I am preparing a letter to my legislators. It is sure to join a pile of others they are getting, but that's how things are I guess. I plan to send this to both State and National legislators. Looking for feedback. Too long? Well worded? Too much? Open to comment, or feel free to copy and send to your legislators if it's GTG.
Quote
Guns aren't the problem.
Dear Senator/Representative
Like everyone else in the Nation, I was shaken this past Friday by news of the massacre in Connecticut. How someone could ever consider harming innocent schoolchildren is beyond me. Some are using this tragedy to call for more gun regulation or even bans. I am writing today to state that I do not support additional gun regulations.
We have seen in other countries where guns are heavily regulated that people will just steal guns or use other weapons to commit their crimes. Even in China where private gun ownership is outright banned, sick individuals have attacked schools armed with knives and killed many children. I feel that it is time we stop living a fantasy that we can simply leave a building full of the most important members of our society unprotected. With a society of 300 million individuals there are always bound to be several among us who are not stable and do not respect the same values the rest of us do. Believing that we can simply lock the doors to keep out a criminal bent on violence is not realistic. Further, we have seen in many similar scenarios that as soon as the criminal is faced with an armed defender instead of defenseless victims that the criminal will typically surrender or turn their weapons on themselves. Yet, police are typically miles away, giving any criminal attacker plenty of time to commit their crimes against our children. I feel that this is a clear signal our schools should have some form of on-site and armed police protection. While this idea may be distasteful to some, the fact is that having one or several armed individuals on site to defend the school would have drastically changed the course of events in Connecticut, possibly stopping the criminal in the halls before he reached a classroom. I hope you will consider this path in the coming days and weeks as the Nation debates this issue.
Sincerely,
I'd say that is a very well-written letter. It gets the point across without dragging on. That being said I do have a couple of suggestions.
Using the word "fantasy" is likely to make the reader defensive unless he already agrees with your stance. I suggest that you change it to something like, "We have seen time and again that we cannot simply leave a building...."
I also suggest a new paragraph at the word "further." Paragraphs help a reader digest the communication so keep the paragraphs a reasonable size to enable the reader to follow your thoughts and avoid confusion.
"I feel that...." I suggest removing all occurrences of this as it is emotional. Your letter takes a more logical bent, which I fully support as there will be plenty of emotion going around.
Lastly, do you want only police in the schools to be armed or would arming and training willing teachers also be acceptable to you? Don't only mention police if you also want armed teachers to be considered.
Thanks for making your letter available for us to look at and perhaps use ourselves. I also wrote what started as a letter to the editor on Friday but it got too long for that and even too long for a "guest column" in the Bloomington, Indiana, newspaper. I'm letting it sit for a while but I will go back and see if I can do anything with it to make it fit the requirements for publication.
C ya,
brian
As pointed out, change in thought line needs a paragraph break to keep it readable.
Suggestion on wording changes (again along the same lines).
I would have to work on it a lot to shoe-in an example that Israel uses Volunteers carrying carbines to protect their schools, mostly Parents of the classes.
Quote
Guns aren't the problem.
Dear Senator/Representative
Like everyone else in the Nation, I was shaken this past Friday by news of the massacre in Connecticut. How someone could ever consider harming innocent schoolchildren is beyond me. Some are using this tragedy to call for more gun regulation or even bans. I am writing today to state that I do not support additional gun regulations.
We have seen in other countries where guns are heavily regulated that people will just steal guns or use other weapons to commit their crimes. Even in China where private gun ownership is outright banned, sick individuals have attacked schools armed with knives and killed many children. I feel that it is time we stop living a fantasy We can not afford to believe that we can simply leave a building full of the most important members of our society unprotected. With a society of 300 million individuals there are always bound to be several among us who are not stable and do not respect the same values the rest of us do. Believing that we can simply lock the doors to keep out a criminal bent on violence is not realistic.
