Thirty-two family members of victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy -- including 20 family members of slain Newtown teacher and Stratford native Victoria Soto -- sent a letter to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday as they resumed their markup of gun bills.
The family members called on Congress to require background checks on all gun sales, limit military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and make gun trafficking a federal crime.
The full letter follows, and also is attached as a PDF in the gallery right.
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Dear Chairman Leahy and Senators Grassley, Blumenthal, and Murphy:
We are 32 family members of victims who were killed in the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012 – innocent children and their educators responsibly going about their day.
No one can describe our pain and the brutal day-to-day emotions we suffer. No one can bring our loved ones back and no one from our community of Newtown, Connecticut will ever go back to “normal.”
In the midst of our anguish we have learned about the dangerous loopholes in our nation’s gun laws and we are compelled to speak out to save others from suffering what we have endured. We are writing today to express our deep conviction and support for the President’s plan to reduce gun violence in America.
Specifically we are asking members of Congress to:
1. Require a criminal background check for every gun sold in America that includes a review of all disqualifying records and meaningful record keeping for all sales – in the same manner that Federally licensed dealers are currently required;
2. Ban military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines; and
3. Make gun trafficking a federal crime, with real penalties for straw purchasers;
The epidemic of injury and death from gun violence is a plague on America, especially since the toll it takes on our families is preventable. Our nation’s families deserve to be safe and free in their schools, movie theaters, workplaces and their homes. We ask Congress, in honor and memory of our loved ones, to support the measures that the President has put forward to help stem the epidemic of gun violence.
Our precious children and family members who were so brutally murdered on December 14th deserve nothing less.
Sincerely,
Jackie Barden, Mother of Daniel Barden
Mark Barden, Father of Daniel Barden
Neil Heslin, Father of Jesse Lewis
Veronique Pozner, Mother of Noah Pozner
Len Pozner, Father of Noah Pozner
Gilles Rousseau, Father of Lauren Rousseau
Teresa Rousseau, Mother of Lauren Rousseau
Andrew Rousseau, Brother of Lauren Rousseau
Matthew Rousseau, Brother of Lauren Rousseau
Suzanne Connors, Sister of Mary Sherlach
Jane Dougherty, Sister of Mary Sherlach
Joseph Greene, Brother of Mary Sherlach
Carlos Soto, Father of Victoria Soto
Donna Soto, Mother of Victoria Soto
Carlee Soto, Sister of Victoria Soto
Carlos M. Soto, Brother of Victoria Soto
Jillian Soto, Sister of Victoria Soto
Donald Fagan, Grandfather of Victoria Soto
Debra Cronk, Aunt and Godmother of Victoria Soto
Robert Cronk, Uncle of Victoria Soto
Dean Fagan, Uncle and Godfather of Victoria Soto
Denise Fagan, Aunt of Victoria Soto
Don Fagan, Uncle of Victoria Soto
Linda Fagan, Aunt of Victoria Soto
Alex Fagan, cousin of Victoria Soto
Brianne Cronk, cousin of Victoria Soto
Christopher Fagan, cousin of Victoria Soto
Donald Fagan, cousin of Victoria Soto
Douglas Fagan, cousin of Victoria Soto
Heather Cronk, cousin of Victoria Soto
Wesley Cronk, cousin of Victoria Soto
Zachary Fagan, cousin of Victoria Soto
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I refuse to comply.
None of these deeply ignorant ideas would have done anything at all to prevent this tragedy.
How shameful.
If you think that there is any "inalienable right given to us by the 2nd Amendment", then it demonstrates that it is you, who is, quite frankly, utterly missing the point. The 2nd isn't "granting" you anything. It is a constraint put on the Government, that's why it states, and I quote: "…shall NOT be infringed." Actually, in all candor, the only thing "shameful" I've read in these comments, is the ignorance, displayed by a fellow citizen, of the principle social contract of this country, known as the Constitution.
The problem in your statement is, not a single Constitutionally consistent regulation has been proposed. And we also dont have any social contracts. This is a free society not bound by any social contracts or pressures.
First off, the word assault rifle is a made up word by the gun grabbing lobby and the Brady Campaign. The rifle used by the Newtown shooter was just a regular semi-auto rifle. And there wouldn't of been a massacre had someone else been there with a gun to stop the shooter. He went unmolested for at least 20 minutes before the cops got there, and then took their time trying to figure out what was going on. Its obvious YOU dont really understand the 2nd Amendment. The 2nd Amendment wasnt a right "given" to us, it's a God given right, a human right. The 2nd Amendment (and the whole Constitution) doesnt give us our rights, it PROTECTS our rights from the government. The language used in the Constitution is that of speaking to Congress, not citizens. "Congress shall pass no law...", "Congress shall not infringe...", etc.
And nothing is antiquated in the Constitution. The very intelligent and educated authors of that document were futurists and scientists, and wrote the Constitution to specifically be future proof. Antiquated? So I guess we should ban your stupid arse from free speech on the internet because hey, we didnt have the internet back when the Constitution was written. Wow, and you have the nerve to claim Im off my meds. You need to get a brain or go back to school, because you are the epitome of a low information voter. If you dont like the Constitution, go move to Europe or North Korea you jackwagon.