Email Responses - Let's see them

Ok, scratch that, I have received 5 auto replies stating that the message was unable to be delivered due to the mailbox being full. Hopefully that is from all of us and not the Anti gun people pushing for stricter laws

USAFRavenR6 said:

Ok, scratch that, I have received 5 auto replies stating that the message was unable to be delivered due to the mailbox being full. Hopefully that is from all of us and not the Anti gun people pushing for stricter laws

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I have not seen a ton of popular demand for stricter gun control in Maryland. I've seen a lot of people who would be in favor of it, but it's not a big priority for them on a personal level.

Lots of auto-replies from the General Assembly.



One From Delegate Ted Sophocleus (District 32, Anne Arundel County):

Dear Mr. Soda,

I am sure this issue will be presented to the General Assembly this year and we will work to protect the constitutional rights of the citizens of this State while protecting our children and all citizens. Careful review and open dialogue is called for at this time. I am also a father, son, grandfather and understand your emotions and concerns.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance in the future.

Ted Sophocleus


Typical "for our children" non-committal response.

Soda said:

Lots of auto-replies from the General Assembly.

...

Typical "for our children" non-committal response.

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Of the 4 reps in D-32, 3 of them have come back with similar non-statements.

The other, Mary Ann Love, must be too busy seting up her State-funded hotel room for the session... So tough to commute from Glen Burnie to Annapolis...

Dear Mr......

Thank you for sharing your concerns with me about possible new gun regulations
that may be debated during the next Maryland Session. You and I are in agreement
about the importance of maintaining 2nd Amendment rights in a time when
understandable, legitimate sorrow and concern about the atrocity in New Town is
being used by some as an opportunity to attack this important, Constitutional
right.

During my first two years as a State Delegate I have been a strong supporter of
the right to keep and bear arms responsibly. In that time I have co-sponsored
legislation protecting legal gun owners rights, and in addition also
co-sponsored legislation supporting concealed carry laws and state reciprocity
involving the transport of firearms though Maryland.

I expect that this will be a tough legislative season in Maryland for gun owners
in the wake of the horrific shootings, but I will continue to stand up for gun
rights of legal owner’s and the protection of the Second Amendment. Attacking
lawful gun ownership sends a troubling signal that the government not trusts its
citizens and believes they should have fewer rights during dangerous periods.
Ultimately, we need to recognize that we need a change to a culture of
responsibility (which includes parents and close friends of these criminals) and
a new vigilance in the area of mental health. Those are two areas that I plan to
work on more closely in the upcoming Session and beyond.

Again, thank you for contacting me and sharing this information and for your
support. Please feel free to contact me anytime at Justin.Ready@house.state.md.us
or 410-841-3070. I look forward to hearing from you anytime.

Sincerely,

Justin Ready
Member, House of Delegates
District 5A/Carroll

I sent my letters. Waiting for replies. I borrowed a little from some of the earlier submissions.

vector03 said:

Hello. My name is vector03. I hope you all enjoyed the holiday season with friends and family. I am writing today to encourage you to carefully consider any legislation regarding incorrectly labeled “assault weapons”.


We’re all aware of the tragedy in CT. As terrible as this event was, an additional law restricting weapons will not deter criminals (by their very nature) or the mentally ill. Any new law passed by you and the General Assembly will go unnoticed by criminals. These new laws serve to penalize law abiding citizens for the acts of criminals and the mentally ill.


If can encourage you to review the facts compiled by the FBI, I think you’ll see that these incorrectly labeled “assault rifles” are not the problem.
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/table-20


The Federal Assault Weapons Ban was sunset in 2004. The percentage of murders committed by rifle in Maryland from 2004 - 2011 is 0.74%. That’s right… 29 of 3923 murders in Maryland from 2004 – 2011 were committed with rifles. To drive my point home, the number of murders committed in the same timeframe using Hands, Fists, Feet etc…4.53%. That’s right…more than 6x that of rifles.


I think this pretty clearly shows two things.

1. Acts of murder carried out in Maryland show overwhelmingly that incorrectly labeled “assault rifles” are NOT the primary or most destructive weapon used.

2. The fact that more people use their Hands, Fists, and/or Feet to commit murder shows that banning weapons will not discourage criminals and the mentally ill from successfully committing murder.


Please allow the facts to guide your decision. If you truly want your constituents to be safer, please focus on treatment for the mentally ill and incarceration for the criminals.


Thank you for your time.

Yours truly,

vector03

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Short and to the point, I was pleased to see something other than a autoreply so far:

Dear Mr. Snyder,
Delegate McMillan agrees with your point of view and will support HB 38.

Thank you.

