The main item that needs to be addressed is closing the gunshow loophole. All guns sold need to have a backround check performed before sale. This includes privately owned gun sales outside of gunshows. When a gun is used to commit a crime, the history of gun ownership needs to tracked. The person selling or giving the gun to a criminal should be charged with a misdemeanor. I bet gun dealers and owners will backround check 100% of gun purchasers if threatened with a criminal charge. Additionally, it should force gun owners to properly secure their weapons in a gun safe to prevent inadvertent use. Finally the mentally ill need to be looked after properly. Whether that be medicated in the home with guardian or institutionalized. Those with a proven mental illness should be able to collect disability to offset the cost of care.

Get off gun control and focus on the economy. A ban on High capacity magazines does nothing but set precedent for the future removal of more of your rights. The only thing this administration and congress should be doing is balancing our budget and repaying our debt. If we don't stop deficits and reduce our national debt our government will eventually collapse. (no it's not crazy talk.) I'll keep my magazines. Balance the budget!

DO SOMETHING SIR...just do SOMETHING to stop the out of control chaos being perpetrated by thousands upon thousands of irresponsible adults with guns. I expect you to fail us sir, I really do. You won't have any credibility when it comes to 2nd Amendment arguments, and you know it. Just do SOMETHING, but PLEASE do not repeat the absurdity of republican Senator Graham in public testimony raising as a problem restriction on high capacity magazines because there won't be enough bullets for a woman to kill two intruders. Do SOMETHING sir....just CEASE your constant obstruction on every issue...STOP THAT.

All the people who die on our highways every day from speed or alcohol related crashes and that's not addressed? No one is trying to lower the speed limit to 15 mph? No one is trying to ban cars that go fast enough to kill its occupants and whoever is in the vehicle they hit. Also no one is proposing a ban on 12 packs of beer of half gallons of liquor. There is no "who needs alcohol that strong, you might get drunk and hurt yourself or beat your spouse". Or " what do you need with a 24 pack of beer, you don't need that much at one time". The reason is most people are responsible and don't drink and drive or beat their spouse , conversely I don't shoot up schools with my AR-15 so what's the difference? The difference is the agenda of the President and the rest of the freedom haters.

More gun control won't help. What we need is a national heart review. Until some level of self control, respect for life in general, and fear of eternal consequences is instilled in it's citizens, no amount of government control will cure what ails our nation.

What we need to do first and foremost is to properly enforce the current state and federal laws. And by enforcement I mean, prosecute those people who aided the recent shooters. The people that do these mass shootings have some aspect of mental illness and we need to address this without infringement on people's rights, especially their 2nd Amendment rights. We must preserve said second amendment rights and I would encourage you support our rights. I am a sportsman, I shoot for hobby and sport and I also use said firearms to support myself and my family. These are my God given rights as an American and I don't like the current assault on law abiding American's like myself. Therefore, I urge you to vote against any gun control measures, whether they be bills before Congress, executive orders from the President or Agreements with other foreign governments or the UN. Thank you for your time.

the fact is assault weapons aren't used in a majority of crime by any stretch. when they are they are devastating' there is no legitimate reason for individuals to own them or high capacity magazines or armor piercing bullets. they should be removed from the market place as soon as our borders are sealed and al incoming cargo receives an inspection. background checks should be required for ALL gun purchases. peolple with mental health problem have avery hard time with diagnosis and treatment and if you're poor, you will be blocked by any method that the beauracrats can conjure up. (no funding)

I am totally in favor of the Second Amendment. No where in the Amendment can I find language that allows bans or limits on the type of gun or the type of magazine or clip that I can own. I certainly want the laws that are on the books concerning felons and mentally disabled to be upheld, but beyond that leave the law abiding citizens alone after the background checks are done. I am in favor of resource officers in schools if they are trained. If this is mandated by the Federal Government then, I think there should be funding help for the local school districts. I really think that most of our issues could be helped by better funding for education and mental health. If we helped our children (at risk of being left behind or dropping out and our ED or Emotional Education) with better education money we could solve so many issues. The only people that will follow these laws are the honest people. Criminals will always have guns. Felons are caught every day with guns. The Sandy Hook shootings were committed with guns that were stolen. If they don't have guns they have knives, bombs, etc. Please don't let them continue to destroy the Constitution.

This hole proposal from the President is a smoke screen for the fact there has been no budget in four years. No votes on anything till we have a working budget

Guns and law-abiding, responsible gun owners are not the problem. We need to expect people to act responsibly and expect consequences if they do not. Those that can not or will not, must be dealt with in a manner which will increase the safety and security of all.

I am opposed to an "assault" weapons ban. As demonstrated from 1994-2004, a ban on semi-automatic rifles that "look" like military weapons will have no effect on crime, but will infringe on the rights of law-abiding citizens. I am opposed to a ban on large-capacity magazines. A determined mass shooter can easily change magazines while unarmed victims cower, as happened at Virginia Tech, when the shooter killed 32 people with common handguns and standard magazines. I would favor background checks on private sales if this was done in such a way that precluded registration. The government should not know who owns exactly which weapons. We cannot trust the likes of Pres. Obama and Sen. Feinstein with such information. The single most important thing we should do is ban "gun-free zones," which are simply "disarmed-victim zones." Allow citizens to defend themselves at public schools and universities, just as they already do at most other public places. If a building does not have armed guards and metal detectors at every entrance, it is not "gun-free" and it is unconstitutional to prohibit citizens from carrying.

