Letter my best friend wrote to his Senator in Tennessee

[MLeake]

Now this is how letters should read: Respectful, friendly, focused, and firm.

> February 16, 2013
>
> The Honorable Doug Overbey
> 301 6th Avenue North
> Nashville, TN 37243
>
> Dear State Senator Overbey,
>
> I am a law-abiding citizen and responsible gun owner.
>
> I am saddened by the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut, but I believe that efforts to impose new restrictions on me and other lawful and responsible owners like me are misguided. Did you know that violent crime with firearms has declined since the Federal "assault weapons ban" expired in 2004?
>
> Your focus should be on strengthening mental health care and improving the quality of data supporting NICS checks (National Instant Criminal Background Check System). Do NOT pass more gun laws; instead, work to enforce the more than 20,000 gun laws already on the books.
>
> I am your constituent and I vote. Please represent me.
>
> Sincerely,

[AH.74]

That's pretty much the exact same letter that was sent out if you went to the Ruger website and used their system. I know it was for me because I used it and liked how they put it together.

[JimDandy]

Yeah, and it's the right counter for the latest op-ed piece that may make the rounds...

http://community.seattletimes.nwsour...direction=DESC

The story of Ms Boland has a number of problems being used as the example in this case:

She has no criminal record.

The one time this piece has pointed to her pleading "not guilty by reason of insanity" the charges were dropped precluding a mental adjudication.

This woman is not in the NICS check database because she hasn't gone through the due process to get IN the NICS check database. She's not getting false passes. She's getting passed on the Due Process.

[Metal god]

Hello

My names is -------- and I am writing you because I am concerned about the
new gun control legislation that was or is about to be introduced . I do not
believe new gun laws will stop criminals from doing bad things . I also don’t
believe any new gun control laws will solve the real issues . The issues I feel
should be top priority are . Mental illness , judicial discretion and family
values .

I keep hearing people saying things like these "ASSAULT" weapons must be taken
off the streets . When the fact is they are almost never used in firearm related
murders or shootings . In 2010 the FBI did a study that showed there were over
10,000 firearm related homicides in the US that year . Of that 10k+ a rifle
was used only 358 times . Of that 358 less then 100 were so-called ASSAULT
rifles . Like I said less then 1% of all firearm related deaths in 2010 were
caused by someone using an ASSAULT weapon .

Criminals don't care about laws , so making new ones will not stop any crimes .
The young man involved in the CT school shooting did not buy the guns he used ,
he STOLE them and killed the legal owner just before going on his shooting spree
. What law on the books now or being proposed now would have stopped the
shooting in CT .

YES as a nation and human beings we can't sit back and do nothing when 20
children get killed but banning weapons that are almost never used in crimes
while ignoring the real issues plaguing are society is a real problem for me . I
will not support any candidate that does not look at the real issues first
before infringing on my 2nd amendment rights .

I'm writing every member and
asking you please do not support any new gun legislation at this time . I vote
and I will volunteer to help others vote as well . I've always voted the
candidate and not the party . I will not vote for any candidate that supports
new gun legislation and I will encourage others to do the same . I will also be
consulting the NRA grading system to help me out in the poling booth

Thank you for your time

.

That is what I sent out last week to every state official and federal reps