Please contact your state rep, senator and president about rational gun control.

Dear  Mr. Armstrong :

 

Thank you for contacting me about the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue. 

 

My family and I join all Americans in grieving for the children, teachers and staff who had their lives taken from them in the vicious attacks at Sandy Hook Elementary School. We must pledge never to forget the victims of this senseless act of violence.

 

From the attack on Congresswoman  Giffords that left six dead , to the shootings in Colorado, Wisconsin, Oregon and Connecticut, it is too painfully clear that we must take meaningful action to make our communities safer. The 2008 Skagit County mass shootings that killed six brought this type of tragedy to our home. No single law can prevent the actions of a madman, but that is no excuse to not take action.

 

I continue to hold my position that Congress should reinstate the assault weapons ban and ban high-capacity ammunition clips above 10 roun ds per clip, as proposed by Representative McCarthy. These military-grade weapons serve no legitimate purpose in civilian life.

 

We must close the gun show and private sale loopholes and strengthen background check requirements to make sure  that criminals and the mentally ill are unable to purchase guns.

 

Gun control is part, but not all of the solution. Mental illness has been shown to be a factor in some of these mass shootings. Mental illnesses are often misunderstood and under-diagnosed. Health providers need to give mental health the same attention that  physical health is given. Congress should direct more research into mental illness and provide more funding for effective care of mentally ill patients.

 

We have not seen the last of violent crimes in our country, but if Congress and the President act, we can make our communities safer and shrink this cycle of violence.

 

Again, thank you for contacting me on this issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other issue.

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Sincerely,
Rick Larsen
United States Representative
Washington State, 2nd District

Obama’s Last Stand: American Gun Control

After years of the entire democratic parties feet dragging over gun control, and passive NRA ass kissing due to fears of voter disassociation within the gun nut crowd. I have to express my anger at the Democratic Party for only stepping up now after a grade school is massacred.

They truly were the ones that had a chance to do something about the rampant indiscriminate gun violence in our country, and turn rational gun control into something real that could have prevented tragedies like the one in Connecticut.

Fair, progressive, and conducive with the times we live in now gun legislation, even ten years ago could have drastically changed our circumstances concerning these rampant senseless shootings in America today.

Lucky for us, President Obama is on his last term and in a position to finally do the right thing about progressive gun control instead of worrying about votes.

The trouble with any form of rights is that they can become just as dangerous if not more as having no rights at all if you do not recognize the responsibilities of how you use those rights. The right to carry arms is one of those dangerous and perpetually disputed and controversial rights we have as Americans that constantly turns around to bite us in the ass when we least expect it.

That may sound like socialism slipping into communism to the far right, but being responsible does not historically include American politics, and the shady party histories and leaders on both sides that are constantly worried about their own careers, and the best interest of votes rather than voters.

Honestly and objectively thinking of the country first regardless of your personal ambitions; that is in my view the measure of a true patriot and leader.

I might not have always believed in Obama's choices, or certain overseas politics, but one feeling I have never questioned about our president is that he really does care about the health, welfare, and safety of his nation’s citizens, nor do I ever doubt his patriotism or commitment to gradual political change for the betterment of all Americans.

Unity is what our country needs right now, healing not division. We need to think about the people, the country, and what we can do to help bring us all back from the brink of our own self destruction caused by domestic individual selfish interests. An American should love all his country - not just the part that agrees with his views.

The sad fact of things is that if you Google political unity over Newtown shooting as of my search on Dec. 20, 2012, nothing pops up. That tells me right there that the only chance we have of rational workable gun control lies solely in the hands of a last term president, and a scared and divided nation over the right to bear arms.