Letter From Sen Bennet

Got this today in response to a letter I had written to Sen Bennet:

Dear Bill:

Thank you for contacting me regarding some of the different gun proposals that have been introduced during the 113th Congress, including S.33 introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg, S.150 introduced by Senator Diane Feinstein, and the proposal put forth by President Obama. I appreciate hearing from you.

The numerous tragedies that our nation has had to face over the past year have been staggering. My own family, like all Americans, has been repeatedly shocked and deeply saddened by the violence we have witnessed, and my heart continues to be with the victims and their families. As Coloradans, we know how this type of tragedy can shake a community to its core and in the aftermath of these abhorrent acts our priority should be on supporting the survivors and families, and healing our communities.

We must have a real discussion in this country about finding ways to stop these senseless shootings. I believe a combination of improved access to mental health services, restrictions on certain weapons intended for warfare, and elimination of the gun show loophole are sensible steps that can protect our communities and particularly, our children. In Colorado, we support the right to bear arms and the ability of people to recreate, hunt, and protect their homes, and we want to keep the wrong weapons out the hands of the wrong people. I believe we can have a civil discussion that addresses these issues and as the recommendations by the President's task force are considered in Congress, we will ensure that Colorado's voices are heard.

In addition to the bills referenced above, there are a number of different legislative proposals on gun policy currently before Congress. I am evaluating all of the different bills, and I will keep your thoughts in mind as we work on this issue in the Senate. Let us all continue to keep the communities affected by these tragic acts in our thoughts and prayers.

I value the input of fellow Coloradans in considering the wide variety of important issues and legislative initiatives that come before the Senate. I hope you will continue to inform me of your thoughts and concerns.

For more information about my priorities as a U.S. Senator, I invite you to visit my website at http://bennet.senate.gov/. Again, thank you for contacting me.

Sincerely,

Michael F. Bennet
United States Senator

Emphasis mine. Weapons intended for warfare are routinely issued to soldiers. They are generally not available to the general public. What we have here is a political dog whistle calling for a ban on modern sporting rifles. You can tell that Sen Bennet  is not up for re-election next year.

Perhaps we should be asking him not to ban personal defense weapons, which is what the DHS calls a select-fire M4. After all, who made them so much better than me?