[FONT="]As I am sure many of you know, the President posted a response to the many “We the People” petitions regarding possible upcoming gun control legislation. I signed a few, and I know many of you did as well. They have requested responses to the President’s response, so this is mine. I submitted it on the online form, and I intend to print a copy on my letterhead and mail it to several members of Congress, as well as the White House, which I think is extremely important for all of us to do. Please feel free to use my letter as a template, but I do ask that you change it a little and make it unique to your specific thoughts. If we send dozens of identical messages it will have less of an impact. You can find the response form here: Share Your Thoughts on Reducing Gun Violence | The White House[/FONT]
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[FONT="]In the President’s “We the People” response, it is noted that the 1994 Crime Bill and its inclusion of an Assault Weapons Ban brought down the violent crime rate. I would like to remind the administration of the University of Pennsylvania’s study conducted after the Assault Weapons Ban expired that came to the exact opposite conclusion. There was no statistically significant amount of violent crime reduction. Furthermore, there research found that less than 15% of all crime committed with firearms were committed with firearms that fit the definition of an Assault Weapon. [/FONT]
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[FONT="]If the Administration wants to open a dialog on gun control, it should start with being honest with the American People, not by pushing for “feel good” measures that will do nothing to solve the real problems we face in this country, and certainly not buy pushing for new legislation that will infringe upon the natural rights of every citizen of the United States of America with nothing to gain. Please give us a meaningful, open, and honest discussion. Nobody wants more tragedies to occur, but we will never be able to reach common ground if we are not honest about what the real problems are, and what solutions will actually fix them. [/FONT]
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[FONT="]Thank you for providing a forum for us to have our voices heard, and I wholeheartedly hope that you will read and really consider the feedback that is received. [/FONT]
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[FONT="]--Joshua [full name redacted] of South Bend, Indiana[/FONT]
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[FONT="]In the President’s “We the People” response, it is noted that the 1994 Crime Bill and its inclusion of an Assault Weapons Ban brought down the violent crime rate. I would like to remind the administration of the University of Pennsylvania’s study conducted after the Assault Weapons Ban expired that came to the exact opposite conclusion. There was no statistically significant amount of violent crime reduction. Furthermore, there research found that less than 15% of all crime committed with firearms were committed with firearms that fit the definition of an Assault Weapon. [/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]If the Administration wants to open a dialog on gun control, it should start with being honest with the American People, not by pushing for “feel good” measures that will do nothing to solve the real problems we face in this country, and certainly not buy pushing for new legislation that will infringe upon the natural rights of every citizen of the United States of America with nothing to gain. Please give us a meaningful, open, and honest discussion. Nobody wants more tragedies to occur, but we will never be able to reach common ground if we are not honest about what the real problems are, and what solutions will actually fix them. [/FONT]
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[FONT="]Thank you for providing a forum for us to have our voices heard, and I wholeheartedly hope that you will read and really consider the feedback that is received. [/FONT]
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[FONT="]--Joshua [full name redacted] of South Bend, Indiana[/FONT]