Further, we have seen in many similar scenarios that as soon as the criminal is faced with an armed defender instead of defenseless victims that the criminal will typically surrender or turn their weapons on themselves. Yet, police are typically miles away, giving any criminal attacker plenty of time to commit their crimes against our children. I feel am struck with the realization that this is a clear signal our schools should have some form of on-site and armed, police or trained volunteer protection. While this idea may be distasteful to some, the fact is that having one or several armed individuals on site to defend the school would have drastically changed the course of events in Connecticut, possibly stopping the criminal in the halls before he reached a classroom. I hope you will consider this path in the coming days and weeks as the Nation debates this issue.
Sincerely,
Although I strongly disagree with part of your opinion, I support your active use of the mailbox and the soapbox!
Brian gave you very good advice. Legislators rank different kinds of communication differently. Although every contact matters, a letter "counts" much more than a phone call. A handwritten letter counts much more strongly than a printed one. One that
sticks to a single point also gets more attention than one that rambles. Same for one that sticks to logical instead of emotional arguments. The most effective letters are short, to the point, and handwritten.
There's nothing wrong with your letter as written, once Brian's advice is applied to it. But the problem I see is that you're really trying to make two very different points, one about regulation and the other about security. Your letter would be stronger if you made that fact clear to the staff who will read it.
if it was my own letter, I'd just handwrite the first paragraph and be done with it. IMHO, those first four sentences are powerful enough all by themselves. However, since it's your letter and you have two different points to make, I'd suggest something along these lines:
Quote
Dear Senator/Representative,
Like everyone else in the Nation, I was shaken this past Friday by news of the massacre in Connecticut. How someone could ever consider harming innocent schoolchildren is beyond me. Some are opportunistically using this atrocity to call for more gun regulation or even bans. I am writing today to state that I do not support ANY additional gun regulations.
Further, we will always face threats to our security and it is shameful that we leave the youngest members of our society inadequately protected. Therefore, I believe that our schools should each have some form of on-site, armed protection to defend those in the school. Had this been the case, it might have drastically changed the course of events in Connecticut.
Sincerely,
This week on Tom Greshams www.guntalk.com ,Tom suggested doing exactly what the OP is doing by contacting legislatures. Good work Caliper and good suggestions by those who contributed .Tom further gave lots of ideas and points to use for convincing friends and online forum folks about the dumbness of gun free zones .
One example he used regarding this latest atrocity was to ask a person if they think an armed policeman could have saved some lives had there been one present . Of course most will answer yes
He then used armed security guard in place of policeman ,of course all will answer yes
Next he asked about a trained armed teacher or administration person . Once a person accepts armed intervention,it does not matter who it is .
Personally I'm am disgusted and angry that these animals use gun free zones to carry out murderous schemes against the defenseless and then some get life in prison
those murdering lab rats then get honored by a media who counts the bodies and rates crimes by who kills the most ,encouraging copycats .
Jared Loughner and the Colorado movie theater puke should die by firing squad .Staffed by non Appleseed folks using 22 s .
Parts of this will be sent to my congressman.
Any ideas ?
Caliper, your letter's length is a reasonable length. But the advice you are getting to shorten it is good advice.
This is what I sent mine on Saturday, it was way too long:
QuoteDear Sir,
I am writing in the shadow of the tragic school shooting in Connecticut that took the lives of countless children at the hands of a terrible murderer. The pains of their families, the responders, and all those connected to this tragedy are without measure and stun the mind just as much as they break the heart.
As we bury our little ones, and weep for the futures that they never got to live out there is an empty place of pain that cries out for action and vengeance as a hoped for salve of justice that could somehow make right what has been done by a single individual who is now beyond our punishment, understanding, or grasp.
That feeling, that call, that place of pain is part of the best of us. That desire not to take injustice but to right it. That urge to make whatever we can from the burnt ashes that remain. The feeling that if we but do something, anything, that we can avenge what has happened and possibly prevent the next event from taking place.
But I urge you to remember that even the best of us, especially in the emotional moment of tragedy, should never be the source of our freedoms and futures. If history has taught us nothing more, there are two truths: in every generation evil will rise up against us and we will have to fight it, and the emotional vacillations of the people no matter how well intended can lead to places of unintended consequences and continued tragedy.
