Response from Senator Bob Casey

[rowdyprg]

Here is an email that I received from Senator Casey concerning his stance on the assault weapons ban... Sadly, not what I wanted to hear. I almost wonder if he (or at least his office) was responding to somebody else.

Dear Mr. Cebulka:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me about recent proposals related to guns. I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.

As you know, on December 14, 2012, an individual in Newtown, Connecticut forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School and opened fire on teachers and staff in the building. In total, the perpetrator murdered 20 students between the ages of six and seven years old, as well as six adults, many of whom heroically sought to stop the shooter and save the lives of children. Like many Americans, I was deeply affected by the scope and brutality of this act. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

The motives that led to this senseless massacre will likely never fully be comprehended. However, I believe that all public officials have a responsibility to work to prevent such an event from occurring again. This incident reflects a complex problem that requires a comprehensive strategy, including funding for law enforcement officers and the mental health care system. Too many individuals with mental illness are not receiving the services they need and tragically, sometimes a small number of these individuals turn violent. I have supported access to affordable and accessible mental health services for all Americans and I will continue to review proposed solutions to improve our mental health system. As lawmakers consider an appropriate response to this challenging issue, we should consider all of the factors that could prevent such heinous acts.

As you may know, I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. Pennsylvania has a fine hunting and sporting tradition, and I will defend the right to bear arms as it is enshrined in our Constitution. I will continue to back the right to bear arms for purposes of self-defense, recreation, sporting and collection. However, I also believe that the attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School highlights very serious dangers posed to public safety by the misuse of certain weapons and technology originally developed for warfare. According to reports, the shooter was able to kill many children and adults very quickly because he possessed a military-style semiautomatic weapon. He also allegedly used magazines containing up to 30 rounds of ammunition and carried hundreds of rounds more. After much reflection and careful study of the issue, I have decided to support a federal assault weapons ban as well as legislation restricting high capacity magazines. In light of what occurred at Sandy Hook, these are two measures that will lessen the chances that this will happen again. Before supporting such a law, I would first and foremost ensure that it did not unduly abridge the right to bear arms as established by the Second Amendment.
Our Nation has already begun a critical dialogue as we examine what steps must be taken to prevent this type of tragedy in the future. On January 17, 2012, President Obama unveiled a package of proposals to reduce gun violence, which included strengthening the system of background checks, reinstating the assault weapon and high-capacity magazines ban, improving school safety and expanding access to mental health services. I look forward to reviewing these proposals in detail and to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address this complex issue.
On January 24, 2013, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California introduced S. 150, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013. This legislation would explicitly permit the possession of affected firearms that were owned prior to the bill’s enactment; firearms that are manually operated; firearms used by military, law enforcement and retired law enforcement; and antique weapons. Further, this legislation lists 2,258 hunting and sporting rifles and shotguns that are entirely exempt from the ban.

This legislation would ban the sale, transfer, manufacturing and importation of all semiautomatic rifles that can accept a detachable magazine and have at least one of seven specified military features. S. 150 would further ban semiautomatic pistols that can accept a detachable magazine and have at least one of certain listed military features, as well as ammunition magazines that can accept more than 10 rounds. The Assault Weapons Ban would also regulate the transfer and storage of permitted, grandfathered weapons and allow local law enforcement to use certain federal funds for voluntary gun buyback programs. The Assault Weapons Ban was referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, of which I am not a member. Please be assured that should this legislation come before the full Senate for consideration, I will have your views in mind.
Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website, http://casey.senate.gov. I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator


P.S. If you would like to respond to this message, please use the contact form on my website: http://casey.senate.gov/contact/

[vinlander]

The same form letter that he has sent to everybody since this whole thing started.

I've repeatedly asked for a personal response to my issues, but have received nothing. Not even from one of his staff members.

[rowdyprg]

I didn't see the other postings until after I posed mine. I'm more bummed than ever over his response now that I've seen that others have gotten the same one. Now, I will say that is took somebody from his office the better part of three weeks to get back to with that piece of rubbish. You never know, some staffer may be actually typing out a response for you... Then again, I really do believe in Santa Claus....

I am going to fire off a response to his email also and asking for a a non-chain letter response. My hopes are not high in this, but, I will try.

[TheTsieck]

I tired to write back to the response I recieved from Casey. My email came back undeliverable.

I hate to say it but I am starting to think all emails will never be read.

Back to hitting the phones.

[Posit]

I received it twice. After the first on, I responded and asked that if I could not get a more specific response, to please not send me another form letter.

I received another form letter.

[Eddiejake]

I just got the exact, word for word, email as this one. You know what I think?

