Feinstein's reply...

To the letter I send re: Sandy Hook, gun control, mental healthcare, et al

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Dear  Mr. Kelley :

Thank you for contacting me about partisanship in our political discourse.  I appreciate hearing from you and I welcome the opportunity to respond. 

I am a strong proponent of the core values that serve as the foundation of the Democratic Party, but I also believe it is important for politicians to put aside partisan feelings and work together on behalf of the American people.  Respectful political discourse encourages the expression of ideas and is an important part of our democratic system.  It also allows the minority view a voice in a debate and can encourage leaders to find areas of compromise. 

The voters of  California deserve leadership that will work across party lines to address issues such as national security, education reform, border security, health care reform, clean water, the budget, and other issues.  Representing  California in the Senate is a challenging and rewarding responsibility, and I am committed to finding real solutions to the problems that face  California and the Nation.  I frequently work across party lines to get things done, in recognition that compromise by both parties is often the key to advancing our nation's interests.

Once again, thank you for writing.  If you have any additional questions or comments, please feel free to call my  Washington ,  D.C. office at (202) 224-3841.  Best regards.

Sincerely yours,

  Dianne Feinstein
         United States Senator

 

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In reply, I was forced to ask, "Did anyone there actually READ my letter?  I didn't say anything whatever about 'partisanship in political discourse'."

"Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."  -Mark Twain

"Be respectful to your superiors, if you have any."  -Mark Twain (given the responses I get from legislators, I have my doubts...)

"We all do no end of feeling, and we mistake it for thinking. And out of it we get an aggregation which we consider a boon. Its name is public opinion. It is held in reverence. Some think it the voice of God."  -Mark Twain

"Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it."  -Mark Twain (possibly, and misquoted?  The sentiment is accurate, and fits with the rest of his writings...)

"Dear God, if you won't help us, at least have some pity on us who can still see..."

My response to Sandy Hook

I had to think about it, and part of the thinking was just waiting to see what Washington was going to do.

So, I'm kicking out seven copies of this letter (see the cc: list,) and I'll post any cogent responses I get, if/when I get them.

I seriously doubt they're willing to entertain discussion with one of the "Great Unwashed," but hope springs infernal, no?  If I do manage to get some discussion on the subject, I plan to take notes and let everyone know.

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President Barack Hussein Obama                                    

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, D.C. 20500

Mister President;

                I note with dismay that you are intending to enact more firearms control legislation in the wake of the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on 14DEC2012.

                While I fully agree that this was a horrible event and could potentially have been prevented, I do not feel that more firearms control legislation is the answer.  After all, how many laws were broken in this act to begin with?  We had:

-          Four counts of theft of a firearm (Bushmaster XM-15, Glock 20, Sig-Sauer 9mm, and an unknown shotgun)

-          Two counts of underage possession of a handgun

-          Grand Theft Auto

-          Three violations of the “Gun-Free School Zone”

-          Twenty counts of unlawful homicide upon minors

-          Six counts of unlawful homicide upon adults

-          One count of vandalism in course of unlawful entry (breaking into the school in the first place)

-          Two counts of assault with a deadly weapon (two victims were shot, but not fatally)

I count that as a total of thirty-five felony violations of law, and four counts that that may or may not be felonies (violations of gun-free school zones, vandalism in the course of unlawful entry.)

I also did not list counts of unlawful property damage, as no list was given.

Now I ask you sir – how can having more laws for Lanza to have broken helped to prevent this sad occurrence?  I have listed thirty-nine violations above, and I’m reasonably certain that that list is not at all complete.

However, if Lanza had displayed symptoms of potential emotional/psychological disturbance prior to the shooting, I am highly inclined to think that having better access to mental healthcare would have potentially had a greater positive effect to prevent this incident than any action of law would have had.

Mister President, I firmly believe that firearms control is not the answer we need.  You have gotten your Affordable Care Act passed, but how much if it addresses gaps in the mental healthcare system?  (Granted, I have my doubts about psychiatric medicine being the answer, but psychological testing and counseling should be far more available than they currently are.)

Therefore, Mister President, I urge you to consider other solutions than simply banning firearms – if for no better reason than that something cannot be “uninvented” – like so many other developments throughout history, what was once the work of a visionary is now the work of a skilled tradesman – or hobbyist.

I can think of other potential solutions – or partial solutions – to this issue, but that would be material for further discussion.  I firmly believe that making mental health services far more available than they are would work to avert a great deal of unfortunate incidents in today’s society, and this should be considered before any restrictive regulations are enacted.

Mister President, I welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you further.

Jon D. Kelley

San Jose, CA

CC:         Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

                Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)

                Senator Harry Reid (D-NV.  Majority Leader)

                Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY.  Minority Leader)

                Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose, CA)

                Representative John Boehner (R-OH 8^th.  Speaker)

                Representative Eric I. Cantor (R-VA 7^th.  Majority Leader)

                Representative Nancy P. D. Pelosi (D-CA 8^th.  Minority Leader)

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The base letter is written to President Obama, but I've added some individual comments with letters as indicated.

Discuss.