As recent as this past week the Vice President stated not one of these initiatives would have prevented the tragedy in Newtown. Let's just enforce the laws already on the books before enacting new ones. No elected official has the right to tell me what tools I can use to defend my family. Thank you Rep. Forbes for your service to our District.

All this talk has nothing to do with gun control and everything to do with controlling "The People". You have been consistent with your efforts in DC to bring some common sense to the mess there. However, it is time that you and your constituents realize that the president is not as all concerned about what the Constitution says. His past actions have proven he has no fear of breaking current laws himself and using the fist of govt. to pound on people who disagree with him. The media will never like you or any other conservative. It's time for Republicans to get rid of the speaker and take action to stop Obama's efforts to destroy our country. Wise up. Look at his actions. Why do you think gun sales have exploded since his re-election? We the People are not stupid or ignorant about what is happening in DC. It is a cesspool of lies and distortions and media spin. We need your voice to be a thunderclap, not a whisper.

Poll: 53% Say Govt Threatens Freedoms According to a new Pew Research poll, Americans are increasingly worried about the federal government violating their rights. The survey, conducted January 9-13, showed that 53 percent of Americans believe that the federal government “threatens their own personal rights and freedoms,” with 43 percent disagreeing. That is a significant uptick from March 2010, when just 47 percent said that the government threatened their freedom, with 50 percent disagreeing. Republicans are largely responsible for that increase; 76 percent of Republicans say that the federal government threatens freedoms, and 54 percent said the federal government was a “major” threat. That was up from 62 percent and 47 percent, respectively. Independents agree with Republicans; 55 percent say the government represents a threat, and 33 percent say it represents a major threat. Amazingly, minorities trust the government more than whites do; just 20 percent of whites trust the government to do the right thing always or most of the time, but 38 percent of blacks and 44 percent of Hispanics do. Just 26 percent of those polled say that Washington will do the right thing always or the majority of the time. But while President Obama continues to complain about the governmental system, stating that it makes for gridlock, the American people think that the problem lies with their legislators. A full 56 percent of those polled say that the governmental system can work; just 32 percent say that lawmakers are trying to do the right thing, but are hamstrung by the system. Overall, Americans know that the Constitution still works. And they still believe that government is the greatest threat to their rights. As the Obama administration expands the size and scope of government, so too do they expand the threat to those rights. http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/02/01/poll-Americans-worried-government

The Bill of Rights were put in place to protect we the people from the tyrany of government. The Second Amendment is codification of the Natural Right of defense of self, family and property. The words of the amendment "shall not be infringed" mean exactly that. The bottom line, any new law will have the same result of all the existing gun laws, absolutely nothing. The Administration's push for gun control is nothing more than citizen control. To paraphrase from one of the founding fathers, un unarmed citizen is a slave.

President is wrong in trying to pass this measures. Please stop his agenda .

I do not support any of the executive orders or recommendations put forth by VP Biden's committee. The recommendations put forth have nothing to do with preventing another Sandy Hook and everything to do with putting forth the Democrat Parties anti-2nd Amendment agenda. I am also opposed to Senator Feinstein's anti-2nd Amendment proposals put forth in the Senate and ask that you not support such measures. I believe we have enough gun laws in place and ask that we work to strengthen and enforce existing law as opposed to making new law. In addition, I think we need to end "gun free zones" as I think they create zones that ensure there are many unarmed potential victims in a given area. Citizens with concealed weapons permits should not be prohibited from carrying firearms in any area except the courts and other special areas. I support designated faculty and staff being armed, when properly trained at all schools including schools that already have an armed resource officer. It is best to have the defender you know and an unknown number of defenders you cannot see or know their numbers. I ask that you vehemently oppose any form of federal government universal registration. Thank you, Michael

Senator Lindsey Graham made an important point during the committee hearing this past week which included Gabriel Gifford's husband, a law professor, a Baltimore police chief, an advocate for women, and Wayne LaPierre of the NRA. Lindsey's point was concerning magazine capacity. His point was, one bullet in the possession of a criminal with a gun is too many, but a 10 or 15 round magazine in the possession of a law abiding citizen protecting themselves or their family may not be enough. Aside from the questions of constitutionality that these orders raise, we need to think in practical terms of the limitations we would be placing on law abiding citizens, and the potential innocent lives lost due to these restrictions.

I cannot understand how those that were elected to defend the constitution of the United States can campaign to destroy it without any repercussions. I strongly oppose any additional restrictions on the rights of law abiding citizens to bear arms. I am also 100% against asking citizens of the United States to register their firearms.

I think it's time for both of our Senators and all of our Representatives to be called to a convention of the citizens of this State. They need to understand that we are tired of them taking our liberities away one decision at a time. I personally do not care what their personal feelings are on an issue. They supported Obamacare while over 65% of Americans did not support it and everyday we find out something new to worry about! They all need to be held accoutable now, not later. Also, the State Gov't needs to take actions to prevent the Federal Gov't from impeding on their authority to govern. Why have they chosen to just sit back and take it? God Bless America and protect us from these fools.

I support all of the Presidents plan except banning military-style assault weapons and restoring the 10 round limit on ammunition magazines. It must be remembered that the Second Amendment is not about hunting or protecting our homes from a burglar, rather it is for the common people to protect themselves in the case of a rouge or corrupt government attempting to take away their rights. I hope this protection is never needed but if it is, we the people will be fighting against assault weapons in possession of the government forces.

Mental health is the common thread amongst all of tragedies. As with most of the previous legislation on "gun control", that has been proven to do very little to curb crime. Focus time and money on enforcing the overwhelming number of laws in the books currently. Enforce the maximum punishments to fit the crimes. Keep the mentally ill monitored far more closely and my guess is that situations like this will become less common.

Obama and the Dems are shamelessly exploiting the Newtown massacre in order to advance their anti-gun agenda. But none of their proposed gun laws would have prevented it. The ultimate goal of the liberal left is to totally disarm the American people. How? By first banning specific guns, ammo, and magazines; then licensing, registration, and finally confiscation.

Sir: I am a 28-year retired LEO (local, state & federal). I have enforced laws on all three levels, and in addition. have been a certified law enforcement firearms instructor for nearly 40 years now. Criminals DO NOT adhere to laws. Period. Every gun law I have ever seen is broken on a daily basis by criminals, and always will be. The only effect of these laws is on the law abiding, and in my opinion, contrary to the Framers' intentions as enumerated in the Second Amendment. "Shall not be infringed" means just that. Period. It is there to protect us from Tyranny coming from Washington, which we are seeing more and more (Obamacare, Fast & Furious, widespread voter fraud, etc.). That being said, the 1994 "Assault Weapons Ban" had no POSITIVE effect on crime, in fact the FBI statistics show that major crimes have steadily DECLINED since the 1994 AWB sun-downed in 2004. It was not revived for exactly that very same reason. And now Obama wants to re-institute it? His motives are clear! NO MORE RESTRICTIONS ON AMERICANS FOR LAW ABIDING CITIZENS! Enforce the laws already on the books and put the law breakers in JAIL, starting with Eric Holder!!!!! James Bonavita, Virginia Beach Police Dept. (Ret.) DoD Conservation Police Officer (Ret.) Chesapeake, VA

Looking at the number of people killed with simi-automatic rifles sense the last ban sunset just doesn't justify another ban. I for one use my AR-15 for target practice and varmet hunting on a regular basis. These are popular rifles enjoyed by more people than any other type of rifle judging by the ranges that I frequent. This is just the latest tactic by the left to remove these rifles from the population. Fast and furious failed so lets not let New Town go to waste.

As VP Biden pointed out, any new AWB will have no effect on criminals, only law abiding citizens. FBI statistic, proved the last AWB was worthless to reduce crime. England, Australia, and Canada have confiscated or registered every weapon and Australia crime rate went up 66%. As Senator Cruz pointed out during the Judiciary committee, pistol grip, hi cap mags, are not the issue. The so called "Gun show loop hole" is a complete croc. Private sale are legal and must remain so. Only 1.9 % of guns used in crimes came from gun shows. How is less than 2 % going to change anything? The cities with the toughest gun control also, have the highest crime rate, murder especially. Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York? Incidentally, "Fast and Furious" and the ATF sting in Milwaukee, have caused more guns into the hands of law breaker, and Mexican Gangs than any gun show. So obviously this train of thought if totally and completely false. Drugs are illegal, outlawed through the country, yet on every big city street corner they came be found. How many billions of dollars and life's lost, to attempt to slow the drug trade. Prohibition, all alcohol was outlawed, yet it was plentiful everywhere. The Second Amendment was instilled into the US Constitution to prevent a tyrannical government from becoming a dictatorship. Stalin and Hitler used the exact same tactics before slaughtering innocent civilians. AG Holder made a comment the other day about the President having the power to declare innocent civilians, terrorist or enemy combatants, Stalin and Hitler used the same approach. This is exactly the type of dictatorship the Second Amendment was put in place to prevent. This administration through is several miss-handlings of so called "Stings" has killed more people than terrorist in this country. Gun control does not work, never has never will. Mental health facilities recognizing and providing care, and making the un stable people information immediately to law enforcement is a good positive step, Responsible gun owners need to secure in a safe their weapons to prevent thieves and children from access.

Banning guns of any kind will not work. Getting rid of gun free zones would help. That past few incidents have been in gun free zones where the shooter knows he can shoot unopposed. The doctors that treat these mental cases should be reporting these people to authorities to stop their purchase of arms and ammunition and go so far to make sure that guns in the home where they live are secured in some way. We will never stop all incidents as Sandy Hook or the theater, but taking our right to own and carry arms into these gun free zones will only make the problem worse.

THE GOVERMENT SEEMS TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO TAKE AWAY THE RIGHTS GIVING TO US BY THE CONSITUTION YET THEY BELEAVE THEY AND THEY ALONE KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU AND ME. MEMBERS OF CONGREES HAVE ARMED PERSONNEL TO PROTECT THEM AT WORK AND EVEN AT THIER HOMES WHAT MAKE THOSE WHO GOVERN THINK THAT LAW BIDING AMERICANS SHOULD GIVE UP OUR RIGHTS SO THEY CAN SAY THEY SOLVED THE PROBLEM . PEOPLE WHO ATTACK THE RIGHTS OF YOU AND ME NEED TO BE GOVERNED UNDER THE SAME RULE AND NOT EXCEMPT THEM SELVES FROM THE LAWS THEY IMPOSE ON US.

Increase the safety in our nations schools with armed security. The NRA is correct in it's assessment on how to do this right now. I'm sorry but this is the reality we are faced with now in my country. Strictly enforce the current laws on the books regarding gun laws and pledge support for a standard concealed / open carry law recognized in all our states instead of every state having a different law. Use the Supreme Court if you must but do now weaken the 2nd amendment in the process. If you want to ban magazines in the name of compromise, then let it be at 40 rd. magazines max. We are a vast majority, law abiding citizens and must not be punished because of the unlawful actions of a few.

I do not believe that the democrat efforts for gun control has any thing to do with crime or mass shootings. Both are down since Concealed Carry laws and Repeal of the AW law. Ask yourself what the real motive is. Do not trust this administrations tampering with the Constitution. Crime is up in England and Australia since drastic anti gun laws were passed.

Its hard not to be somewhat sarcastic in response to the President's proposal. It amazes me that a man who has been referred to as a Constitutional scholar displays so much contempt for and lack of understanding of the basic principles enshrined within that great document. He has neither the power, nor authority to unilaterally annul the 2nd Amendment. What happened at Sandy Hook is a tragedy beyond comprehension....I cannot even begin to imagine the pain that the surviving children and the families of those innocent slain children will carry forever. There are no words. However, banning high capacity magazines, banning classes of semi-automatic weapons based on their cosmetic features, and instituting a universal compulsory registration system will not stop mass killings.....these are meaningless gestures inspired by emotion and hysteria and solely designed to present the appearance of effective action. The tougher problem is to figure out what turned this young man into a mindless killer and what drove him to exact his rage against a classroom of innocent children. I frequently read stories in the papers of seemingly "normal" children doing horrible things, in most cases for no other reason than for entertainment. An old man walking down the street, minding his own business...savagely attacked and beaten and nearly killed by a pack of teenagers just because he is there. A mother putting her child on the school bus attacked and beaten by several 13 year old girls; put in the hospital with severe internal injuries. When questioned by police, the teenagers admit they did it just for fun........what creates these monsters and what conditions them to become such unfeeling, uncaring and savage animals? I wonder what Mr Lanza was exposed to over the course of his young life.....how many people did he see on television or at the cinema in glaring 3D being sliced, diced, mutilated, crushed, and violated in every imaginable way before he was even 14 or 15 years old? How many songs did he listen to denigrating the symbols of respect and authority in our communities and homes, celebrating the killing of Police Officers, mistreating women, and extolling the virtues of indulging in a wide variety of chemical substances? What impact did his psyche experience, when after growing up within the public school system and being told repeatedly that real achievement does not matter, what matters is how you "feel" about yourself...and we all, every one of us is exactly the same....what was the impact when he realized that talent and achievement really does matter and no matter how many times he was told that mediocrity is O.K....it really wasn't....and in reality, we are all very much different? What happens to a person when they find that much of what they think they know is false? I also have to wonder if Mr Lanza was one of the many youngsters that we have trained over the course of their lives to be addicts or to have a chemical dependency?.....Society sees an "over" active child, a 5 or 8 or 10 year old boy who will not sit quietly in a classroom or whose lack of "focus" or "attention" or constant disruptions (those situations that used to be classified as just being energetic or "being a boy") causes officials and parents to seek chemical remedies to non-existent or over inflated problems, buoyed by a medical and commercial industry that has prospered enormously over the last 20 years by pushing their mind warping drugs on our children with official sanction. What happens to a young mind, not yet fully developed, when society forces chemicals like Adderall, Ritalin, and other amphetamines and stimulants upon it? How does this chemical "intervention" transform normal cognitive and emotional development from such a young age to adulthood? How is that reflected in the behavioral, emotional and social activities of that now young adult who has spent a lifetime being drugged into submission? How do they perceive the world and their place in it? I really could go on and on, but I think you get my point.....there are many places to look for cause and effect in trying to discern the cause of Lanza’s crime....the very least important is the particular weapons he chose to complete these horrendous acts.

