Senator Jim Talent On The District Of Columbia Personal Protection Act

In my Wednesday May 25, 2005 post, "Help D. C. Area Residents" I ask you to help Washington, D. C. residents regain their Second Amendment rights by contacting your elected officials and urging them to support two pieces of legislation, H.R. 1288 and S. 1082. Today I got a response to the letter I sent to one of my United States Senators, Jim Talent (R-MO) . I wanted to share my mail with you.

Dear Mr. Schantz

Thank you for contacting me regarding the District of Columbia Personal Protection Act. I appreciate the time you have taken to share your views with me, and welcome the opportunity to respond.

As you know, I have long been a supporter of the right law-abiding citizens to own firearms. The second Amendment is clear- it guarantees citizens' right to keep and bear arms.

I have often remarked that gun control is not effective crime control. Gun control merely restricts the rights of law-abiding citizens and ensures that only criminals will own guns. The perverse effect of any gun control is to increase violent crime because criminals know their victim is less likely to be able to defend him or herself. For example, there is growing and powerful evidence that violent crime has gone down in states which permit honest citizens to carry firearms on their persons. Furthermore, Washington, D.C. had the highest murder rate in the country throughout much of the last two decades, and again in 2002, even though it has long banned all firearm ownership.

I support eliminating D.C.'s gun ban, which effectively outlaws ownership of all firearms including rifles, because I believe it is a clear violation of the Second Amendment. There has been much debate, however, over weather the best way to overturn the law is through Congress or the courts. Besides the D.C. Personal Protection Act, there is a lawsuit pending in federal court in which six D.C. residents are suing the city to have their Second Amendment rights restored. I see nothing wrong with either the legislative or judicial approach to this problem, and I am hopeful that one way or another, the Second Amendment rights of the 570,000 residents of D.C. will soon be recognized.

I will continue to support the Second Amendment rights of my constituents and indeed, of all Americans. Again, thank you for contacting me. If I may be of further assistance, please don't hesitate to call or write.

Thank you for your email. To contact me on this or any other subject, please go to http://talent.senate.gov/Contact/default.cfm

Sincerely,
Senator Jim Talent

There are a countless number of attacks on citizens by thugs and thieves every day. It is unrealistic to think that the police will always be there to protect you. A countless number of legally owned firearms are also used every day by private citizens to protect property and save lives, many times without a shot being fired. Those cases don't get the news coverage that mass a murder in a school or work place get. Articles on firearms saving lives don't sell papers like articles about mass murder do. Every once in a while one makes it to print if there is something unusual about it like this one, http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/news/local/crime_courts/11832399.htm . Once again I want to ask you to contact your elected officials and urge them to support H.R. 1288 and S. 1082 all honest United States citizens should have the right to keep and bear arms rather they exorcise that right or not should be up to each citizen.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.