Julie Mussog
Legislative Assistant to Delegate Herb McMillan
217 House Office Building
Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone: #410-841-3211

-----Original Message-----
From: Phil Snyder [mailto:philsnyder@XXX]
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2013 10:46 AM
To: McMillan, Herb Delegate
Subject: support of HB 38 repealing "good and substantial."

Streetgang said:

Surprisingly here is the answer I got from Senator Dyson and Representative Bohanon:

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Has anyone heard anything from a St Mary's county politician? Usually Bohannon and Dyson are 2A supporters but a non answer now is loud and clear to me that they aren't going to support us but don't want to tell us.

Got my first reply. Please take note of the bold text.

Delegate Frank S. Turner said:

Thank you for contacting me concerning possible legislation to help control the proliferation of gun violence.

As you may be aware, I have supported a ban on the sales of assault weapons and large capacity magazines and for instant background checks on all gun sales and for a ban on carrying concealed weapons.

There will be many bills in January to address the problems stated above. The real challenge is how to collect the thousands of assault weapons already in circulation and the need to add more state and federal funding to mental health issues.

I appreciate hearing your comments and concerns surrounding these many difficult issues that need to be addressed.

Best wishes,
Frank
Delegate Frank S. Turner
House Ways and Means Committee
Chairman, Finance Resources Subcommittee
District 13 - Howard County
Room 206, HOB
410-841-3246/301-858-3246
Fax: 410-841-3986
E-mail: frank.turner@house.state.md.us
http://mlis.state.md.us/

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Oh, that's comforting.....

Uphill battle...

Dear Mr. (Kino):

Thank you very much for your correspondence regarding gun control laws. I appreciate hearing your views on this important matter.

Please know that I support strong gun control legislation, including a renewal of the ban on the manufacture and possession of semiautomatic assault weapons.

Sadly, gun violence has become a constant in American life. Both urban and rural areas have experienced numerous tragedies. While increased education, incarceration of violent criminals, and improvements in public safety must be part of our effort to reduce gun violence, I believe that keeping guns out of the hands of criminals is essential to preventing gun violence. I have consistently supported bills that would provide key safety provisions, such as requiring 3 business days to complete background checks on weapons purchased at gun shows; requiring safety locks on or storage of all handguns; banning the importation of large ammunition clips; and increasing the minimum age for handgun purchases.

Please know that I am an original co-sponsor of the Stop Gun Trafficking and Strengthen Law Enforcement Act of 2011, H.R. 2554, which would finally create a dedicated statute prohibiting gun trafficking. This critical legislation would give law enforcement a legal tool to prosecute firearms traffickers.

I am also a co-sponsor of the Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act, H.R. 308, which would amend the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to prohibit: (1) the transfer or possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, except for its lawful possession within the United States on or before the date of this Act's enactment; and (2) the importation or bringing into the United States of such a device.

While I recognize the rights of law-abiding citizens, I believe it is my obligation to ensure that our nation's communities are safe from the threat of gun violence. For this reason, I will continue to fight for responsible and appropriate gun control legislation, including reinstatement of the assault weapons ban and provisions to limit those with criminal backgrounds or mental impairment from obtaining weapons.

Thank you again for your correspondence, and please do not hesitate to contact me whenever I may be of assistance.

Sincerely,

Elijah E. Cummings
Member of Congress

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Here is my response from Rep Andy Harris:

January 9, 2013



Dear Mr. Rickman,

Thank you for contacting me about the recent Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut and your concern about the potential erosion of our 2nd Amendment rights. As an educator and father of five, two of whom are still in school, the horror that took place on the morning of Friday, December 14, 2012 is unfathomable. My deepest thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the 27 victims and the Newtown community.

We all must work together to prevent these types of tragedies. I believe we have to start by addressing the culture of violence that has consumed our country. Our news media, movies, television shows, and video games display endless violent images that glorify and inspire this behavior. We have to stop sensationalizing these murderers. According to KidsHealth, the average child spends 28 hours a week watching television and it is estimated that by the time this child leaves elementary school, he or she will have witnessed 8,000 murders and over 100,000 other acts of violence (and this does not include violent video games). According to The Parents Television Council, by the time children reach the age of 18, they have seen more than 40,000 murders and 200,000 acts of violence. I believe this is a major contribution to the problem.

As a physician, I also feel mental health care reform needs to be a part of the discussion. It is important to remember that those with mental illnesses rarely commit acts of violence and this low incidence must be put into perspective. However, we need to make sure children and young adults with mental illness are diagnosed and have access to proper therapy in order to help them cope with their condition. Studies show that more than 10% of children in the United States may benefit from some sort of mental health treatment, but most do not receive help. There is a shortage of resources and services available to serve those that need mental health care support. Furthermore, where these resources exist, their implementation could be improved and used more effectively.

