caltain
Regular Member
imported post
As he is my state Senator, I sent a note to Mr. Saslaw regarding his statements in the press. They got me a bit riled, so I fired off the following email. Thoughts? Comments?
CITIZEN CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY
Dear Senator Saslaw,
First, let me thank you for working on my behalf as my Virginia State Senator. You are obviously an intelligent and accomplished person. I appreciate the wisdom that you express in the conduct of your Senatorial duties.
Of late, it has come to my attention, however, that you have publically made certain statements that I find distressing in persons elected to represent me in public office. Your recent statements regarding gun owners/carriers have forced me to conclude that, regarding this issue, you are either seriously misinformed, terribly naïve or intentionally promoting a position that you know threatens the safety and security of the citizens that you represent. People who legally carry firearms do so because they recognize that there is no other provision for their safety from violent crime beyond the statistical. They are rejecting the natural protection of the herd animal as insufficient. The herd is numerous and the lions are few, therefore the losses do not matter. The herd will survive.
What works in nature does not necessarily work in human civilization. Humankind has long considered the animal lesser than the man. While the herd may accept losses that feed the lion, men must not. In your opinion, how many lives can be acceptably lost to crime, knowing that the herd will survive? I say that number is zero. Unfortunately, that is not an achievable goal in modern society. All we can do is responsibly act to move toward that goal.
The issue boils down to one of safety. Most people feel safe most of the time, but does that equate to actual safety? How many victims of violent crime do you suppose felt safe immediately before the crime occurred? The intelligent man will respond that it must be most, if not all, of the victims. Were it otherwise, they would wisely have taken steps to extract themselves from the unsafe situation prior to their attack. You may contend that we have law enforcement agencies to protect us, but this is a fallacy. Time after time, across the nation and at all levels of the justice system, the courts have held that law enforcement agencies are not responsible for protecting citizens. They exist to investigate crime, arrest the suspects and aid in the prosecution of those criminals. The burden of protecting a citizen falls squarely upon that citizen.
I assume that you find it perfectly reasonable that law enforcement officers carry weapons. It makes sense. At any moment of any day, they may interact in an adversarial relationship with criminals. In fact, that makes such good sense that we require officers to arm themselves at all times, on or off duty. Why then do you actively foment animosity toward potential crime victims who adopt the same safeguards in their daily lives? Do you consider the lives of law enforcement personnel to be more valuable than the life of any given citizen? Certainly, you must not. Rather, you must believe all people to be equal, as you swore in your oath of office to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Codes of the Commonwealth. Both documents provide for the owning and legal carrying of firearms by citizens as a means of protection. Are you now foresworn in your oath?
Perhaps you believe that citizens carrying firearms create a threat to the safety of the innocent or unarmed. To date in Virginia, there have been no reports of violent crimes in which a citizen who legally carries a firearm was the perpetrator. In fact, I am not aware of any such reports in any state where it is legal for a citizen to carry a firearm. According to Lott’s book More Guns, Less Crime, his study concluded that citizens with a permit to carry the weapon concealed are even less likely to commit a crime.
In conclusion, I respectfully request that you publicly retract your statements regarding gun owners and gun carriers. I leave it to your conscience to resolve the matter of an apology. Your position, thus far, regarding these matters has been unsupportable, irresponsible and rude. Please, show your support for the safety and security of your constituents. After all, each one lost is a vote lost.
Sincerely,
Dan Brooks
Herndon, VA
As he is my state Senator, I sent a note to Mr. Saslaw regarding his statements in the press. They got me a bit riled, so I fired off the following email. Thoughts? Comments?
CITIZEN CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY
Dear Senator Saslaw,
First, let me thank you for working on my behalf as my Virginia State Senator. You are obviously an intelligent and accomplished person. I appreciate the wisdom that you express in the conduct of your Senatorial duties.
Of late, it has come to my attention, however, that you have publically made certain statements that I find distressing in persons elected to represent me in public office. Your recent statements regarding gun owners/carriers have forced me to conclude that, regarding this issue, you are either seriously misinformed, terribly naïve or intentionally promoting a position that you know threatens the safety and security of the citizens that you represent. People who legally carry firearms do so because they recognize that there is no other provision for their safety from violent crime beyond the statistical. They are rejecting the natural protection of the herd animal as insufficient. The herd is numerous and the lions are few, therefore the losses do not matter. The herd will survive.
What works in nature does not necessarily work in human civilization. Humankind has long considered the animal lesser than the man. While the herd may accept losses that feed the lion, men must not. In your opinion, how many lives can be acceptably lost to crime, knowing that the herd will survive? I say that number is zero. Unfortunately, that is not an achievable goal in modern society. All we can do is responsibly act to move toward that goal.
The issue boils down to one of safety. Most people feel safe most of the time, but does that equate to actual safety? How many victims of violent crime do you suppose felt safe immediately before the crime occurred? The intelligent man will respond that it must be most, if not all, of the victims. Were it otherwise, they would wisely have taken steps to extract themselves from the unsafe situation prior to their attack. You may contend that we have law enforcement agencies to protect us, but this is a fallacy. Time after time, across the nation and at all levels of the justice system, the courts have held that law enforcement agencies are not responsible for protecting citizens. They exist to investigate crime, arrest the suspects and aid in the prosecution of those criminals. The burden of protecting a citizen falls squarely upon that citizen.
I assume that you find it perfectly reasonable that law enforcement officers carry weapons. It makes sense. At any moment of any day, they may interact in an adversarial relationship with criminals. In fact, that makes such good sense that we require officers to arm themselves at all times, on or off duty. Why then do you actively foment animosity toward potential crime victims who adopt the same safeguards in their daily lives? Do you consider the lives of law enforcement personnel to be more valuable than the life of any given citizen? Certainly, you must not. Rather, you must believe all people to be equal, as you swore in your oath of office to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Codes of the Commonwealth. Both documents provide for the owning and legal carrying of firearms by citizens as a means of protection. Are you now foresworn in your oath?
Perhaps you believe that citizens carrying firearms create a threat to the safety of the innocent or unarmed. To date in Virginia, there have been no reports of violent crimes in which a citizen who legally carries a firearm was the perpetrator. In fact, I am not aware of any such reports in any state where it is legal for a citizen to carry a firearm. According to Lott’s book More Guns, Less Crime, his study concluded that citizens with a permit to carry the weapon concealed are even less likely to commit a crime.
In conclusion, I respectfully request that you publicly retract your statements regarding gun owners and gun carriers. I leave it to your conscience to resolve the matter of an apology. Your position, thus far, regarding these matters has been unsupportable, irresponsible and rude. Please, show your support for the safety and security of your constituents. After all, each one lost is a vote lost.
Sincerely,
Dan Brooks
Herndon, VA