BEING THAT NEARLY ALL OF THE MASS SHOOTINGS HAVE OCCURRED IN GUN FREE ZONES WHY ARE THE DEMOCRATS TRYING TO PASS MORE GUN LAWS INSTEAD OF GETTING RID OF SOME OF THE ONES WE ALREADY HAVE? I CAN ONLY COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE DEMOCRATS HAVE A HIDDEN AGENDA. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE GOV'T TOOK AWAY FREEDOM THAT IT SHOULDN'T HAVE, AND THE SOLUTION IS TO RETURN THAT FREEDOM. FREEDOM IS THE SOLUTION, NOT THE PROBLEM. THAT SPECIFIC FREEDOM IS SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTED IN EVERY STATE BY THE 2ND AMENDMENT ANYWAY. ALSO, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HEAR MORE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT WHY WE HAVE THE 2ND AMENDMENT, WHICH IS TO ENSURE "WE THE PEOPLE" HAVE A MEANS OF THROWING OFF TYRANNY SHOULD THE NEED EVER ARISE. ONCE THAT IS UNDERSTOOD THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT PRIVATE OWNERSHIP OF "ASSAULT WEAPONS" IS PROTECTED BY THE 2ND AMENDMENT.

The president must follow the constitution and let the legislative branch do its job. I feel that if we let Obama continue to bypass the process he will feel like he can do this more often! Gerry Mabry

Dear Congressman Forbes, Thank you for your continued leadership of supporting our rights under the Constitution and the Constitution itself. Both have been under fire lately and your efforts to safeguard both are appreciated greatly. The argument for and against gun control is over. We have examples of where expanded presence of firearms is mandated by law and strictly forbidden. In Kennesaw , Georgia ownership of firearms and sufficient ammunition is a city ordinance. The first two years homicides by firearms, and essentially homicides themselves by 73 percent and 43 percent. We have a bonafide and well documented example in Kennesaw of what a locality with a large population of firearms portends for public safety. One might think that rational people with reservations to gun ownership might have fled. Kennesaw made exceptions for people with religious and other objections. Indeed, the population grew significantly upon passage of the ordinance. One can reasonably and rightly confirm that a population mandated to own at least one gun reduces violent crime. The statistics from Kennesaw confirm this with clarity. In contrast, Chicago, IL has among the most stringent gun laws in the country. The bloodshed in the projects and urban areas rises each year. Chicago is one of the most dangerous cities in America despite draconian laws prohibiting citizens their Second Amendment freedom. The results of gun control as an effective deterrent to crime are know. We have real world statistics of both stringent control and mandated ownership. It bears out one stark conclusion. Gun ownership by lawful citizens does not lead to increased gun violence. Indeed it is just the opposite. Criminals fear an armed citizenry . Nothing else can be drawn from these examples. I ask you to stand firm against all efforts by our President to redact our Second Amendment and thwart our Congress to stand in abeyance while he does so with no legal authority. Thank you for all you do, Sincerely, Kelly Van Arsdel

This "assault weapons" bull needs to end. You are not going to undo over a century's worth of technology with the stroke of a pen. Criminals are going for flashy guns with stigmas attached to them, like .44's. And this whole threat of restrictions has lead to a mass wave of purchases, so there are MORE of them around, to the point that manufacturers cant keep up with the demand.

Make sure that people of all ages have access to mental health treatment. Project AWARE needs to be for everyone.

What the president and Fienstien are proposing is for the most part a citizen disarmament program. I do not support any changes to existing background checks, or changes to the types of weapons or magazines law abiding citizens can own. I do not support forcing medical care providers to become subjective informants on their patients. This will destroy trust between patients and their providers. I do not support a federal central database of gun owners, as world history has proven this to be disasterous for law abiding citizens. We have lost the battle for teaching any kind of hopeful Christian values in our schools. Darwinism, humanism, situational ethics, socialism, and etc are hopeless, and are influencing students to have no moral absolutes. Of course this doesn't take into account the pornography influence which is just a click away on their smart phones that they are all allowed to have in school. Guns are not the problem, we as a society need to stop producing hopeless and morally troubled individuals who can't tell right from wrong. Why not offer intelligent design as a alternative in our schools? Why not have the ten commandments posted. Our laws are built upon them. But without Divine intervention we are probably past the point where that will ever happen, so I only mention it a root cause that has been ignored and will continue to be ignored. That won't be a number on Obama's list. Right now we do need an armed trained police officer in every school. LaPierre is right, "the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." This is not going to stop all violence but it will be more immediatly effective than any other idea out there. Right now we need some type of mental health system reform that provides a place and treatment for the violently mentally disturbed. Unwealthy families have no choice but to live with these disturbed individuals. They are faced with having their loved one jailed or living with them as they cannot afford private care. Families and law enforcement know who these people are. Figuring out how to get these people help and a controlled enviornment makes a lot more sense than restricting the type of gun I purchase or how many bullets it holds. So blame the guns and punish the law abiding citizens. Restrict us, tax our guns, tax our ammunition, over burden us with forms and fees, make informants out of our doctors, neighbors, and teachers put the arms makers and shooting ranges, gunshops and accessories makers out of business, make criminals out of us if we give a gun to a son or a good friend. Take away any effective weapons incrementally until we are defenseless in a society that is in an ever increasing moral decline. Leave us defenseless. Is this still America land of the free or land of the destroyed constitution? Finally Mr. Forbes I am a voter in your district and I have voted for you everytime you have appeared on my ballot. I really have been proud of your performance of your duties. However if you cave in and support any of this thinly veiled gun grab of Obama, Fienstien and others it will be the last time I vote for you. This is not about hunting, or about assault weapons, this is about an outright attack on on our second amendment rights. It would just set the stage for this incredibly devisive and overreaching administration to continue to exact revenge and punishment on their political enemies and fellow citizens who In the President's words "cling to their guns and religion." Thank you for giving me this opportunity to express mu opinion and position. god bless you, and God bless America We the people want to know what Fundamental Change will look like when it is fully implemented. Please get the president to put it in writing.