Like you, I agree that we must enforce to the fullest extent possible our current gun control laws that protect people from danger, like preventing gun ownership by criminals or those suffering from a severe psychological disorder that could result in a violent act. Currently, over 4,450 crimes related to guns exist on the federal law books, and tens of thousands have been proposed in the Federal Register. According to the Brady Campaign, Connecticut has the 5th toughest gun laws in the country including an assault weapons ban. Norway, a nation with some of the toughest gun laws in the world, not too long ago had to deal with a mass murderer killing over 80 people, most of whom were children. Illegal use of a firearm, as was the case with the Sandy Hook shooter, should always be prosecuted to the fullest extent.

I believe that by addressing our country's increasingly worrisome culture of violence, and implementing strategies to generally improve our mental health system, we can lessen the occurrence of these tragedies by targeting the root causes of mass murders. I am grateful for your comments, and you may rest assured that I will keep your views in mind as legislation on this issue is discussed. I hope that you will feel free to contact me on any issue of importance to you or your family in the future.



Sincerely,

Andy Harris, M.D.
Member of Congress
harris.house.gov

Dear Mr. Miller/Mr. Busch:

The recent murders at the Sandy Hook elementary school were horrible.

The perpetrator in a nut shell was nuts.

Now we see knee-jerk proposals to stem such vile behavior that would adversely affect lawful gun ownership but do little to get the Adam Lanzas off the street.

Such proposals will undoubtedly be offered in the general assembly this session.

As President of the Senate/Speaker of the House, I ask that you ensure that there is an honest, open debate on the issue. There should be no gun control by amendment.

[rambling_one]

Dear Mr.

Thank you for contacting Senator Ron Young’s office regarding your position on gun control laws. He recognizes the seriousness of this issue and the impact it is having on our local community, as well as our nation.

Senator Young believes very strongly that private citizens should be prohibited from possessing automatic and semi-automatic weapons. Additionally, the Senator feels that gun shows as well as retail outlets that sell firearms should be held to the same strict criteria regarding to whom these weapons may be sold.

I will make sure Senator Young receives a copy of your email so he can review your comments firsthand.

Again, thank you taking the time to share your views regarding this grave issue facing our nation.
Best Regards,


Caitlin Dunn
Constituent Aide
Senator Ronald Young
District 3, Frederick and Washington Counties

Thank you for contacting my office regarding the possibility of legislation regarding increased gun control. I know that the 2013 General Assembly Session will have a great deal of legislation regarding this issues on the agenda. I am also looking forward to seeing the governor’s package concerning gun control. I understand there will be elements of mental health, including communication between health professionals and the State Police. There will also be recommendations for school safety. I will be paying close attention to this issue. You will be able to review all legislation at the General Assembly website: http://mgaleg.maryland.gov.

Regarding school safety, Anne Arundel County currently has a Police Officer in every High School; these Officers actually have an office in the building, roam the halls, and have lunch with the students. Also, you cannot enter a school building in Anne Arundel without being "buzzed" in. It has been my experience that the secretaries that control the doors are very cautious. That is not too say that more cannot be done. I know that every school system is reviewing their procedures.

The 2013 General Assembly Session began on January 9, 2013, I will certainly include your ideas and concerns in my decision making process.

Please continue to stay in touch. My contact information is: Pamela.beidle@house.state.md.us or (410)841-3370.

Best regards,

Pamela G. Beidle
Delegate, District 32

Dear Mr. Snyder,

Thank you for contacting me about HB 38 which allows for a conceal carry law in Maryland. I really appreciate hearing from you.

During my first two years as a State Delegate I have been a strong supporter of the right to keep and bear arms responsibly. In that time I have co-sponsored legislation protecting legal gun owners rights, and in addition also co-sponsored legislation supporting concealed carry laws and state reciprocity involving the transport of firearms though Maryland. During this session I will exercise the same support for conceal carry as I have in the past.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts about conceal carry in Maryland. Please do not hesitate to contact me anytime at 410-841-3070 or Justin.Ready@house.state.md.us.

Sincerely,

Justin Ready
Member, House of Delegates


Seems a little out of touch on it ("Allows for a concealed carry law"), but, I still appreciate the reply...

Dear Supporter of the Second Amendment:

Initially I take this opportunity to thank you for your recent email whereby you expressed adamant opposition to additional Gun Control initiatives which will be introduced in the 2013 Legislative Session of the Maryland General Assembly. Since I have been literally inundated by communications such as yours, I hereby respond to same, and simultaneously set forth my sentiments on Gun Control.



By manner of introduction I am a six term Delegate to the Maryland General Assembly representing Allegany County. I am an attorney by profession and during my entire twenty three years as a member of the General Assembly I have been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. It should be noted the Judiciary Committee is the Committee to which all House of Delegates “Gun” initiatives are assigned. On a personal note, I am lawful owner of firearms and on numerous occasions I have been honored by various Pro – Gun Organizations for my staunch, unwavering support of the Second Amendment. Further, I possess an “A+” NRA rating.



