I just received this response from Danny Heck. Emphasis are not mine, they are his emphasis from original letter

I got the same one. Not too bad considering the others we have seen.... But there are a few comments in there that would lead me to think he could sway to the Anti Side VERY easily.

Was just about to post too. Best response yet though.

Just got it too. I would agree that it is the best I've seen. Still not great though.

They must be a little backed up. I've been emailing daily for over a week.

Got it as well. I think it's better than most but you know damn well he will jump on the awb bandwagon

Of Course He will. He is a Socialist...

If you live in Heck's district, and you have written him on the gun control issue, you've got mail. I wrote him on the day of his swearing in. It is NOT lost on me that he chose to respond on the Day DiFi dropped her bill:



In the wake of this political knuckleball, I called his office and demanded he be more definitive on his views. I told him that closing the "gun show loophole" was code for creating a national gun registry, for which the only purpose is confiscation.

I find any grown up that uses the "tanks and bazookas" canard is going to be anti-gun, no matter how much they try to hide it.

Topics merged. Seriously people, before you post a new topic, especially one that is new news click on "new posts"..

Ditto on the reply.

Interesting posted thought on the Tanks, Bazooka's, and Machine guns. I thought he was been funny, but now I'm not so sure..

This was my response from numerous emails to congress critters. Is anyone surprised? I fear it's going to take a real taste of violence and bloodshed before the left actually gets it...


Dear Mr. Annoyinglylongname,

Thank you for taking the time to contact me. I deeply appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts with me as I work to represent all the residents of our Congressional District. I hope that even if we do not always agree, we can continue having a civil, reasonable and thoughtful conversation on how we can confront the challenges our nation faces.

Many different proposals for reducing gun violence have been made in the past few weeks, including by President Obama. I am carefully reviewing the President's proposal, which has not yet been written into legislation, as well as the many other proposals that have been made by advocacy groups. Most importantly, I am listening to the ideas that my constituents have proposed for fighting gun violence in America. As the national debate on gun violence moves forward, I want you to know what my guiding principles on this issue will be.

First, I believe that doing nothing is not an option. Like all Americans, I am heartbroken by the shooting that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December. The murder of twenty first-graders and seven adults, six of whom worked at the school, was a tragedy beyond comprehension. As the husband of a retired principal and teacher and the father of two boys, this shooting hit particularly close to home for me and my family.

Sadly, too many other communities have also experienced incidents of gun violence. The South Sound has not been spared. Six people were injured in a mass-shooting at the Tacoma Mall in 2005. Four Lakewood police officers were killed in 2009 while sitting in a coffee shop. Every day in communities around America there are tragic gun deaths that rip neighborhoods and families apart.

I believe we must do more to prevent gun violence in this country. No child should go to school scared of being shot. Every American deserves to live in a society free of the threat of gun violence. I am committed to working to reduce gun violence and keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and those who are dangerously mentally ill. Let me repeat: Doing nothing is not an option.

Second, I believe that all proposals aimed at reducing gun violence should be evaluated in an evidence-based way. We should enact policies that research shows us will actually work and be effective at reducing gun violence. Unfortunately, researchers looking into ways to reduce gun violence face unnecessary and inappropriate barriers in conducting their work. For example, Congress has placed restrictions on the ability of the Centers for Disease Control to do research into the cause of gun violence. It has also placed restrictions on what data federal agencies can release to researchers looking to study gun violence. These laws limit our ability to even understand the scope of the problem confronting us. These laws should be repealed.

Third, I believe we must strike a reasonable balance between respecting the Second Amendment and the need to keep our communities safe. I know many are greatly concerned Congress or the President will act in a way that damages the Second Amendment or targets hunters and sportsmen. I grew up a hunter and understand these concerns. The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled in favor of the right of individual firearm ownership and Congress and the President need to respect this.

I believe it is possible for us to have common sense gun laws that will protect Americans without at all threatening our right to bear arms. For example, Congress has already placed significant restrictions on the production and ownership of tanks, bazookas, machine guns and other automatic weapons. Individuals who meet certain criteria, such as those who have been deemed dangerously mentally ill, are also not allowed to own firearms. I support these laws and support making sure we do a better job enforcing them.

One new action that I believe would better strike a balance between respecting the Second Amendment and keeping our communities safe is closing what some have called the "gun show loophole." This is an omission in federal law which allows individuals to purchase firearms at gun shows without having to undergo a background check. They would be required to undergo this background check if they were purchasing a firearm at a brick-and-mortar store, and visiting a gun show allows them to slip past this security check. I strongly believe that individuals who have committed violent felonies or who are dangerously mentally ill should not be able to evade background checks simply by purchasing a firearm at a local gun show.

Finally, as we look for ways to reduce gun violence, I believe we need to look beyond gun laws. We need to take steps to make our schools a safer place for kids and teachers. Every school in America should have a comprehensive emergency management plan in place, and every school must take steps to reduce violence and bullying.

We also need to improve access to mental healthcare. While only a small minority of those who have a mental illness are violent, we cannot let these individuals slip through the cracks of our healthcare system. Congress needs to continue making sure health insurance policies fully cover necessary mental health coverage, and we need an increased focus on mental health treatment for young Americans between the ages of 16 and 25. These young people are the least likely to seek assistance for a mental illness despite being one of the age groups with the highest risk of developing one.

There is no single action we can take to fully eliminate gun violence. However, the immensity of this problem cannot be an excuse for inaction. In the weeks and months ahead, I look forward to continuing to hear from you and other constituents about what we can do to tackle this problem. Please do not hesitate to contact my office again as this debate continues.



Sincerely,

Denny Heck
Member of Congress

MOD EDIT - Merged with the other thread that has an ongoing discussion on this.

http://votesmart.org/candidate/politica ... enny-heck/

Unknown Position Unknown Answer Guns: Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
No Inferred Answer Immigration: Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?

can someone tell me that joyce mcdonald is better??

Holy necropost Batman.

But a valid one, considering the mid-term elections...

Research I did briefly when I got my ballot is that yes she is better. I want to say a 82% rating via NRA? Just google search her name and guns and there are voter info links..