Sen. Kay Hagan

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Unnecesarily?

January 10, 2013 by 2 Comments

I got the first response today to my communication with my congressman and both senators regarding new gun control laws. It came by email from the office of Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC). The Armed Lutheran, another NC gun blogger, got a similar letter from Hagan’s office. You can read his analysis and response to letter here. Interestingly, my letter shown below mentions Feinstein’s gun control moves while his does not.

Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting me regarding the horrific tragedy that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this issue, and my thoughts and prayers remain with the victims and families of this senseless and appalling act of violence.

In the wake of the shooting in Newtown, which left twenty-six innocent members of the community dead, many of them young children, Americans across the country are searching for answers on how we can prevent such tragic events from happening in the future. I believe we must do all we can to put laws and policies in place to prevent future tragedies such as this one. Doing that will require a common-sense debate on a comprehensive approach that examines all relevant issues, including access to firearms, mental healthcare, and the prevalence of violence in video games and media. Additionally, Senator Feinstein has stated her intent to introduce legislation concerning access to firearms at the start of the 113th Congress. To date, that legislation has not been introduced. As always, it is important that we not unnecessarily infringe on the legitimate Second Amendment rights of responsible gun owners.

Like you, I have always been an advocate for Second Amendment rights. My family, like the great state of North Carolina, has a long tradition of hunting and gun ownership, and I take great pride in that heritage. During my tenure in the North Carolina Senate I continuously supported the responsible use of firearms. As your United States Senator, I will always be committed to protecting these fundamental, constitutional rights.

Again, thank you for contacting my office. It is truly an honor to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate, and I hope you will not hesitate to contact me in the future should you have any further questions or concerns. If you would like to stay informed on my work in the Senate, you can sign up for my e-newsletter, follow me on Twitter at @SenatorHagan, or visit my Facebook page.

Sincerely,

Kay R. Hagan

I have to say that this letter doesn’t exactly fill me with the confidence that Hagan won’t bend to the will of the White House and Senate Democratic leaders. When I read something that says that it is important that “we not unnecessarily infringe on legitimate Second Amendment rights”, I want to know what the good Senator considers a necessary infringement of Second Amendment rights. Would mandated reduced capacity magazines meet her standard of being a necessary infringement? Likewise, would a ban on semi-automatic rifles with the wrong cosmetics be appropriate?

I am also wary of any politician who uses the phrase “tradition of hunting” when they are talking about Second Amendment rights. As we all know, the Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting or a sporting purpose and everything to do with an armed citizenry as a counterweight to a tyrannical government.

Hagan is up for re-election in 2014. She benefited from the Obama wave of 2008 as well as an inept campaign for re-election by Liddy Dole. She is rated as one of the Democratic senators who is in serious risk of losing her seat.

If you are a North Carolinian, write or call Hagan’s office on a regular basis. We need to keep pressure on her to do the right thing with regard to gun rights.

UPDATE: The Predator Intelligence blog is collecting and posting responses people from around the country have received to their letters. You can find it here. If you have a letter that you’ve received, send a copy to Jesse Smith at jsmith AT predatorintelligence DOT com. So far he has 25 of them posted including one from Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI).

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National Right To Carry Reciprocity And The Senate

November 23, 2011 by 7 Comments

Now that HR 822 has passed the House of Representatives in overwhelming fashion, it moves to the Senate. Unless I am greatly mistaken, there is significant pressure on senators from both sides of the debate. The Brady Campaign is ramping up the pressure with an auto-mailer campaign asking senators to vote no. Nonetheless, even they admit they don’t have the votes to stop it.

I sent an email today to Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) about the bill. While I have no worries that Sen. Richard Burr will be a solid backer of the bill, Hagan can be wishy-washy despite her claims of being a Second Amendment supporter. What surprised me was that I got an email back from her office almost immediately discussing her stance – if you could call it that – on the bill. If she hadn’t been getting lots of mail on the issue, she wouldn’t have been so prepared to issue something other than a generic thank you for your letter response.

Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting me regarding National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act (H.R. 822). I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this important issue.

This bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on February 18, 2011, and was referred to the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

If enacted, the bill would allow any person with a valid state-issued concealed firearm permit to carry their firearm in any other state that also issues concealed firearm permits. Currently, 48 states, including North Carolina, have laws permitting residents to carry concealed firearms.

While H.R. 822 has yet to reach the Senate, I pledge to keep your thoughts on this issue in mind. My family, like the great state of North Carolina, has a long tradition of hunting and gun ownership, and I take great pride in that heritage. I have opposed requiring gun owners to obtain federal licenses or creating a federal system to track gun sales and transfers, as I believe these proposals would infringe this important constitutional right. I will continue to support the rights guaranteed under the Second Amendment.

Again, thank you for contacting my office. It is truly an honor to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate, and I hope you will not hesitate to contact me in the future should you have any further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Kay R. Hagan

If you haven’t already done it, it is time to contact both of your state’s senators and urge them to vote for the National Right-To-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011. I wouldn’t want to think that our voices could be drowned out by an auto-mailer run by the Brady Campaign.

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How To Say Nothing In Five Paragraphs

July 20, 2011 by 1 Comment

I got the following email today from Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) regarding efforts in Congress to remove the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency under the Toxic Substances Act to manage lead in ammunition, bullets, and fishing tackle. While I don’t actually remember writing her on this subject, I must have done so.

If you read the entire letter, nowhere in it does she say where she stands on the subject at hand. She’s happy to hear from me and wants me to continue to share my opinions with her. She says she is moderate and bipartisan. She says she supports the military and has military ties in her family. Blah, blah, blah.

What makes this banal email from her even more frustrating is that she is a co-sponsor of the bill in question. You would think if she got an email or letter asking her to support the bill, she would tout the fact that she not only supports the bill but is a co-sponsor.

This letter should be used in training classes for PR hacks as example of how to use spin on your constituents.

All I can say is that 2014 can’t get here soon enough.

July 19, 2011

Dear Friend,

Thank you so much for contacting my office in regards to the Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act (S.838). I greatly appreciate hearing from you, and I hope you continue to share your opinions and ideas with me. I am honored to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate, and it is important to me that my office is open and accessible.

Whenever I am asked to evaluate an issue, I look at all perspectives and interests so I can make the most informed decisions possible. I have always felt that elected officials should do more to work across the aisle to pass legislation that benefits all Americans. I have strived to promote bipartisanship among my colleagues in the Senate, and I pledge to continue working with individuals from all political backgrounds as I champion the interests of North Carolina.

I take great pride in my moderate record, both in the United States Senate and the North Carolina Senate. Throughout my career in public service, I have been particularly dedicated to advocating for middle-class families, making sure our children have access to quality education and promoting fiscal responsibility. North Carolina is the most military-friendly state in the nation, and I will work to continue this tradition. My own family has a strong military background, and I am so proud of our brave men and women serving in the armed forces.

As legislation comes before Congress, please feel free to contact me with your concerns, questions, and ideas. I have always said that constituent service comes first. As I tackle issues in the Senate that are important to our state, I want as much input as possible from the citizens of North Carolina.

Again, thank you for contacting my office. It is truly an honor to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate, and I hope you will not hesitate to contact me in the future should you have any further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Signature

Kay R. Hagan