Unnecesarily?

I got the first response today to my communication with my congressman and both senators regarding new gun control laws. It came by email from the office of Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC). The Armed Lutheran, another NC gun blogger, got a similar letter from Hagan's office. You can read his analysis and response to letter here. Interestingly, my letter shown below mentions Feinstein's gun control moves while his does not.

Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting me regarding the horrific tragedy that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this issue, and my thoughts and prayers remain with the victims and families of this senseless and appalling act of violence.

In the wake of the shooting in Newtown, which left twenty-six innocent members of the community dead, many of them young children, Americans across the country are searching for answers on how we can prevent such tragic events from happening in the future. I believe we must do all we can to put laws and policies in place to prevent future tragedies such as this one. Doing that will require a common-sense debate on a comprehensive approach that examines all relevant issues, including access to firearms, mental healthcare, and the prevalence of violence in video games and media. Additionally, Senator Feinstein has stated her intent to introduce legislation concerning access to firearms at the start of the 113th Congress. To date, that legislation has not been introduced. As always, it is important that we not unnecessarily infringe on the legitimate Second Amendment rights of responsible gun owners.

Like you, I have always been an advocate for Second Amendment rights. My family, like the great state of North Carolina, has a long tradition of hunting and gun ownership, and I take great pride in that heritage. During my tenure in the North Carolina Senate I continuously supported the responsible use of firearms. As your United States Senator, I will always be committed to protecting these fundamental, constitutional rights.

Again, thank you for contacting my office. It is truly an honor to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate, and I hope you will not hesitate to contact me in the future should you have any further questions or concerns. If you would like to stay informed on my work in the Senate, you can sign up for my e-newsletter, follow me on Twitter at @SenatorHagan, or visit my Facebook page.

Sincerely,

Kay R. Hagan

I have to say that this letter doesn't exactly fill me with the confidence that Hagan won't bend to the will of the White House and Senate Democratic leaders. When I read something that says that it is important that "we not unnecessarily infringe on legitimate Second Amendment rights", I want to know what the good Senator considers a necessary infringement of Second Amendment rights. Would mandated reduced capacity magazines meet her standard of being a necessary infringement? Likewise, would a ban on semi-automatic rifles with the wrong cosmetics be appropriate?

I am also wary of any politician who uses the phrase "tradition of hunting" when they are talking about Second Amendment rights. As we all know, the Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting or a sporting purpose and everything to do with an armed citizenry as a counterweight to a tyrannical government.

Hagan is up for re-election in 2014. She benefited from the Obama wave of 2008 as well as an inept campaign for re-election by Liddy Dole. She is rated as one of the Democratic senators who is in serious risk of losing her seat.

If you are a North Carolinian, write or call Hagan's office on a regular basis. We need to keep pressure on her to do the right thing with regard to gun rights.

UPDATE: The Predator Intelligence blog is collecting and posting responses people from around the country have received to their letters. You can find it here. If you have a letter that you've received, send a copy to Jesse Smith at jsmith AT predatorintelligence DOT com. So far he has 25 of them posted including one from Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI).