My Reply from Senator Vogel

[JesterPgh]

Thank you for your recent email regarding gun control. I appreciate hearing from you on this issue. Like every American, I am heartbroken by the recent tragedy in Connecticut. As elected officials, our first job is to defend the liberty and safety of the people of Pennsylvania. Our right to keep and bear arms is enshrined in the 2nd Amendment to our U.S. Constitution and the Pennsylvania Constitution reaffirms that right.

Most of Pennsylvania’s restrictive gun laws and regulations were established under the Uniform Firearms Act in 1995. This act significantly changed the law concerning the sale and possession of firearms. Before the new law was enacted, only persons who were convicted of violent crimes could be prohibited from purchasing a firearm. Now, under this law, the list of offenses prohibiting gun ownership has been expanded to include 38 different crimes, both crimes of violence and serious non-violent crimes, as well as mental illness.

Additionally, the Legislature in recent years passed several laws designed specifically to stop these horrific crimes from occurring. One example is Act 199 of 2012, which restores a crucial law enforcement tool to remove illegal guns and prosecute straw purchasers and sellers. Another new law is Act 10 of 2011, commonly referred to as “The Castle Doctrine.” This law states that a person has the right to defend himself, with deadly force if necessary, in any place where he is legally allowed to be.


Unfortunately, some of these laws often go unenforced and we must demand that prosecutors and judges put criminals that use firearms behind bars. Ultimately, firearms laws only go so far in stopping people that wish to hurt the innocent. One area where there seems to be a consensus is better identifying and treating people with mental health issues, and especially people with a history of violence or violent tendencies.

In light of these tragic events, there has been a lot of information presented in the media that is either untrue or does not apply to the laws of Pennsylvania. As such, I think it is one of my duties as your Senator to help set the record straight:

· Hundreds of State and Federal laws and regulations control the manufacture, design, sale, purchase, transportation, and possession of firearms

· In Pennsylvania, a gun dealer is licensed by both the State and Federal government and is required to contact the Pennsylvania State Police Instant Check System to perform a background check prior to transferring any firearm. Additionally, licensed dealers may refuse the sale of a firearm for any reason.

· Most private individuals are required to use a licensed dealer for the transfer of a handgun or short-barreled rifle or shotgun to another person, including at gun shows.

· Both the National Instant Check System and the Pennsylvania Instant Check System screen potential firearm buyers to determine that they do not have criminal or mental health histories that would prevent their legal ownership of guns.

· Automatic weapons (firearms that fire more than one round per trigger pull) are strictly controlled by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. (BATFE).

· Modern sporting rifles, often misnamed “assault rifles,” may look similar to automatic weapons, but appearance is where their similarities end. Modern sporting rifles are semi-automatic (firearms that fire one round per trigger pull) only. These semi-automatic firearms have been used throughout the United States for more than one hundred years for personal protection, recreational and competitive shooting, hunting, and protecting crops, animals, and livestock.

· Additionally, according to several studies done by the federal government, semi-automatic sporting rifles make up a “modest fraction of gun crimes” and prior bans and magazine limits were deemed ineffective.

Preventing firearms violence requires the cooperation of local, state, and federal officials and gun owners across Pennsylvania. I am interested in listening to my constituents and reviewing information from reputable sources to see if any additional laws would be effective in stopping these kinds of heinous acts. Thank you again for contacting me regarding this issue and please feel free to contact my office for any state related issue.

Sincerely,

Senator Elder Vogel Jr.
47th Senatorial District

[B.A.]

WOW! That's a pretty decent response IMO.

[flyingjunkie]

I just got the exact same email, but it's awesome to see a level-headed elected official. He seems to actually know the laws already on the books and doesn't seem to be buying into the hype of "modern sporting rifles are assault weapons and they need banned." This response, while perhaps cookie-cut, does at least give me hope. Why can't more people understand like Elder does?

[WhiteFeather]

Reading the senator's letter

REALLY glad he was upgraded to Senator Vogel as there are many senators that really don't support gun owners like this.

If you ever speak with Senator Vogel in person about firearm rights, you won't be disappointed.

[flyingjunkie]

He should send this letter to EVERY MEMBER OF CONGRESS! His bullet points are spot on here. It may just seem like we the gun owners and Pennsylvanians are just "...clinging to our bibles and guns..." as President Obama put it, but I think it might carry at least a little bit of weight coming from another politician.

[pokerguy005]

I have dealt with the Senator on many occasions and while yes, it is a cookie cutter letter these truly are his feelings an attitudes towards this issue.

[PocketProtector]

He should send this letter to EVERY MEMBER OF CONGRESS! His bullet points are spot on here. It may just seem like we the gun owners and Pennsylvanians are just "...clinging to our bibles and guns..." as President Obama put it, but I think it might carry at least a little bit of weight coming from another politician.

While he clings to his hammers and sickles.

[nitro570]

Great responce, I wish they all would start thinking this way.

[Rider4Life01]

The best thing about this letter is that I bet it was sent out to every person who emailed him, whether they were pro-gun or anti-gun.... Its the type of response that could sway someone who is on the fence to understand that laws and regulations are already in place. They hear horror stories on the news about buying "machine guns" at the gun shows and how easy it is for anyone to "just buy a machine gun off of the internet". Respnses like this from high ranking officials are what we need to calm the middle of the road citizens who dont know where they stand.

[flyingjunkie]

The best thing about this letter is that I bet it was sent out to every person who emailed him, whether they were pro-gun or anti-gun.... Its the type of response that could sway someone who is on the fence to understand that laws and regulations are already in place. They hear horror stories on the news about buying "machine guns" at the gun shows and how easy it is for anyone to "just buy a machine gun off of the internet". Respnses like this from high ranking officials are what we need to calm the middle of the road citizens who dont know where they stand.

That's exactly it! And this is why I think he needs to send this letter to all his fellow members in congress. Just so that those that are kind of on the fence about things understand that there is no "gun-show loophole" and that we do already have a lot of strict laws on the books and that modern sporting rifles are not "assault rifles."