael F. Bennet United States Senator Dear Mr. Harris, Thank you for your contacting Rep. Kagan about gun control. Rep. Kagan believes in both the importance of second amendment rights and in protecting our children. He appreciates hearing your thoughts on the issue and will listen to the debate on proposed legislation with your views in mind. If you would like to talk with Rep. Kagan about this or any other issue you may attend his Town Hall meeting on the third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. The next Town Hall will be held at the new Cherry Hill Village Community Center at 2460 East Quincy Avenue, Cherry Hills Village. Shakti Legislative Aide (303)866-2921 Dear Mark: Thank you for writing regarding gun control in Colorado. This is an important subject, and we appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts and concerns. Throughout the past six months in Colorado and across the nation, we have experienced an unprecedented level of tragedy due to gun violence. The shooting that occurred in Aurora on the night of July 20th is an event that will remain in our hearts and minds forever. And while our lives will never be the same again, these experiences showed the strength and resilience of individuals to come together as a community. Now, as a community, we must come together to discuss ways we can prevent similar tragedies in the future. Your letter is one of thousands we have received expressing sympathy and sharing your opinions on everything from banning assault weapons, to increasing mental health availability, to the rights of citizens to carry concealed weapons. The diversity of opinions on how best to address this issue is proof positive that we should not shy away from this discussion. We are confident that through thoughtful and mindful debate we can find reasonable solutions that respect the rights of law-abiding Coloradans to own firearms while maintaining the health and safety of our communities. This is a multifaceted issue and part of this dialogue should focus on mental health access. So, we have asked the Colorado General Assembly to support a comprehensive overhaul of our state’s mental health system so we can better identify and help people who are a threat to themselves and others. This is a conversation that will continue throughout the course of this legislative session, so we also encourage you to share your thoughts with your legislators. To contact the House of Representatives, please call 303-866-2904. To contact the Senate, please call 303-866-2316. These contacts will direct your call to the appropriate office. Or, you can find your legislators online at http://www.colorado.gov/esri/webmaps/my-hood.html?webmap-id=a4838d49acca478e82f453d209bc81d9 Once again, thank you for your input, and for taking the time to contact our office. We will keep your thoughts in mind as we move forward. Sincerely, Office of Governor John W. Hickenlooper Dear Mark: Thank you for contacting me about Senator Diane Feinstein's assault weapons ban proposal. This issue is of great importance to me as well, so I appreciate hearing your thoughts and the opportunity to respond to your concerns. As you are aware, Senator Diane Feinstein has proposed legislation to prohibit the sale, importation, transfer, and manufacturing of all assault weapons and high capacity ammunition-feeding devices. This federal mandate would outlaw the purchase, ownership, and use of hundreds of firearms and would limit magazine capacity to 10 rounds for semiautomatic rifles and handguns. As a member of the House of the Representatives, I will not vote on this legislation unless it is passed by the Senate and scheduled for a vote in the House. Representative Diana DeGette has introduced House Resolution 138, the Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act. As a companion bill to Senator Feinstein's legislation, H.R. 138 would likewise ban the transfer and possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices. I believe that states should continue to implement these standards. It would not be wise for Congress to establish an arbitrary national standard, provided that each state is composed of different demographics, crime rates, and local culture. The Colorado General Assembly will be having this debate during this session of the legislature. I do not doubt Senator Feinstein's and Rep. DeGette's sincerity, but I believe these standards are best left to state and local governments. However, I am in favor of improving the federal gun background check system through legislation that would strengthen the screening process for people who have a record of past criminal activities or mental illness. Thank you again, Mark, for taking the time to contact me. For more information on my work in Congress on your behalf, please sign up for my newsletter at https://forms.house.gov/coffman/webforms/enews.html. Dear Constituent, Thank you for taking the time to contact my office on the topic of gun control policy. The recent mass shootings in our state and now Connecticut are truly tragic and understandably renewing attention on a variety of public policy issues, including mental health treatment and gun control policy. Our state and national legislators are also hearing this message. Any changes to our gun laws must be initiated by our elected legislators. Therefore, I encourage you to also share your thoughts directly with them. As Attorney General, my job is to enforce our laws and protect the constitutional rights of Colorado citizens which I will do to the best of my ability. Regards, John W. Suthers |