I totally share your assessment that the forthcoming Legislative Session will unfortunately serve as a giant soapbox for Anti-Second Amendment zealots to spew their Gun-Hating venom and to pursue their Gun-Prohibition agendas.



Facts, statistics and common sense will be totally ignored as certain individuals jockey before the media to get their “on air” and/or “in print” opportunity to demonize the NRA and the Second Amendment Rights which the NRA protects and promotes. Simultaneously, many of these “Bashers” of the Second Amendment will utilize their media opportunities to demean those who support the Second Amendment; inferring such individuals “are of a lesser sophistication.”



The Gun-Haters will proclaim to the media “They support the Second Amendment” and they only intend to make “reasonable and responsible changes to the gun laws.” However, these same individuals will never legitimately pursue investigation of the true causes of violence in our society, specifically, broken homes, children born out of wedlock, absence of family structure, pervasiveness of drugs, street gangs, issues of a failed Mental Health System and the promotion/ glorification of violence in movies, on television and in video games, all of which serve to desensitize youth to the actual carnage caused by violence.



Further penalizing lawful gun owners and denying Second Amendment rights to these law abiding individuals will not reduce violent crime. On the contrary, the opposite is true. If law abiding citizens are denied their Second Amendment right to own firearms, then in that event, the only people to have guns will be the criminals. As such, you may be assured I will continue to oppose, and I will continue to vote against, any and all Anti - Second Amendment, Gun Control initiatives. Finally, I submit for your review the following email, statistical information and news article which you may find of interest.



Once again, your expression of Second Amendment support is deeply appreciated and if I can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.



Sincerely yours,



Kevin Kelly, Delegate

Allegany County

I can't believe Ron Young's district is that liberal. He should be hammered over the head with that in 2014.

From our Nemesis Foaming at the mouth Brian Frosh in response to email:

Here is what I sent:

Senator Frosh,

Your arrogance is stunning. The statement you made in the Washington Examiner, "That is the starkest differences between the two jurisdictions," said Sen. Brian Frosh, D-Bethesda. "I just can't believe Maryland would ever endorse policies that say we will turn our schools into armed camps" , reveals your ignorance and hypocrisy. You hate guns so much that you would rather leave teachers defenseless against another Connecticut style shooter. If you are such a believer in “gun Free zones” why don’t you disarm the police officers protecting you at the Annapolis state house? It’s ok to turn the State Capital into and armed camp but not our schools? Surely our children deserve at least the same protection in which you surround yourself?

Before you start to disarm the law abiding citizens of the of Maryland, start in your own house. Make the Capital a gun free zone, including the police protecting you. Perhaps you can send these officers to protect the children in our schools instead.

Sincerely,

Klunatic



Here is Froshy's answer:

Dear Mr. Klunatic,

Thank you for sharing your concerns about school safety. I agree that we need to protect our children from gun violence, but I do not think that putting armed guards in schools is the answer.

Turning our schools into armed camps is unlikely to lead to a reduction in violence. It is also unlikely to adequately protect children from someone with an assault weapon. For example, an armed school resource officer was outgunned and quickly pinned down by the shooters at Columbine in 1999.

Rather than increase armed security at schools, I am leading an effort to pass legislation that will decrease the number of dangerous and illegal weapons in Maryland. The unspeakable tragedy that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut, shows the need for meaningful action to ensure that such weapons are never again used against children.

I appreciate your taking the time to provide me with the benefit of your views. Please feel free to contact me if I can assist you in future.

Sincerely,
Brian Frosh

Thank you for emailing me about gun control.



I support our 2nd Amendment Rights. I also support right to carry laws. I am a NRA member and a GOA member. I even participated in an NRA Women on Target program at the Marriottsville gun range with my kids and it was terrific. We are all looking forward to doing that again.



As you know, Maryland is a difficult state to get meaningful gun rights bills passed. We are most often playing defense in this state. You can count on me to support the good gun bills and oppose those targeted at stripping away any rights that we have. I anticipate an enormous amount of discussion this upcoming Legislative Session. If you are interested in following the proposed laws, please follow this link:

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frm1st.aspx?tab=home

In the right column under "What's Happening Now", click on "Track items of interest". This new service might be particularly helpful to you in following the debate on gun control in MD this Session.



I hope you will continue to communicate with me and call me if I can ever be of assistance to you and your family. Happy New Year to you.





Sincerely yours,



Delegate Kathy Szeliga

District 7 - Baltimore & Harford County

6 Bladen Street, Room 303

Annapolis, MD 21401

410-841-3698; FAX 410-841-3023

Delegate.K.Szeliga@house.state.md.us