It is improbable that any response to Sandy Hook can be constructed, because logically with nothing that could be construed as truth has been provided to the public. The reason for this is, that we have never been told the truth about the shooting itself. To know what might be the appropriate response, we need to know what actually happened. To know where the failures were, we need again, to know exactly what happened. To not be manipulated, we need to know...you guessed it... what actually happened. So when will the media expose the contradictory reports, and provide the hidden truth? Revealing the truth is what a corrupt government with ulterior motives cannot allow, if it is to continue to grow it's tyranny. All reasoning Americans can see that our central government is bent on dictatorship, bankruptcy and chaos. When that happens, we will be subject to their police state. Thus has it always been, and it is happening here. I hope Congress does not dawdle. There are several guilty of treason in the current administration.

Each and every congressman took an oath to uphold the constitution. That includes the 2nd amendment. The cities that have the strictest gun laws are the cities that have the highest crime rates. The liberals that want stricter gun laws are the same people that want to be lenient on criminals. Just doesn't make sense. Makes more sense to require that everyone be armed. An armed society is a polite society. Instead of an Assault Weapon Ban we need a Ban on Liberals and their illogical way of thinking.

We know the Clinton assault weapon ban did no good, nor would it change anything for the better today. If people do their homework, they will find that today's 'assault weapons' are used extensively by hunters for the same reasons the military adopted them after years of using weapons like the Springfield .30-06: they fire LOWER powered rounds (primarily to ease the felt recoil) and they do LESS damage to the target! The magazine capacity question is too inane to even deserve a response. Don't they think the shooter can reload quickly? If we continue to focus on the machine rather than the user, cars should be the first thing to go! Why is there so little understanding of reality in the White House? Thank you, Randy, for all you do. We appreciate you!

FACTS: 1) Jan 18, 2013- VP Biden told Jim Baker (NRA)..."we do not have the manpower nor the resources to prosecute those who lie on background check form 4473". (DailyCaller-1-18-13) 2) Background checks ruled unconstitutional by SCOTUS in Sheriff Mack case; but left authority to the states in decisioin to legislate. 3) In 1970's--Pres. Carter-gave large grant to Univ. of MA to study gun crime; in 1981 Sociology Prof. Dr. Jas. Wright, Peter Rossie, Kathleen Daly concluded their extensive 3yr research that 'gun laws do not reduce crime' 4) criminals are majority of offenders in gun violence ie Ill & DC highest gun violence in country---illegal to own guns SOLUTIONS 1) School property: signs on all street entrances & doors: "This Property is under Armed Surveilance" ....same with public places. What idiot would dare to challenge those signs? SUMMARY: THERE ARE ALREADY 20,000 GUN LAWS IN EXISTANCE. DETERENCE OF CRIME OF ANY KIND SHOULD BE UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE GOVERNOR, LEGISLATORS, CITIZENS OF EACH STATE .....NOT THE FED GOVERNMENT TO DICTATE RULE OVER THE WHOLE NATION. HISTORY SHOWS THE GUN ASSAULTS AT SCHOOLS ARE IN STATES WITH NO TOLERANCE FOR RIGHTFUL GUN OWNERSHIP.

Since no assault weapon was used at Newtown, why all the hype on assault weapons. Much of what Obama has listed as assault weapons, are not. We had the ban through the Clinton era and it did not reduce crime in any way. Everywhere the citizens have gun freedom, the crime rate is down. Everywhere the restrictions are tight as in New York, Chicago, et. the crime rate is much higher. Criminals love areas where they don't have to worry about people being able to defend themselves. Make more unneccesary laws. CRIMINALS don't obey the law.

why does the federal gun purchase form allow people adjudged mentally incompetent by Veterans Administration, Soc. Sec..etc to answer no to the mental questions?

What concerns me regarding the bulk of the proposals (other than the ones about he president doing his job), is the open endedness of them. It would seem that a broad interpretation of mental illness could be used to label a large portion of the populace as mentally ill and are therefore ineligible to own or possess firearms. I look to the tendency of the Department of Homeland Security and it's tendency to call people who are critical of the Federal government domestic terrorists as an example of where the administration might have a tendency to go.

