Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by J.J. Smith III on February 20, 2013 at 13:50

The letter from Alan Wilson was a response the S/W link.  Recieved this one from US Senator Tim Scott.

 

Dear Mr. Smith,

Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns regarding any legislation or treaty that would ban civilian weapons. I certainly appreciate your input on this important issue and the opportunity to share my thoughts with you.

I have not seen a ban on a weapon that I agree with, and like you, I am an ardent supporter of an individual's right to possess and bear arms. This right is unequivocally protected by the Second Amendment and is a cornerstone of our democracy. As Americans, we have the right to defend ourselves, our families and our property, and the federal government should not interfere with this right. You can be assured that I remain steadfast in my commitment to defend and uphold this fundamental freedom and will keep your concerns in mind when considering pertinent legislation.

Again, thank you for sharing your perspective with me; I hope that you will continue to do so in the future. If I can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me or a member of my staff.

For more information, please visit my website at www.scott.senate.gov and subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter. I also encourage you to follow me on Facebook:www.facebook.com/SenatorTimScott and Twitter:www.twitter.com/SenatorTimScott for daily updates.

Sincerely,

Tim Scott
United States Senator

Permalink Reply by Warren L. Strout on February 20, 2013 at 14:56

We all must be vigilant against the threat to our Second Amendment rights, which is the foundation of all the rest of our rights. Without it our freedoms will be lost! If you want to see the real threats - go to  www.oathkeepers.org - it is a real eye opener!     Warren - "Lone Wolf".

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on March 6, 2013 at 18:33

Seems the media is losing interest in this fight

Permalink Reply by Clint Thompson on March 6, 2013 at 19:12

This is one fight they can't win is why.  It should settle down in about 6 months.

Permalink Reply by Guy Fleetwood on March 6, 2013 at 19:59

I agree with Clint.. and if you have done your best for Gun Rights - contacting your legislators,ect. You've done what's needed of you for now to help fight for our 2nd amendment. They will call on us again when needed.

Permalink Reply by J.J. Smith III on March 14, 2013 at 23:17

Well guys,  guess who I heard from...

Read it and see if Y'ALL believe any of it.

Dear John: Thank you for taking the time to write.  I have heard from many Americans regarding firearms policy and gun violence in our Nation, and I appreciate your perspective.  From Aurora to Newtown to the streets of Chicago, we have seen the devastating effects gun violence has on our American family.  I join countless others in grieving for all those whose lives have been taken too soon by gun violence.   Like the majority of Americans, I believe the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms.  In this country, we have a strong tradition of gun ownership that has been handed down from generation to generation.  Hunting and sport shooting are part of our national heritage.  Yet, even as we acknowledge that almost all gun owners in America are responsible, when we look at the devastation caused by gun violence—whether in high-profile tragedies or the daily heartbreak that plagues our cities—we must ask ourselves whether we are doing enough.   While reducing gun violence is a complicated challenge, protecting our children from harm should not be a divisive one.  Most gun owners agree that we can respect the Second Amendment while keeping an irresponsible, law-breaking few from inflicting harm on a massive scale.  Most also agree that if we took commonsense steps to curtail gun violence, there would be fewer atrocities like the one that occurred in Newtown.  We will not be able to stop every violent act, but if there is even one thing we can do to reduce gun violence—if even one life can be saved—then we have an obligation to try.   That is why I asked Vice President Joe Biden to identify concrete steps we can take to keep our children safe, help prevent mass shootings, and reduce the broader epidemic of gun violence in this country.  He met with over 200 groups representing a broad cross-section of Americans and heard their best ideas.  I have put forward a specific set of proposals based off of his efforts, and in the days ahead, I intend to use whatever weight this office holds to make them a reality.   My plan gives law enforcement, schools, mental health professionals, and the public health community some of the tools they need to help reduce gun violence.  These tools include strengthening the background check system, helping schools hire more resource officers and counselors and develop emergency preparedness plans, and ensuring mental health professionals know their options for reporting threats of violence.  And I directed the Centers for Disease Control to study the best ways to reduce gun violence—because it is critical that we understand the science behind this public health crisis.   As important as these steps are, they are not a substitute for action from Congress.  To make a real and lasting difference, members of Congress must also act.  As part of my comprehensive plan, I have called on them to pass some specific proposals right away.  First, it is time to require a universal background check for anyone trying to buy a gun.  Second, Congress should renew the 10-round limit on magazines and reinstate and strengthen the assault weapons ban.  We should get tougher on those who buy guns with the purpose of selling them to criminals, and we should impose serious punishments on anyone who helps them do this.   These are reasonable, commonsense measures that have the support of the majority of the American people.  But change will not come unless the American people demand it from their lawmakers.  Now is the time to do the right thing for our children, our communities, and the country we love.  We owe the victims of heartbreaking national tragedies and the countless unheralded tragedies each year nothing less than our best effort—to seek consensus in order to save lives and ensure a brighter future for our children.   Thank you, again, for writing.  I encourage you to visit www.WhiteHouse.gov/NowIsTheTime to learn more about my Administration’s approach. Sincerely, Barack Obama

Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on March 15, 2013 at 9:25

No not a word of it, but stay alert and if you hear a slight droning noise ....duck!

Permalink Reply by Clint Thompson on March 15, 2013 at 10:10

Well John The President has it wrong.  I was in law enforcement when he was pooping in his pants.  When I first pinned on the badge the violence in school shooting was almost non existence.  Gun ownership was just a fact of life.  As the years passed by, there were more civil laws passed to protect the bad-guys and less for honest citizens.  Here in Oklahoma they have gone a long way to correct this. 

However, there is a direct correlation revealed when you compare the increasing restrictions on law enforcement and the rise in violence and the rising crime rate.  The more rights the bad-guys were given the higher the crime rate went up.  I can go on and on but the only answer is we have to face the fact we are a violent society.  Too much violence on TV (I love shows like the Walking Dead) too much violence in video games, too easy of an access to pornography via the Internet.  All of these things, according to the Supreme Court, are protected by the 1st Amendment. 

The "risk taking gene" is also a factor which is a whole other subject. (http://www.igenea.com/en/index.php?c=39)  The point there is people good or bad who have this gene are willing to take risks.  It is my belief, and other professionals, due to the easy access to violent games and movies by people in their early development years, the dehumanization seeds were sown.  I grew up with Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, Sky King and My Friend Flicka. 

There is research out there which states up to 10% of the world population are or have psychopathic tendencies.  So about 99.9% of those choose not to act on those psychopathic thoughts due to reasons of being detected.  These people can emulate human emotions when called upon but in general have no feelings one way or the other except those of survival (fear, fight or flight, food and shelter).  Take one of our 10% and add a dash of "Risk Genes" and POOF you have a serial killer or a mass murderer.

By the way in this letter from the President he mentions "develop emergency preparedness plans" for schools.  Oklahoma and in particular Lt. Col. Jeff Chalmers Ret. developed an emergency preparedness plan for public schools.  From 2002 through 2005 this plan was given to every Oklahoma school who would accept it.  I was privileged to have been trained by Lt. Col. Chalmers to present this emergency preparedness plan to public and private schools for over a year and a half.  At the time Jeff and I were working for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.  FEMA reviewed and approved this plan and adopted it as well.  So in other words.....Obama has the emergency preparedness plan already and has since he took office.  How good is this plan?  In my professional opinion, If Sandy Hook had this plan in effect and following all of its hard and fast rules, no child would have been harmed and likely no adults either.  Right now in this country, there are only four or five people who can present this plan.  I was trained for eight months on this plan before I was turned loose to present it on my own.

The bottom line is this.  We as Americans must take responsibility for our part to correct this violence.  We must be more observant, more knowledgeable, be willing to report ANY suspicious activity HOWEVER slight and take further responsibility of our firearms and who has access of them.  Parents should protect their children from violent video games, movies and TV shows.

Just one man's thoughts......

J.J. Smith III said:

Well guys,  guess who I heard from...

Read it and see if Y'ALL believe any of it.

