Here it is, attached below. There was a shorter one too, but I think this is the one that was submitted...
She also asked me for help with "talking points". I wasn't sure what that meant exactly, but I figured it was a sales job, so I sent this:
Hi Nancy,
I'm not sure what exactly passes as "talking points" on the Senate floor, but I came up with this-
First, a definition, then, why it's an important pursuit, and finally, why further regulation of C&R firearms and collectors is redundant and un-necessary.
Curio and Relic (C&R) collecting is the pastime of collecting vintage and unusual firearms, and is regulated by the BATF. An applicant for a C&R license must submit to an intensive federal background check, and pay a fee, after which the BATF issues the collector a C&R Federal Firearms License. Collectors must maintain a "bound book", in which they record all purchases, and thoroughly document all transfers. This book must be presented to the BATF upon request.
C&R license holders are historians of a kind. Curio & Relic collecting provides the study of the development of firearms (as well as the history of industrialization) with tangible examples of advances in mechanical engineering, as well as a range of sciences including chemistry (propellants & finishes), ergonomics (stock shape, sight picture, slings, etc.), optics (scopes), and design.
The collection of C&R firearms is a conservation of our military heritage, the histories of our military allies (and opponents), and the history of armed conflicts through-out the world. C&R firearms also represent many forms of the advancement of the world's technology.
Collecting vintage firearms connects one to the rich heritage of the United States, from before the inception of the Republic to the present, encompassing matchlocks of the first Pilgrims through flintlocks of the Minutemen, percussion cap Springfields of the Civil War, and up to the rifle that saved Democracy- the U.S. Rifle, cal. .30, M1 (Garand), which was referred to by General Patton as "the greatest battle implement ever devised".
Collecting vintage firearms helps preserve artifacts of U.S. and world history that might otherwise be lost to the smelter. These instruments of freedom deserve to be cherished as much as any documents penned by our Patriot forefathers.
I think you could emphasize the stringent background check that C&R FFL license holders must undergo at the hands of the BATF, the fact all C&R gun purchasers and transfers are recorded in the "bound book", and subject to BATF inspection, and the redundancy apparent if collectors are obligated to undergo background check and licensing with the MSP. C&R collectors are obviously highly law abiding citizens.
I hope this is helpful. I'll continue to think on it.....
I would add that part of the application process is to inform the CLEO of your collection activities.