Your job, the one we entrusted to you, is to be the wise and calm mind of leadership in the storm of life's tragedies, even great national ones. You are the one we entrusted to help guide us through the shoals and rocks of a stormy voyage in an often harsh sea. You are the one whose eyes cannot be trapped in this moment, but instead fixed on where we are going and the calm seas that await us in times ahead.
So I urge you, both as your constituent, and as a fellow American, please do not act precipitously and in reaction to the storm itself or to the calls of those on the ship who are calling for action that sources from the best of their hearts, but will only lead us into a new storm and keep us from the harbor of home and safety.
Do not take this time of tears and shock to succumb to the calls for new gun control legislation or a return of the Assault Weapons Ban. None of those laws would have prevented this tragedy and only work to curb the law abiding and most willing to help people in this country from having the tools and capacity to stop an active shooter event if by fate they find themselves in one.
So many imagine themselves hiding behind a glass case in a mall wondering what they will do if the active shooter comes their way. I know I have imagined that horrific moment a thousand times. The one thing I do know is that as a firearms owner, and a legal carrier of a firearm, those with me behind that counter would have a fighting chance. Why? Because having the capacity to help is the first step in being able to help. That truth can be counted 300,000 more times in our state of Indiana, and millions more times across the 49 states that issue carry permits.
I entrust you with the stillness of mind that is a near impossibility in the face of the pictures and videos of this evil butchery. I also entrust that no matter how hard it is to hold the ship on course, in the midst of the calls and letters that are surely already deluging your office, that you will hold course and make your great decisions in a place of calm and deliberation so that they are the best decisions you can make.
And I also entrust that you take the time to hug your own family and pay back life with the greatest answer that can come in the face of such a terrific event: Love.
You have my prayers and thoughts,
Joshua Streiff
My comment would be don't wait don't delay and don't stop.
State you point clearly in the first sentence. The longer the letter, I believe, the less effective it is.
The point is just do it! Don't worry about writing a master piece. You are much more effective by repitition and persistence. Send your letter and then call every day for a month. BE AS POLITE AS YOU CAN BE. Use sir and mam. The person answering the phone is keeping a tally sheet.
I called the sheriff of Ingham county to express my displeasure when I heard his comments. Also, I called my state representative four days in a row to ask him for his continued support. Both called me back and we had a nice conversation.
Now is the time to call Governor Snyder. 517/373-3400. Might I suggest you ask him to sign SB 59.
Techres your letter has style and wisdom . Gen Washington would have written it like that .
Fred's advice on letter writing ,which is not intended for any specific event or in this case
,tragedy says make it short as it counts the same as longer letters . Superheat your post is what Fred advocates too.
From Fred,
"Dear Sir: My friends and I urge you to vote no to any gun control laws. Thanks for listening to a voting taxpayer.
Sincerely ,
XX
Techres, your long letter is wonderful, you have the soul of a poet!
I realized that I'd left one thing out of my previous post: it was not an accident that in my draft I changed the word "tragedy" to "atrocity", as they are NOT the same thing. A beautiful wedding cake falling off the table during the ceremony is a tragedy. A sick person dying before they're able to say their goodbyes is a tragedy. But mass murder is an atrocity. (An atrocity certainly includes a tragic element, but it goes much deeper than a mere tragedy.)
I'm not simply being nit-picky about words -- our most powerful statements become even stronger when we name evil for what it is. Tragedies are often fatalistic (stuff just happens), while atrocities are directly caused by human actions. When we direct responsibility squarely towards the evil-doers, it becomes much more difficult to justify the kinds of knee-jerk reactions that can lead to passing bad legislation that takes away our rights.
Good point ,atrocity is the correct word .
Another word I misuse is homicide as opposed to murder . Those who would destroy liberty love the homicide stats which include executions suicides etc.
As 2a advocates we are most concerned with murder rates .
Thanx for the correction as words have exact precis meanings .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Land_fire
The above is one of the worst mass murders in US history.
Fortunately for the murderer he is looking forward to possible release in 2015
I posted the link as a possible talking points to show evil is easily accomplished w/o firearms .