Since the State & Federal Government wants to punish we law abiding citizens for the actions of a criminal with taking away our rights:

I think someone should present a bill that would make it mandatory for anyone

involved with being soft on crime, involved in allowing early outs, allowing plea

bargaining, out for good behavior, or any other of the many ways that are used

in the release of habitual, violent, use of gun's in crimes, sex offenders, and so

on, be forced to complete the prison sentence had they not been released

early if even by mistake; then serve along side said criminal with any new

sentence imposed. They would soon see how we feel now & I bet there would

be damn little early release happening then. We have to pay for a criminal

shooters actions, why not make them pay for being responsible!

Eddiejake

[AimStraight]

Hey Fellow PA Firearms Owners! I have a question, you all are alot smarter than this simple minded country boy. Would the letter below need anything added or subtract before sending it off to a Senator? Any help would be greatly appreciated. It is not my letter, I got it off another Gun site in Utah.
It's a word document and looks much better, with some bold highlights. If anyone interested email me your address and I'll send it to you to use for your Senator.

Dear Senator

I thank you for your willingness to consider the pro-freedom side of the proposed AWB (currently S. 150). Millions of Americans like me are mobilizing to let our voices be heard: please oppose the AWB and all its related registration and banning iterations. Since this is a national issue I feel compelled to contact you. Please consider the following facts in the debate:
1) A huge campaign of disinformation on guns is pushed daily on our TVs and devices. It has nothing to do with public safety and preventing future mass shootings of innocent people; no gun law would have stopped Adam Lanza and dozens were broken by him, both federal and state. Violent criminals break laws and are violent and they don’t need guns to kill people. If we truly wish to increase public safety then we should make laws whereby immediate armed response by good civilians is allowed and encouraged. Now that will save our children and stop these senseless massacres by madmen.
2) Confiscation is the end goal. Senator Feinstein has stated this several times. Is this Constitutional? S. 150 AWB, a first step in this process, seeks to disarm good American citizens from all races and backgrounds. Of course criminals will ignore this law as well, refuting the very arguments put forth in committee by its proponents. The honest debate would be blatant and complete gun confiscation in America. This AWB threatens public safety and perhaps even rule of law as its enforcement is attempted. This could lead to civil unrest or even worse as many refuse to comply with such unconstitutionality and seizure of private property. I and millions of others wish to prevent this and work to preserve rule of law in this country.
3) Americans are entitled to own semi-automatic firearms with their “high capacity” magazines in order to resist possible tyranny. Even with these we are outgunned. This isn’t some far fetched, ridiculous extremist notion but a lesson simply born of history. Our Bill of Rights was specifically included by our forefathers to protect this important right of self defense and of being armed. It ranks only behind freedom of speech in importance. The 2nd ensures the others rights can remain protected. It also ensures the government answers to the people and prevents the destruction of personal liberty which we are seeing right now with Obama. The issue has nothing to do with hunting, sport shooting, competing, or gun collecting.
Any registration scheme should be rejected as it is unenforceable and may lead to civil unrest in this country. On this point alone, please REJECT all AWB proposals so we may continue to be a Republic by and for the people. You will find gun owners cannot compromise more and we will simply vote out in 2014 supporters of such unconstitutional law. We watch your vote closely, thank you for rejecting it, and will support you in re-election if you reject this AWB! It is our most important issue.
Thank you for your consideration,

[AimStraight]

you could pretty much send an email or letter that said " I support the taliban in their efforts to rebuild schools and the legalization of cocain" and you would get the same shitty canned response, so dont toil over it. You could also add a few shit fuck farts in it, and noone would notice

So MicroMonkey, what your telling me is he's extremely closed minded, and does not care when we vote him out next time he is up for reelection.

[39flathead]

So MicroMonkey, what your telling me is he's extremely closed minded, and does not care when we vote him out next time he is up for reelection.

He is close minded, and in case you haven't noticed, the "Gimmie" crowd has come out in force the last two elections.
In case you might have missed it, the Democrats cater to the "Gimmie" crowd.

Casey is not worried about his job, maybe after the '14 elections he may be, but not now he isn't.

Calling on the phone is the better way than emails that his staffers are simply deleting and sending out canned emails, the same old tired on for the last month.
He is too lazy to even change his response.

Benedict Casey's DC number:
202-224-6324

[AimStraight]

He is close minded, and in case you haven't noticed, the "Gimmie" crowd has come out in force the last two elections.
In case you might have missed it, the Democrats cater to the "Gimmie" crowd.

Casey is not worried about his job, maybe after the '14 elections he may be, but not now he isn't.

Calling on the phone is the better way than emails that his staffers are simply deleting and sending out canned emails, the same old tired on for the last month.
He is too lazy to even change his response.

Benedict Casey's DC number:
202-224-6324

Thanks 39Flathead, these people work for us and they should be listening to both sides and weighting the facts, getting rid of the BS. He will not get my vote next time.