Several weeks ago there was an amendment to the defense bill to allow interstate concealed firearms carry for people who have been issued a permit by their home state.
To me, this seems like it would be a great idea. After all, the state of Connecticut gave me a drivers license and it is recognized by every other state, so I can drive in other states - as long as my CT license is valid. It would be nice if, because Connecticut has given me a pistol permit that I could carry my pistol in to neighboring Massachusetts or Rhodes Island. But alas, I can't.
Anyway, I e-mailed both my Senators (who ultimately voted against the ammendment which lost by only 3 votes!!!)
Over the last few days, they finally got around to replying (or their staff did)... I thought I'd share their replies though...
fist was Senator Dodd:
I understand your concerns regarding gun control. I recognize that responsible gun ownership has long been part of America's heritage. However, I also firmly believe that it is the obligation of government to pursue responsible policies that protect innocent Americans, particularly children, from gun violence. In my view, far too many people are killed or seriously injured by guns each year. Data from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control indicate that in 2006, there were 30,896 deaths resulting from gun-related incidents, including 4,064 deaths of persons who were under the age of 21 and 185 deaths of children under 12 years of age. Throughout my career in public service, I have chosen to support gun safety legislation that balances the need to keep our communities safe with the legitimate interests of law-abiding gun owners.
As you know, during Senate consideration of S. 1390, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, Senator John Thune (R-SD) offered an amendment that would have allowed individuals who are licensed to carry concealed firearms in their own states to do so in other states where this practice is legal. Ultimately, this amendment failed to garner the three-fifths majority it needed to pass. Please be assured that I will keep your views in mind should similar legislation be considered by the full Senate in the future.
my interpritation of that blow off is: "Guns are evil, I voted against it. Ha-ha. political mumble jumble"
Then I got Senator Lieberman's response and, although he voted against it, he actually makes sense and I can completely understand his point of view.
I opposed S.Amdt. 1618, which failed to pass, because I believe it infringes on states' rights. Specifically, it would undermine the ability of Connecticut and other states to establish reasonable restrictions on the carrying of concealed weapons. As you may know, concealed weapons laws and restrictions, also known as right-to-carry laws, vary by state.
Connecticut, for example, allows for concealed weapons by state-issued permits but does not recognize permits from other states. Vermont, on the other hand, does not require any kind of permit to carry a concealed weapon. Some states recognize permits from any state, whereas Wisconsin and Illinois both ban concealed weapons completely. The standards for issuing permits also vary greatly from state to state. For example, Connecticut is one of 11 states that give law enforcement agencies discretion whether to issue a permit to an applicant, based on a review of the applicant's record and a showing of good cause. The majority of states also require firearm safety training before a concealed carry permit can be issued and deny permits to alcohol abusers or misdemeanors. S. 371 would make it legal for each person licensed to carry a concealed weapon in his/her state of residence to carry the weapon across state lines, as long as the host state's laws also allow for concealed weapons.
If enacted, this would force Connecticut law enforcement to recognize all permits from right-to-carry states, regardless of how other states undertake their background checks for these permits.
I have to admit, thats a damn good point. As much as I'd like to be able to carry my gun into MA or RI, such a federal law would mean that unregulated dumbfuks from hick states could start carrying in my state too.
thoughts?
