As I was preparing to send this letter to my various State and Federal representatives, I ran into a dilemma. Towards the end of the letter I included a link to a web based article on the subject of gun control that I found very convincing.
My question is this; Does the inclusion of this link diminish, or enhance, the message itself...should I leave it in or remove it?
(I apologize in advance for the length, but there were things I wanted to say! Thank you for your time and consideration.)
~~~~~~~
Honorable …
I write to you today due to my concern about the increasing likelihood of the 2nd Amendment of this countries Constitution being, once again, ignored by those in an elected office with an agenda that seems quite unlike the original intentions of that particular document. I have grave concerns about this matter and I see daily evidence indicating that the foundational principles of this country are being eroded, that the original intent of the authors of that-most important-document are being ignored and twisted by the very people sworn to protect it.
I want to believe that you and I are on the same page and I hope that’s the case, but I’m sure you’ll understand due to the recent political environment, if I reserve my judgment on the matter until after the new “Assault Weapons Ban” fails. You are an integral part of this grand experiment which is America; fight the good fight Sir or Ma’am!
The purpose of this communiqué is to urge you to use your power of persuasion to its utmost capacity in order to oppose the anti-gun lobbyists (perhaps more properly referred to as anti-constitutional lobbyists) in their attempt to deny us our 2nd amendment rights by re-framing the meaning of the phrase…
“The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”.
They should look up the meaning of “right” and “infringe”, and realize that the phrase “shall not” means exactly that, but unfortunately, “You can lead a man to knowledge, but you cannot make him think”!
I ask additionally that you please re-direct the current conversation to the root cause of the problem, mental health: It is no small coincidence that *all* of the perpetrators of these recent mass shootings have been under the influences of anti-depressant or anti-psychotic drugs. Should that not be a clue, a red flag? Should it not be addressed? Damn the pharmaceutical lobbyists and drug companies, if it’s a potential problem-speak up! Do your job.
I know that you’ve read the Constitution; you had to swear an oath to it. Surely you’ve also read the letters written between the authors of that Constitution, along with the Federalist Papers, specifically and especially “The Federalist Papers #46-James Madison- January 29, 1788”. How anyone could read these documents and assign *ANY* ambiguity to the intentions of our Founding Fathers is beyond me. I just don’t get it. The signers of the Constitution were perfectly clear in their reasoning behind the 2nd Amendment-to prevent an “ambitious” and out of control Government from considering themselves above the law and subverting the Constitution for their own purposes. And while no-one wants to consider the possibility of that event ever taking place, it cannot be denied that it was included for that purpose. The meaning is clear. I could explain it *to* you but I cannot understand it *for* you.
Unfortunately, today we have just such a divisive element within our Government. Whether it is an organized element or simply just individuals with a similar mindset is still unclear. What is certainly *NOT* unclear is that there are currently some elected officials that feel it is their right to re-interpret and re-write what the Founders meant. That should absolutely and unequivocally insult your intelligence; it should outrage you, and offend your sense of justice that such a unique and pristine document as the Constitution should be violated in such a way!!!
I truly hope you’re on our side, on the side of the Constitution, but I do understand the magnitude of this debate. You guys are going to need all of the “ammunition” (pun intended) you can find. You should all very much be indignant, slamming your fists on your podiums, yelling at the top of your voices and drawing a line in the sand, your own Rubicon that shall not be crossed! Fight for us, fight for the Founding Fathers, fight for your Constitution! Do your jobs as if you meant it. Elections are forthcoming, and trust me, we *are* now paying attention to your willingness either to take a stand, or your failure to honor your oath! This is a watershed event so understand, even after the debate ends the issue will not be going away. And believe this…I, everyone I personally know and millions of others, *will* be voting accordingly!
This is our country. Let me repeat that again because its importance can not be understated…this is *our* country! You were elected due to your promise to care for it, to preserve it in the manner that the Founders intended. To forget that is to become a liar, and a failure. None of us want that.
There's a quote that I remember from my youth by a man named Jon Gunther...
"Ours is the only country deliberately founded on a good idea."
That "good idea" is being challenged today, by some of the very people elected to protect it. Take the initiative! Read the Constitution, read the Federalist Papers, read the letters written amongst the Founders themselves, THEN formulate your *OWN* opinions, don't just mimic the opinions of others. I feel that The Founding Fathers would truly be ashamed of how we've neglected this "good idea" bequeathed to us.
Before I leave you to your own conscience, I want to share with you some information I ran across the other day that I think you should print out and send to *ALL* of your peers, pro *and* anti-gun alike. This guy, whom I do not know and have no affiliation with, makes a surprisingly effective argument against this most recent attack on the 2nd amendment. He is articulate and lucid, and you should at the very least read it for yourself, I think you’ll be duly impressed.
It can be found here:
http://kontradictions.wordpress.com...ew-the-assault-weapons-ban-well-ill-tell-you/
It is with the utmost respect that I share these concerns with you.
