A Letter in Response to Proposed Gun Legislation in CT

#MoreLawsMoreProblems

Here is a letter I wrote to all my reps at the state level, and I will be sending a modified version to my reps at the federal level:

Hello State Rep,

I am a citizen of Milford, registered voter and veteran of the United States Marine Corps. I am also a local DJ who works 4 nights a week in local establishments here in Milford. I talk to a lot of people on a daily basis and have a pretty accurate sense of the social climate here in the area. And when I say talk, I really mean listen. I don’t try to talk over people or push what I believe onto them. I genuinely want to know how people feel about topics in the community. So most times I won’t even state what side of a particular argue or topic I am on. I believe this is what gives me a true accurate sense of how people feel.

The reason for this email as stated above in the subject line is the recent proposed legislation aimed at guns, the owners and control. First off I would like to express my disgust in the way that gun control proponents are using the terrible tragedy in Sandy Hook as a platform to spread lies, fear and hate. These proponents were advocates of gun control before this senseless act of violence, and are using it to there advantage. They are trying to blur the lines between fact and fiction when it comes to firearms.

That all being said I would like to share my feelings on the proposed legislation. I believe most of it is a knee jerk reaction. I understand that legislators need to do something so the public knows they care. I understand elected officials have to accurately represent there constituents. I understand there is a lot of propaganda on both sides swaying pubic opinion. BUT most if not all of the people I talk to believe that there are enough laws in place. CT is one of the strictest states as far as guns go. These laws are working. It all comes down to the old saying: “If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns.”

Then there are issues such as limiting magazine(clip) size on semi-automatic weapons. Honestly this is only going to hurt the law abiding citizen. Criminals are not going to obey these rules. Please don’t misinterpret me, I believe the Milford Police Department does a great job! Very tactful and respectful of citizens. I see this on a daily basis in downtown Milford. That is more than I can say for some members of Law Enforcement in other cities where I have DJed (That is a whole other topic). Even with all my respect for the police here in Milford I know that they cannot be every where at once. So, as slim as the chance may be, it may be up to the law abiding citizen to protect her or himself until the police arrive. Also it is great to be prepared in the unlikely event of a major natural disaster, civil unrest or likewise scenarios. In the Marine Corps we always trained for the worse just as a back up, and as a boy scout I remember the motto which was “Be Prepared.”

In short we have the correct laws in place. They work! I am including a list of proposed bills and my stance on each of these. I copied and pasted these from the Connecticut Carry Defense League’s Website. I have carefully read through all these bills and agree with all there stances except for HB-5269. I listed my reason below:

HB-5112 AN ACT CONCERNING THE DISCLOSURE OF THE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF PERSONS HOLDING HANDGUN PERMITS. Official Position: Oppose
HB-5165 AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEFENSE OF A PERSON’S HOME, MOTOR VEHICLE OR BUSINESS. Official position: Support
HB-5176 AN ACT CONCERNING THE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR A TEMPORARY STATE PERMIT TO CARRY A PISTOL OR REVOLVER. Official position: Support
HB-5179 AN ACT CONCERNING ACCESS TO THE INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE SYSTEM OF THE SPECIAL LICENSING AND FIREARMS UNIT OF THE DIVISION OF STATE POLICE. Official position: Support
HB-5268 AN ACT REQUIRING THE MAINTENANCE OF LIABILITY INSURANCE BY FIREARM OWNERS AND ESTABLISHING A SALES TAX ON AMMUNITION. Official position Oppose
HB-5269 AN ACT INCREASING THE PENALTY FOR CRIMINAL USE OF A FIREARM OR ELECTRONIC DEFENSE WEAPON.
I personally disagree with this one. I believe it should be interpreted on a case by case analysis by law enforcement and the judicial branch.
SB-1 AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS FROM VIOLENCE. Official position: Oppose
SB-21 AN ACT AUTHORIZING BONDS OF THE STATE FOR AN ETERNAL LIGHT IN MEMORY OF VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE. Official position: Oppose- amendment for all victims of violence not just firearms. SB-42 AN ACT CONCERNING THE CRIMINAL POSSESSION OF AMMUNITION. Official position: Oppose
SB-122 AN ACT CONCERNING RESTRICTIONS ON GUN USE. Official position: Oppose
SB-124 AN ACT BANNING LARGE CAPACITY AMMUNITION MAGAZINES. Official position: Oppose
SB-140 AN ACT CONCERNING LIABILITY INSURANCE FOR FIREARM OWNERS AND SALES TAX ON AMMUNITION. Official position: Oppose

Thank You for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read my email. it really does mean a lot to me, and I would love to hear how you feel about these issues and why. Being very opened minded I value different opinions.

Sincerely,
Brandon S.
Concerned Citizen of Milford, CT