Pat Toomey email and response

[shawmutt]

So much for Republican control of the Senate and White House protecting our rights for a few years.

Email excerpt from Pat Toomey:

Statement on Philadelphia Shooting

The shooter who attempted to murder brave Philadelphia police officers this week is a convicted felon who had no right to possess a firearm. In the coming weeks, more information will hopefully come to light on how the suspect obtained his weapons, and I have asked ATF and the Department of Justice to keep me apprised of any new information. We can do more to strengthen our gun safety laws and better protect law enforcement. When Congress reconvenes, these issues, such as strengthening background checks to keep guns out of the hands of violent criminals, should be a top priority.

I will be writing up this response and sending out tomorrow morning:

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Hi, I just received your email. You stated, in bright red capital letters, "The shooter who attempted to murder brave Philadelphia police officers this week is a convicted felon who had no right to possess a firearm."

Reading further down the email, you state, "We can do more to strengthen our gun safety laws and better protect law enforcement. When Congress reconvenes, these issues, such as strengthening background checks to keep guns out of the hands of violent criminals, should be a top priority."

According to the US Department of Justice, only 1.3% of criminals got their gun from a retail source, and 0.8% from gun shows. I fail to see how strengthening background checks will protect anyone.

What will help protect people is enforcing laws on the books. According to news sources Maurice Hill has a record going back 20 years, including prior firearms offenses. It is obvious that he did not care how strong background checks were, or that current laws do not allow convicted felons to have guns. With at least 90% of criminals getting guns illegally, including Maurice Hill for the last 20 years, are background checks really the issue here?

I do not like the fact that my representatives, especially my Republican representatives, seem to be caving on the gun issue. The choices my representatives make now will influence where my vote goes next November.
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Now I need to write Wolf, that letter is taking a bit longer...