getting their attention

Once again, Senator Lamar Alexander leads the pack in responding to something I sent to both my Senators and my Representative; granted, this time around, it definitely comes across as being an amalgamation of pre-existing scripts (a form letter, in short), but at least it indicates that someone on his staff is still reading emails and still paying attention:

Dear [NAME]:

Thanks very much and letting me know what’s on your mind regarding the right to bear arms and a study by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

I’m a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights. Congress should not pass laws that take away these rights from law abiding citizens and leave criminals to terrorize the streets. Good citizens don’t abuse guns – criminals do.

In June 2008, the Supreme Court correctly decided in D.C. v. Heller that Americans have an individual right to keep and bear rights under the U.S. Constitution and struck down a sweeping ban on handguns in the nation’s capital. I was one of 55 U.S. senators who signed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in February 2008 urging it to overturn the D.C. gun ban. I believe the Heller decision is key to ensuring that law abiding residents of the District of Columbia will be able to protect their homes and families from criminals who already have guns. I also believe this decision should apply to all law abiding Americans no matter they live, but some lower courts have ruled that D.C. v. Heller only applies to federal jurisdictions. That’s why in November 2009 I joined 57 other senators in submitting a new amicus brief to the Supreme Court urging it to make clear that Second Amendment rights also extend to states and localities.

I’ll also continue to support legislative efforts to protect the Second Amendment rights of law abiding Americans. For example, in July 2009 I supported a Thune Amendment that would have protected an individual’s right to bear arms by allowing Tennesseans with carry permits to carry a firearm in other states with concealed carry laws, just like Tennessee’s driver’s licenses are accepted in other states. I was disappointed that this amendment fell two votes short of the 60 required for passage.

I am grateful you took the time to let me know where you stand. I’ll be sure to keep your comments in mind as Second Amendment rights are discussed and debated in Washington and in Tennessee.

Sincerely,

Lamar

I appreciate all you have done to protect my individual rights, Senator Alexander, but given that I specifically mentioned D.C. vs. Heller in my letter to you, as well as its impact on firearm legislation in America, it is a pretty fair bet I was already aware of that particular situation. Likewise, spending all of half a sentence addressing the actual reason I wrote the letter is a bit annoying as well – you are, of course, in no position to individually slap the BATFE down from their abuse of power and require them to behave as they should, but might it be time to team together with your fellow Senators and start imposing some legislative restrictions on a governmental organization that is obviously out of control?

Yes, I think it is.

Still, as I said, a response is a response, and now that this situation is hopefully on his radar, maybe he will start paying it more attention.