The emphasis should be on how we deal with the mentally ill and criminals. Mental health should be covered by medical insurers. We should conduct an in-depth study of how we care for the mentally ill to include what are the current steps to report a suspected mentally ill person. No effort, legislative or executive, should be made to disarm law-abiding citizens. Australia and the UK are good examples of how gun crimes increase when the law-abiding population is disarmed. The Obama administration and it's lapdog, biased liberal media should stop vilifying law-abiding gun-owners. It isn't helping to resolve the problem.

The Founders, in this case George Mason and Patrick Henry (among others), insisted that a Bill of Rights be attached to the Constitution so that there would be no doubt as to the existence of those natural-born rights of man felt to be the most important. Number 2 on their list is our natural-born right to bear arms. The purpose is spelled out: "the security of a free State." This Amendment is not about hunting, nor personal defense, nor about mass killings--it's about Liberty...the prevention of tyranny from government. As such, the tragedy in CT should change nothing concerning our right to bear arms. Our 2nd Amendment rights "shall not be infringed." So-how to solve future events like those in CT? We have had guns for 400 years in America. We have had mentally disturbed people in America for just about as long. Yet, the rate of these types of killings has increased. Why? It must be the moral fabric of our society. Our values of right and wrong have changed. We, as a people, watch violent movies and TV shows continually, glorifying violent criminals. We even vicariously become mass murderers in our video and computer games. Advertisers know all too well how media influences choices. Add drugs to the violence dished out on the screen, and you have a bloody recipe for tragedy, indeed. We used to be able to censor the trash that is produced in studios, but they have now convinced America that ANY restriction violates the 1st Amendment. Not true! It's the old yelling "Fire" in the theater scenario. If we know it's directly resulting in death, should there not be some restrictions put in place? There are restrictions enough (too many) on our 2nd Amendment rights: I can't shoot tin cans in the middle of a playground, and rightly so. But, the essential right to bear arms, sufficient to act as a deterrent to tyranny remains intact up until now. It must remain so. We should be concentrating on the root of the problem...the moral decay and "anything goes" permissiveness of our society. As John Adams said, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is WHOLLY INADEQUATE to the government of any other." He ought to know...we ought to know better.

I find it very interesting that all these "shooters" are on drugs for various "illness" like ADT, and all these shootings occur in "gun free zones" which like "drug free zones" are nothing but a magnet for these types to do harm. When a society destroys the family unit; turns its face away from religion; promotes self-indulgence and no accountability for the individual; tolerates lack of manners (how many young adults or children today even say "yes sir or yes ma'am" anymore, or even eat dinner with their parents); make excuses for individual failures versus facing the facts; allow violent games/videos to take the place of traditional bonding of family members; make fun of traditional heroes and figures of respect; teach "political correct" history versus facts; and look to the government for solving all the ills of life; you have the perfect storm for such. Guns save lives otherwise why did 2.5 million Americans last year use their personal gun to stop a murder, rape, robbery or break-in and the police only did about 425,000 times? Wonder why that is never reported by ABC, NBC, CBS or CNN? A inconvenient truth about guns I guess and not politically correct.

Tell me how they can be sending F-16 to The Muslim Brother hood and yet want to take away my guns. If you ask me Obama and Congress have lost touch and thier minds. A criminal is not going to go by the law. This last Crazy person did not follow the law. He Killed his own mother and used her guns. Sir in all due respect, congress has lost all and any respect they had. I can not call to mind the name of one person I have talked to that has said " Don't worry our leaders in congress will work it out ,they are smart and will do what is best for America". To be honest most all Law abiding, tax paying, legal citizens, who go to work everyday and try to do right have no use for Washinton, Congress or the stupid way they spend our money and live scandolus lives. We give and give to people who would just as soon kill us as look at us and Americans who work and pay taxes suffer. Billions in Food Stamps for junk food and alcohol, 325K for a robo squirrel, have you heard of that it is true. These are small examples sir. When is congress going to hold Obama accountable as well as themselves. I would like to write more but it just sickens me to think on it.

The fact of the matter is making it harder for good legal people to buy guns is not going to stop bad people from buying guns. Bad people buy guns illegally that cant be traced.Most of them buy weapons with scratched serial numbers because most are dumb enough to buy a weapon legally so it would be tracked back to them. So all that is said for the simple fact that they need to stop trying to punish the good because of the evil.

I am a law abiding citizen. I have spent over 25+ combined years in law enforcement, fire service, security, a business owner, and corrections. I have lived in rural communities and large cities. It doesn't matter where I go...If I am unarmed, I am a potential victim. If I am armed...I am not a victim! I personally have prevented at least 4 robberies/assaults against myself and my family, without firing a shot. Just showing the weapon caused the attacker(s) to vanish. All attackers, but one had a gun. When I was in law enforcement, we only showed up in time to cordon off the crime scene and document the evidence. The only time the victim was safe was when they had a weapon to level the playing field! Punish the criminals!!! Not the law abiding citizens!!! Everyone thinks that "assault weapons" with large capacity clips are unneeded, but when someone is under attack and their adrenaline is pumping...they need as many rounds as possible! Even highly trained officers only hit their target in this type of situation 34% of the time! I have seen others fire 17 rounds and still miss the target. As for the AR 15, its rounds are perfect for home defense, because the rounds shatter on impact and won't penetrate through walls as easily as handgun and shotgun ammunition will. Having gun free zones have always been a mistake! I believe that anyone who has passed a firearm safety course and background check should be able to carry a concealed weapon anywhere. I also believe that someone who has been committed to a mental facility or is taking mood altering medications should not be allowed to possess a firearm until they have been cleared by their doctor(s). I also believe that the Second Amendment is already being infringed and any further attempt to alter it is criminal. Please review the Constitution and think about the Founding Father's reasons for the way the amendments were written before trampling on them! Thank you!

