Here is the letter from Senator Murphy
1. From: senator@murphy.senate.gov
To: adamc
Subject: A message from the office of Senator Christopher Murphy
Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2013 18:40:26 -0500
2. Thank you for contacting me about how we can prevent future gun tragedies. I appreciate your correspondence and hope that you find this response helpful.
Gun violence prevention is a sensitive and complicated issue that can be very divisive. While we may not agree on all aspects of how to best enact change, it is important to remember that we do all have the same priorities at heart: the safety of our children, the traditions of our forefathers, and the freedom of our fellow Americans. I can assure you that I am working hard every day to ensure that all of these priorities can be achieved.
Newtown will forever be a reminder of what can happen when even one deranged person can gain access to a deadly weapon. Newtown was not the first time it happened, but I am committed to making sure it is among the last. Too many lives have been traumatically ended or interrupted by gun violence, and our nation has waited too long to establish real safeguards that are capable of protecting the lives of our children and families. Now is the time to work together to establish stronger common sense gun laws that will simultaneously protect our Constitutional rights and keep Americans safe.
As you may be aware, I recently announced my support for the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013, a bill that would take critical steps towards eliminating high-capacity magazines and military-style assault weapons that are designed to inflict deadly harm and mass casualties. Specifically, this bill will ban semiautomatic weapons that can accept detachable magazines and have at least one military feature, as well as eliminating high-capacity ammunition feeding devices. It excludes weapons that are used by military, law enforcement, and retired law enforcement, as well as antique weapons and a specific list of 2,258 makes and models of legitimate hunting and sporting rifles and shotguns. Passing this legislation is an important first step in preventing a mass shooting in the future.
But there is still more work to be done. Research has demonstrated again and again that background checks are effective in keeping guns out of the hands of potential criminals, and most American households--gun-owners and non-owners alike--agree on the importance of this safeguard. Unfortunately, 40% of gun sales today do not require background checks because they are private sales, made over the internet or at gun shows through non-licensed dealers. We need to increase the efficacy of our existing program by closing these loopholes and making it harder for dangerous people to obtain deadly weapons.
3.
Further, preventing the next Newtown is not only about reducing access to the deadliest of weapons. Mental illness is a common thread among the perpetrators of recent mass shootings, and identification and treatment of potentially dangerous people must be made a priority. At the same time, we must recognize that there is absolutely no inherent connection between mental illness and violent behavior, and any steps we take to address these issues must not further stigmatize mental illness or discourage individuals and families from seeking diagnosis and treatment.
As we debate ways to stop gun violence, we must also ensure that the conversation does not stop at Newtown, but encompasses the thousands of victims of gun violence across the country every year. Specifically, too many urban neighborhoods are plagued by unacceptably high rates of gun violence. Better access to mental health care and smarter, more effective common sense gun laws can reduce this violence, and I will do everything I can to address this issue not only in the coming months, but every day that I am serving in the United States Senate.
4.
Thank you again for contacting me about this matter. I appreciate hearing from you and assure you that I will always do my best to represent the views of my constituents in the Senate. In the future, please do not hesitate to call me in my Connecticut office at (860) 549-8463 or my Washington office at (202) 224-4041.
Every Best Wish,
Christopher S. Murphy
United States Senator
1. From: senator@murphy.senate.gov
To: adamc
Subject: A message from the office of Senator Christopher Murphy
Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2013 18:40:26 -0500
2. Thank you for contacting me about how we can prevent future gun tragedies. I appreciate your correspondence and hope that you find this response helpful.
Gun violence prevention is a sensitive and complicated issue that can be very divisive. While we may not agree on all aspects of how to best enact change, it is important to remember that we do all have the same priorities at heart: the safety of our children, the traditions of our forefathers, and the freedom of our fellow Americans. I can assure you that I am working hard every day to ensure that all of these priorities can be achieved.
Newtown will forever be a reminder of what can happen when even one deranged person can gain access to a deadly weapon. Newtown was not the first time it happened, but I am committed to making sure it is among the last. Too many lives have been traumatically ended or interrupted by gun violence, and our nation has waited too long to establish real safeguards that are capable of protecting the lives of our children and families. Now is the time to work together to establish stronger common sense gun laws that will simultaneously protect our Constitutional rights and keep Americans safe.
As you may be aware, I recently announced my support for the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013, a bill that would take critical steps towards eliminating high-capacity magazines and military-style assault weapons that are designed to inflict deadly harm and mass casualties. Specifically, this bill will ban semiautomatic weapons that can accept detachable magazines and have at least one military feature, as well as eliminating high-capacity ammunition feeding devices. It excludes weapons that are used by military, law enforcement, and retired law enforcement, as well as antique weapons and a specific list of 2,258 makes and models of legitimate hunting and sporting rifles and shotguns. Passing this legislation is an important first step in preventing a mass shooting in the future.
But there is still more work to be done. Research has demonstrated again and again that background checks are effective in keeping guns out of the hands of potential criminals, and most American households--gun-owners and non-owners alike--agree on the importance of this safeguard. Unfortunately, 40% of gun sales today do not require background checks because they are private sales, made over the internet or at gun shows through non-licensed dealers. We need to increase the efficacy of our existing program by closing these loopholes and making it harder for dangerous people to obtain deadly weapons.
3.
Further, preventing the next Newtown is not only about reducing access to the deadliest of weapons. Mental illness is a common thread among the perpetrators of recent mass shootings, and identification and treatment of potentially dangerous people must be made a priority. At the same time, we must recognize that there is absolutely no inherent connection between mental illness and violent behavior, and any steps we take to address these issues must not further stigmatize mental illness or discourage individuals and families from seeking diagnosis and treatment.
As we debate ways to stop gun violence, we must also ensure that the conversation does not stop at Newtown, but encompasses the thousands of victims of gun violence across the country every year. Specifically, too many urban neighborhoods are plagued by unacceptably high rates of gun violence. Better access to mental health care and smarter, more effective common sense gun laws can reduce this violence, and I will do everything I can to address this issue not only in the coming months, but every day that I am serving in the United States Senate.
4.
Thank you again for contacting me about this matter. I appreciate hearing from you and assure you that I will always do my best to represent the views of my constituents in the Senate. In the future, please do not hesitate to call me in my Connecticut office at (860) 549-8463 or my Washington office at (202) 224-4041.
Every Best Wish,
Christopher S. Murphy
United States Senator