Ted Poe broadcast E-mail
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 5:30 pm
Dear Neighbor,
The nation continues to grieve with the community of Newtown, Connecticut over the attack that stole the lives of dozens of innocent children and teachers. What happened was unconscionable evil that most of us will never understand. Since then, some elites in Washington have used the Newtown tragedy for political leverage to reignite the gun control debate.
Since the beginning of the year, we have seen a number of extreme proposals from the Senate and 23 executive edicts from the President. Not one of these proposals would have changed the outcome of the tragedy in Newtown. What they will do is redline the Constitution and bruise our right to bear arms which is guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment.
Make no mistake--these proposals advocate for more government control not more gun control. I believe in the sanctity of the Constitution. The Bills Of Rights were designed to protect citizens from an oppressive government. This timeless document has guaranteed freedom for Americans for over 200 years; it is certainly not up for negotiation now.
Those who believe that more gun control will end violence should examine the evidence. Mexico, for example, has outlawed guns completely, but there has not been a decline in gun-related deaths. Chicago and Washington, DC have some of the toughest gun laws in America, but they are also two of the most dangerous cities in America. So, what now? The focus of any discussion or action should not be on the gun, but on the shooter. In my previous life as a judge and prosecutor in the Harris County courtrooms, I never saw a gun tried for a crime. That’s because we hold the shooter accountable, not an inanimate object.
And, yet here in Congress, we have legislators advocating for more restrictions on guns while they have the protection of armed guards at every door in the Capitol – hypocrisy at its highest.
How do you feel about the current proposals on gun reform? Share your thoughts on the survey to the right and visit poe.house.gov to send me an email.
I am a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, and I will continue to defend our constitutional right. More laws amount to more control - not more effectiveness. And more laws mean less liberty. And that’s just the way it is.
God and Texas,
TED POE
Member of Congress
TEXAS
The nation continues to grieve with the community of Newtown, Connecticut over the attack that stole the lives of dozens of innocent children and teachers. What happened was unconscionable evil that most of us will never understand. Since then, some elites in Washington have used the Newtown tragedy for political leverage to reignite the gun control debate.
Since the beginning of the year, we have seen a number of extreme proposals from the Senate and 23 executive edicts from the President. Not one of these proposals would have changed the outcome of the tragedy in Newtown. What they will do is redline the Constitution and bruise our right to bear arms which is guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment.
Make no mistake--these proposals advocate for more government control not more gun control. I believe in the sanctity of the Constitution. The Bills Of Rights were designed to protect citizens from an oppressive government. This timeless document has guaranteed freedom for Americans for over 200 years; it is certainly not up for negotiation now.
Those who believe that more gun control will end violence should examine the evidence. Mexico, for example, has outlawed guns completely, but there has not been a decline in gun-related deaths. Chicago and Washington, DC have some of the toughest gun laws in America, but they are also two of the most dangerous cities in America. So, what now? The focus of any discussion or action should not be on the gun, but on the shooter. In my previous life as a judge and prosecutor in the Harris County courtrooms, I never saw a gun tried for a crime. That’s because we hold the shooter accountable, not an inanimate object.
And, yet here in Congress, we have legislators advocating for more restrictions on guns while they have the protection of armed guards at every door in the Capitol – hypocrisy at its highest.
How do you feel about the current proposals on gun reform? Share your thoughts on the survey to the right and visit poe.house.gov to send me an email.
I am a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, and I will continue to defend our constitutional right. More laws amount to more control - not more effectiveness. And more laws mean less liberty. And that’s just the way it is.
God and Texas,
TED POE
Member of Congress
TEXAS