Let us hope that whoever reads this first actually forwards it to you.
Best Regards…
Name, address, etc.
My question is this; Does the inclusion of this link diminish, or enhance, the message itself...should I leave it in or remove it?
(I apologize in advance for the length, but there were things I wanted to say! Thank you for your time and consideration.)
~~~~~~~
Honorable …
I write to you today due to my concern about the increasing likelihood of the 2nd Amendment of this countries Constitution being, once again, ignored by those in an elected office with an agenda that seems quite unlike the original intentions of that particular document. I have grave concerns about this matter and I see daily evidence indicating that the foundational principles of this country are being eroded, that the original intent of the authors of that-most important-document are being ignored and twisted by the very people sworn to protect it.
I want to believe that you and I are on the same page and I hope that’s the case, but I’m sure you’ll understand due to the recent political environment, if I reserve my judgment on the matter until after the new “Assault Weapons Ban” fails. You are an integral part of this grand experiment which is America; fight the good fight Sir or Ma’am!
The purpose of this communiqué is to urge you to use your power of persuasion to its utmost capacity in order to oppose the anti-gun lobbyists (perhaps more properly referred to as anti-constitutional lobbyists) in their attempt to deny us our 2nd amendment rights by re-framing the meaning of the phrase…
“The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”.
They should look up the meaning of “right” and “infringe”, and realize that the phrase “shall not” means exactly that, but unfortunately, “You can lead a man to knowledge, but you cannot make him think”!
I ask additionally that you please re-direct the current conversation to the root cause of the problem, mental health: It is no small coincidence that *all* of the perpetrators of these recent mass shootings have been under the influences of anti-depressant or anti-psychotic drugs. Should that not be a clue, a red flag? Should it not be addressed? Damn the pharmaceutical lobbyists and drug companies, if it’s a potential problem-speak up! Do your job.
I know that you’ve read the Constitution; you had to swear an oath to it. Surely you’ve also read the letters written between the authors of that Constitution, along with the Federalist Papers, specifically and especially “The Federalist Papers #46-James Madison- January 29, 1788”. How anyone could read these documents and assign *ANY* ambiguity to the intentions of our Founding Fathers is beyond me. I just don’t get it. The signers of the Constitution were perfectly clear in their reasoning behind the 2nd Amendment-to prevent an “ambitious” and out of control Government from considering themselves above the law and subverting the Constitution for their own purposes. And while no-one wants to consider the possibility of that event ever taking place, it cannot be denied that it was included for that purpose. The meaning is clear. I could explain it *to* you but I cannot understand it *for* you.
Unfortunately, today we have just such a divisive element within our Government. Whether it is an organized element or simply just individuals with a similar mindset is still unclear. What is certainly *NOT* unclear is that there are currently some elected officials that feel it is their right to re-interpret and re-write what the Founders meant. That should absolutely and unequivocally insult your intelligence; it should outrage you, and offend your sense of justice that such a unique and pristine document as the Constitution should be violated in such a way!!!
I truly hope you’re on our side, on the side of the Constitution, but I do understand the magnitude of this debate. You guys are going to need all of the “ammunition” (pun intended) you can find. You should all very much be indignant, slamming your fists on your podiums, yelling at the top of your voices and drawing a line in the sand, your own Rubicon that shall not be crossed! Fight for us, fight for the Founding Fathers, fight for your Constitution! Do your jobs as if you meant it. Elections are forthcoming, and trust me, we *are* now paying attention to your willingness either to take a stand, or your failure to honor your oath! This is a watershed event so understand, even after the debate ends the issue will not be going away. And believe this…I, everyone I personally know and millions of others, *will* be voting accordingly!
This is our country. Let me repeat that again because its importance can not be understated…this is *our* country! You were elected due to your promise to care for it, to preserve it in the manner that the Founders intended. To forget that is to become a liar, and a failure. None of us want that.
There's a quote that I remember from my youth by a man named Jon Gunther...
"Ours is the only country deliberately founded on a good idea."
That "good idea" is being challenged today, by some of the very people elected to protect it. Take the initiative! Read the Constitution, read the Federalist Papers, read the letters written amongst the Founders themselves, THEN formulate your *OWN* opinions, don't just mimic the opinions of others. I feel that The Founding Fathers would truly be ashamed of how we've neglected this "good idea" bequeathed to us.
Before I leave you to your own conscience, I want to share with you some information I ran across the other day that I think you should print out and send to *ALL* of your peers, pro *and* anti-gun alike. This guy, whom I do not know and have no affiliation with, makes a surprisingly effective argument against this most recent attack on the 2nd amendment. He is articulate and lucid, and you should at the very least read it for yourself, I think you’ll be duly impressed.
It can be found here:
http://kontradictions.wordpress.com...ew-the-assault-weapons-ban-well-ill-tell-you/
It is with the utmost respect that I share these concerns with you.
Let us hope that whoever reads this first actually forwards it to you.
Best Regards…
Name, address, etc.
Last edited:
