Thank you for contacting me to express your thoughts on the national debate we are having in the wake of the mass shootings that have recently occurred throughout the country, including the tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. I appreciate hearing from you.
Let me make a few points very clear. I appreciate and respect the rights of responsible adults to own guns. I support the Second Amendment and oppose any effort to deny law-abiding individuals the ability to own firearms.
There is no set of laws we can pass that can end all gun violence. There are, however, practical, common sense measures we can take to reduce mass killings and lower the death toll. These measures should include improving our mental health system, strengthening security at schools and other sites, and some common sense gun safety measures.
With respect to gun safety laws, I support measures to ensure that guns do not fall into the hands of criminals and individuals that have been found to be mentally unstable. Therefore, I do support measures to ensure that we have universal background checks. We also need to strengthen measures to prevent illegal gun trafficking and straw purchases. We should not make it easy for criminals to evade the criminal background checks by getting others to buy guns for them.
I also believe we need to adopt other common sense measures like limiting the magazine capacity to 10 rounds. Law enforcement officials have identified this strategy as the most effective way to limit the carnage during these horrific mass shootings, and they have also made clear that this limitation would not affect Americans' abilities to defend their families and property. As you may know, during the massacre in 2011 in Tucson, Arizona that killed 6 people and wounded 13 others, Jared Lee Loughner was finally stopped after emptying his 33-round high-capacity magazine by nearby heroes who restrained him while he was attempting to reload another magazine. The perpetrators of the Aurora and Newtown massacres used similarly large (or larger) magazines as well. This measure can help reduce the carnage of these horrific massacres.
Universal background checks, laws to prevent illegal gun trafficking, and a limit on the size of magazines are among the common sense steps we can take to prevent guns from falling into dangerous hands and to reduce the death toll. These measures should be part of a comprehensive strategy that also strengthens the mental health system and increases security in our schools and other places.
Again, thank you for taking the time to share your views with me. Please do not hesitate to let me know whenever I may be of service.
Sincerely,
Chris Van Hollen
Member of Congress
P.S. Please visit my website at www.house.gov/vanhollen. While there, you can sign up for my e-mail newsletter, view press releases and statements, see what legislation I have sponsored or co-sponsored and receive information on the various constituent services provided by my office.
Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/ChrisVanHollen4Congress?fref=pb
Let me make a few points very clear. I appreciate and respect the rights of responsible adults to own guns. I support the Second Amendment and oppose any effort to deny law-abiding individuals the ability to own firearms.
There is no set of laws we can pass that can end all gun violence. There are, however, practical, common sense measures we can take to reduce mass killings and lower the death toll. These measures should include improving our mental health system, strengthening security at schools and other sites, and some common sense gun safety measures.
With respect to gun safety laws, I support measures to ensure that guns do not fall into the hands of criminals and individuals that have been found to be mentally unstable. Therefore, I do support measures to ensure that we have universal background checks. We also need to strengthen measures to prevent illegal gun trafficking and straw purchases. We should not make it easy for criminals to evade the criminal background checks by getting others to buy guns for them.
I also believe we need to adopt other common sense measures like limiting the magazine capacity to 10 rounds. Law enforcement officials have identified this strategy as the most effective way to limit the carnage during these horrific mass shootings, and they have also made clear that this limitation would not affect Americans' abilities to defend their families and property. As you may know, during the massacre in 2011 in Tucson, Arizona that killed 6 people and wounded 13 others, Jared Lee Loughner was finally stopped after emptying his 33-round high-capacity magazine by nearby heroes who restrained him while he was attempting to reload another magazine. The perpetrators of the Aurora and Newtown massacres used similarly large (or larger) magazines as well. This measure can help reduce the carnage of these horrific massacres.
Universal background checks, laws to prevent illegal gun trafficking, and a limit on the size of magazines are among the common sense steps we can take to prevent guns from falling into dangerous hands and to reduce the death toll. These measures should be part of a comprehensive strategy that also strengthens the mental health system and increases security in our schools and other places.
Again, thank you for taking the time to share your views with me. Please do not hesitate to let me know whenever I may be of service.
Sincerely,
Chris Van Hollen
Member of Congress
P.S. Please visit my website at www.house.gov/vanhollen. While there, you can sign up for my e-mail newsletter, view press releases and statements, see what legislation I have sponsored or co-sponsored and receive information on the various constituent services provided by my office.
Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/ChrisVanHollen4Congress?fref=pb
that I was going to do everything I could to unseat him.