Dear John: Thank you for taking the time to write.  I have heard from many Americans regarding firearms policy and gun violence in our Nation, and I appreciate your perspective.  From Aurora to Newtown to the streets of Chicago, we have seen the devastating effects gun violence has on our American family.  I join countless others in grieving for all those whose lives have been taken too soon by gun violence.   Like the majority of Americans, I believe the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms.  In this country, we have a strong tradition of gun ownership that has been handed down from generation to generation.  Hunting and sport shooting are part of our national heritage.  Yet, even as we acknowledge that almost all gun owners in America are responsible, when we look at the devastation caused by gun violence—whether in high-profile tragedies or the daily heartbreak that plagues our cities—we must ask ourselves whether we are doing enough.   While reducing gun violence is a complicated challenge, protecting our children from harm should not be a divisive one.  Most gun owners agree that we can respect the Second Amendment while keeping an irresponsible, law-breaking few from inflicting harm on a massive scale.  Most also agree that if we took commonsense steps to curtail gun violence, there would be fewer atrocities like the one that occurred in Newtown.  We will not be able to stop every violent act, but if there is even one thing we can do to reduce gun violence—if even one life can be saved—then we have an obligation to try.   That is why I asked Vice President Joe Biden to identify concrete steps we can take to keep our children safe, help prevent mass shootings, and reduce the broader epidemic of gun violence in this country.  He met with over 200 groups representing a broad cross-section of Americans and heard their best ideas.  I have put forward a specific set of proposals based off of his efforts, and in the days ahead, I intend to use whatever weight this office holds to make them a reality.   My plan gives law enforcement, schools, mental health professionals, and the public health community some of the tools they need to help reduce gun violence.  These tools include strengthening the background check system, helping schools hire more resource officers and counselors and develop emergency preparedness plans, and ensuring mental health professionals know their options for reporting threats of violence.  And I directed the Centers for Disease Control to study the best ways to reduce gun violence—because it is critical that we understand the science behind this public health crisis.   As important as these steps are, they are not a substitute for action from Congress.  To make a real and lasting difference, members of Congress must also act.  As part of my comprehensive plan, I have called on them to pass some specific proposals right away.  First, it is time to require a universal background check for anyone trying to buy a gun.  Second, Congress should renew the 10-round limit on magazines and reinstate and strengthen the assault weapons ban.  We should get tougher on those who buy guns with the purpose of selling them to criminals, and we should impose serious punishments on anyone who helps them do this.   These are reasonable, commonsense measures that have the support of the majority of the American people.  But change will not come unless the American people demand it from their lawmakers.  Now is the time to do the right thing for our children, our communities, and the country we love.  We owe the victims of heartbreaking national tragedies and the countless unheralded tragedies each year nothing less than our best effort—to seek consensus in order to save lives and ensure a brighter future for our children.   Thank you, again, for writing.  I encourage you to visit www.WhiteHouse.gov/NowIsTheTime to learn more about my Administration’s approach. Sincerely, Barack Obama

Permalink Reply by Clint Thompson on March 15, 2013 at 10:20

Obamanator.

Steve Hanner said:

No not a word of it, but stay alert and if you hear a slight droning noise ....duck!

Permalink Reply by J.J. Smith III on March 15, 2013 at 11:18

No droning noise, there has been an increase in unmarked black choppers, seen locally, of late...

Permalink Reply by Clint Thompson on March 15, 2013 at 11:52

J.J....

LOL!  The black color is standard for all law enforcement and not just Homeland Security.  If you order one with any color it costs much more for the chopper.  However, the drone issue is a different subject.  They come in sizes from 18" to 6 feet.  The 6 foot one can stay up for a long time...whereas the 18" one can only stay up for 30 min.  Double aught buck shot in a full choke shotgun works good on all of these.  LOL!

Permalink Reply by J.J. Smith III on March 15, 2013 at 13:14

Hey Clint,

I spent almost 18 years in an environment with TOTAL gun control. 

None of the residents were allowed firearms of any sort.  In all that time I can only recall 1 instance of a firearm violation.  Knives and edged weapons were also controlled, however homemade blades were common.

That being said, killings and assaults still took place.

 

 

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