My letter to Sen. Tochtrop

[centrarchidae]

After all, she is my senator. Too long?

Dear Senator Tochtrop,

The Senate is due to take up some bills, which were passed out of the State House of representatives less than a week ago. Among them are HB 13-1224 and HB 13-1229.

HB 13-1224, the magazine ban, will certainly accomplish a few things. It will cause a few major manufacturers to leave our state, taking with them easily 1000 jobs, during already-difficult economic times. It will render the firearms commonly used in police service, and by private persons to protect themselves, unable to be used. It will be effectively unenforceable, except against the already law-abiding. The honest will comply, and no criminal will be prevented from acquiring any magazine he wishes.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Rhonda Fields, admits that she herself does not know what she had hoped to accomplish with this bill. As a parent myself, I could not imagine her pain at the loss of her son. However, the safety of our state demands careful thought and analysis, and not knee-jerk reactions.

HB 13-1229, the so-called “universal background check” bill, will also have consequences. Among other things, this bill will make me a criminal if I allow my children to possess a firearm, under my close supervision, without paperwork completed by a licensed firearms dealer and without a background check by the CBI, performed at the CBI’s convenience. It, however, would not have prevented any of the mass killings which have dominated our news in recent months. It would not have prevented the horrors of last summer in Aurora, in which James Holmes passed a CBI check. It would not have prevented the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, in which Adam Lanza stole the firearms which he used. Nor would it have prevented this month’s spree killing in southern California, in which the killer, a fired former police officer, had already passed a background investigation far more detailed and intrusive than any performed by the CBI.

In years past, you have been quite sensible on gun-related issues. I thank you for that. I ask that you continue to do the right thing in this session as well, and to vigorously oppose both of these bills.

Sincerely,


Spanky Q. Centrarchidae