Absolutely vote against any gun control measures. Feinstein's claims that banning ARs or other guns will curb these Newtown-like events is a lie. More people are killed by lightning (55/year avg) in the US than by mass shootings (20/ year since Columbine). Ignorance of statistics makes many Americans sheep for the media's influence. By imposing No Gun Zones,n high density areas/venues, we are giving the lunatic shooters TIME to do their evil. The Newtown killer could have done his work with a baseball bat. When seconds count the police will be there in minutes. We need capable, responsible Americans with concealed carry (especially in schools and universitites!) to give our people a chance of defending themselves and ending the rampage at the start. Murder is already against the law, why will more gun restrictions change anything? Regulation has hardly dented illegal drugs. Mental illness is the core of mass shootings and that problem can't be wrestled to the ground anytime soon. Any kind of national gun registration will make many good citizens criminals overnight and other consequences could be worse. Please oppose any further infringements on the 2nd Amendment. Keep up the good work. I truly believe I am represented by the best congressman in the nation.

We can place all the background checks but we already have laws in place now for checks. This doesn't stop a criminal from getting a gun from someone else. The break in and get guns and they can get guns just like the cartel did with "Fast and Furious' and the Rebels in Bengasia. They got them from U.S. government. Practice what you preach and don't give out guns to evil people to destroy our people.

We need to protect Second Amendment rights and deal with the real problem - proper treatment of mental health issues and reinstating residential facilities for those who are a danger to society or need more intense care that cannot be provided on an outpatient basis. I do not believe that assault weapons are necessary for anyone other than the military or police for SWAT team use.

The President's and Vice President's shotguns kill more Americans annually than all the varieties of semi automatic rifles available in this country combined. The private sales of firearms at gun shows are not a major source of the firearms used by criminals in this country. Mental health problems exacerbated by the dangerous side effects of drug treatments are to blame for a majority of the mass shootings in this country pure and simple. The AR-15 and hi-cap mags have been available to the citizens of this country for fifty years and now, all of a sudden, they are an overt threat to children, national security and world peace? Please, get a grip already.

We've given up to much of our freedom in the name of "safety". No more. Not one more inch.

Not a single proposal would have prevented Sandyhook from happening. I was a firearms dealer for over 18 years. Not once was I issued a crystal ball so that I could see the future. A person who passes a background check today may own a firearm for years and years then have a mental breakdown. A person with a mental history may pass a background check because of medical privacy rules.. I can only imagine the difficulty in defining who is a danger to who. The issue is not the 2nd ammendment but the 1st. The news media makes instant celebrities out of the killers. That is the real thing these sick individuals are seeking. If they cannot get noticed by society they will seek notariety... if they cannot be famous they seek imfamy. My local paper does not publish suicides because of the copy cat phenomenom... The same phenomenom is worse when a sick individual sees what attention the perpertrator of a henious act gets.. Then he plots an even worse attrocity ... The news media will have to be the ones to break this cycle of sickness.. The responsibility is in their lap.

The laws being proposed will not stop insane people from killing or inner city turf wars. There's 85 million + law abiding gun owners that harm no one. Laws like gun free zones are insane as most of these mass shootings were in a gun free zones , I guess the shooters didn't read the sign, or did they ! I would feel a lot saver in a theater with 10 consealed permit holders than one with none. The number one sporting rifle sold today is an ar-15 they are fun to shoot and are accurate. People use them for punching holes in paper and varmits. A very very small percent of crime and murders is one used. Number one is a semi auto pistol, as used at Sandy Hook, not an assault rifle as the media wanted everyone to believe. The main problem is Tanya ( no criminal record ) buying Jamal ( rap sheet a mile long ) a 9 mm glock . How do you stop that ? There already is a law a felon can't own a gun. Laws don't stop criminals or insane people period !

I did a fast study on these killings....I found that all of them were involved in "What I call" ' High Risk type games"...Why is it no one see's this in each crime...Get a study started and you will find that I am right...I did...Kids that hang out with my son got real mad when I shut down these games that promote killing...I told them to find a game that does not promote killing of any type to include cartoon type of killing...I started after my grand kids and each one started to change their way of thinking and became a better person...We as parents have our hands tied due to big company's forcing/promoting killing games even on television advertisement they promote these games...Violent games need to stop...Just like porn it too needs to be stopped...