Dear Mr. Kee:
Thank you for contacting me regarding federal firearms laws. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this matter.
As a strong proponent of the Second Amendment, I believe it is essential to safeguard the law-abiding citizen’s constitutional right to own and use firearms designed for legitimate purposes such as hunting, target shooting, collecting, and self-protection. Restricting this right runs counter to the intent of our Founding Fathers, who expressly guaranteed that citizens would retain the right to keep and bear arms . . .
It is encouraging that the Supreme Court has upheld the will of our Founders and re-affirmed the ideals our country was established upon. The Supreme Court’s decision in District of Columbia v. Heller provides a greater guarantee that Americans’ Constitutional rights remain secure from federal government intrusion. I was proud to sign an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in that case stating an individual’s right to bear arms is fundamental. This historic ruling continues to have implications far beyond the District of Columbia. In 2010, the Supreme Court decided in McDonald v. City of Chicago to strike down the arbitrary gun ban in Chicago—and thereby affirm that the Second Amendment safeguards against state and local encroachments on the fundamental right to keep and bear arms.
As a former Texas Supreme Court Justice and Attorney General, I have firsthand knowledge of crime-fighting policies that work, and I believe that citizens’ Second Amendment rights should not be restricted because of the actions of criminals. Rather, we must focus our attention on the source of violent crime: criminals who use firearms to commit crimes. I believe that strictly enforcing the law—and meting out tougher sentences for career criminals and those who use firearms when committing crimes—will reduce crime more effectively than gun or equipment bans, which primarily serve to take firearms away from law-abiding citizens.
I appreciate the opportunity to represent Texans in the United States Senate, and you may be certain that I will continue working with my colleagues to protect our Second Amendment rights. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.
Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator
Why can’t they all be from Texas?
Because that would be too easy.
(Insert easy button to slam repeatedly here)
RINO Cornyn Supports Obama’s Gun Grab
http://americandictators.blogspot.com/2014/02/rino-cornyn-supports-obamas-gun-grab.html
Wholly COW BATMAN!!!
Coryn for President!!!!!
He didn’t use the word tyranny or anything, no tin foil hat there..
To top it off he said it like it is, and we need to fight crime, yeah I get that, hard as it is.
He also understands passing laws to take away the right of the many because of the few is silly… By Job HE GETS IT!!!!
Someone pinch me I must be dreaming! 😉
Ok sarcasm off now..
Why is including the idea of impending tyranny considered the stuff of metallic head covering wearers? Just because something has t happened doesn’t mean it won’t still. We need to face this like it is: every person or group who has risen to power in an attempt to control other people has the advantage if their subjects are unarmed. Any threat to the ability to defend against tyranny should be taken as the threat OF tyranny, even if disguised as “protecting you from yourself.”
“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you” applies here.
Him sponsoring SOPA makes him mutually exclusive to any presidential nominations from me. Liked his answer though.
Cornyn didn’t sponsor SOPA unless you have some news that I don’t see. It was sponsored by Lamar Smith, who is also a representative from Texas.
I don’t know if he was supporting SOPA but he did vote for this last tax increase bill. He also voted FOR the massive bailout package a few years back. So this answer only makes me slightly less likely to not vote for him. He might be out of a job, as far as I’m concerned, if another Ted Cruz-like candidate came along.
Be careful of Coryn. He strongly supported passing the NDAA, expressly with the civilian detainment measures intact. He supported extension of the wire-tapping powers and voted to extend the Patriot Act. He has undermined habeas corpus. He is the “OMG, next you”ll want to marry a turtle” guy. He voted for/supported a bill that would allow LEOs to collect DNA from anyone arrested or even detained for the purpose of registration in a national database. He supported making flag desecration a crime – which to me makes him dangerously Anti First Amendment. Make no mistake, he is as dangerous to your civil liberties as any other power-hungry Republican.
What does he have against turtles?
Regardless of a response to a letter that he never read (which is also not a vote of any kind and thus holds no significance whatsoever) John Cornyn is a dyed in the wool fascist. He embodies everything that was wrong with Republicans during my lifetime, hypocrisy AND fascism. When the American people became the enemy on 9-12-01 and with every subsequent legislative atrocity after PA-1 Republicans willingly gave up my faith in them to uphold actual liberty. The only reason a neocon like this would defend your guns from the Democrats is so he can take them himself, for his own “good” reasons as opposed to the reasons the Democrats would have used. This letter is what they call in the world of blind drops and hollow coins a ploy.
We need them all to be like this, unfortunately we don’t have 100% like minded voters.
I think there should be a classification tag for letters and statements from representatives and senators. Make it easier to see the opinions as stated verbatim over time. Some of these are heartening, some are depressing and it would make it easier to see where our public voices Stanford.
JOHN CORNYN for next AG of the US to undo the damage Holder has done.
No, we need him in the Senate blocking this kind of attack on the Second Amendment.
It is encouraging that more women will be trained to use and will become familiar with and comfortable carrying firearms in general, and with assault weapons in particular. This can not but have beneficial affects on our society and lead to increased acceptance of an armed civilian population. It is well known that veterans are historically a bulwark of our gun culture and supply role models for the non veterans among us. Having women join and bolster these ranks has been a longtime goal of the gun rights community. Kudos to those who have brought about this needed change!
Ironic that an assault weapons ban emerges at the same time that the Secretary Of Defense announces a policy for the use of women in the combat arms in the military. The participation of women in numbers in the firearms community has always been a goal of the NRA, though one without much hope. Now, with the certainty of women returning to civilian life with experience using the so called assault weapons, the firearms community and the NRA in particular are anticipating the obtainment of this long sought goal. They are salivating at the the thought of reaching the over 50% of the population that has generally been out of their reach. Now, the military itself will supply the role models and the veterans to lead this new segment into the embrace of the firearms culture. Ironic.
Great observations. I think you’re right on target with the thought that more women in combat arms will lead to incrementally higher female NRA membership.
As my senator, I have been contacting him regularly about defending Second Amendment rights. I have always received the automated reply saying he will get to me soon enough. Today I received this same email. I was quite happy. One portion gave me pause though. That is the “…own and use firearms designed for LEGITIMATE purposes such as hunting, target shooting, collecting, and self-protection.” What exactly that was supposed to mean I’m not sure. Overall I am hopeful from his letter.
“Legitimate” as opposed to “criminal” would be my guess.
If Texas voters elected Illinois politicians the crime rate would drop dramatically. Just dreaming.
Pretty much got the same message, no matter it is what he thinks & feels. As soon as there is a republican in the white house I would like John Coryn on Supreme Court
it’s encouraging to see there are elected officials at the Federal level that support us, it’s f’in apocalyptic when you view things through a north eastern window…
Why cant all Congresscritters be like this guy?
That man gets my vote and I wish I lived in Texas to do that!
He’s up next go ’round, I believe. This past go ’round I got to vote for Cruz. Twice. Legally, too (primary runoff then general election).
I write my congresscritters and senators every day, and the last time I heard from anyone was in 2012. I wrote McCain about the Sportsmen’s act of 2012, to which he replied how he was going to help the small farmer and agriculture community with his farming subsidies.
TLDR.
Me: “Dear Senator McCain, Please vote the following way on this gun related measure”
Senator McCain: “I like farms”
I’m glad Big John likes the second amendment.
Too bad he hates civil rights, education, and the environment, and supports the indefinite detention of US citizens without trial.
This.
Yup. Hug one part on the constitution, piss on the rest.
I worry about Cornyn speaking from both sides of his mouth, but this is encouraging.
Up to now, I have only gotten a robo-response from the good senator. I have gotten nothing from Cruz, nor my representative.
I am deeply conflicted over the fact that the gang of old white guys I’m counting on to defend one of my fundamental rights are so antithetical to my values.
John Cornyn is squarely in the right on 2A issues. On virtually everything else, I find him to be a nearly intolerable religious extremist with an agenda to match.
+1.
That said I see more hope for libertarian leaning/social liberal fiscal conservative types in the GOP. And while I’m not a huge proponent of government solutions to social problems, I’d be more supportive of a pro social-program Dem with a solid 2A background than I would this guy.
The problem with “modern” conservatives is that they’re almost indistinguishable from modern progressives. What divides them is only how the G is going to f^ck us, not whether it should. Which is why I trust neither.
Go back about 40 years and compare Barry Goldwater (R) and John Kennedy (D). Both of them would be considered out-of-touch old-fashioned conservative fogeys today — and I’d trust them both.
Again, I find myself agreeing with you.
I am jealous. My senators are morons. All they did was acknowledge my email Thanks for nothing Al Frankin and Amy Klobuchar, I didn’t vote for you in the past and won’t in the future.
Our other Texas Senator, Ted Cruz gets it
http://goo.gl/HDwWC
Nice!
Someone called it out eartlier already but his comment “firearms designed for legitimate purposes such as hunting, target shooting, collecting, and self-protection” is an escape hatch. If the letter had everything but s this then I would be more encouraged. This portion of his statement is a “get out of jail free” card when compromise comes.
Good catch. We need to watch out for that. An automatic grenade launcher in the hands of a responsible gun owner is less dangerous than a kitchen knife in the hands of a murderer.
Sen Cornyn is just another professional politician. He talks a good game on specific hot button issues, whether in letters such as this one, on radio or TV appearances or in front of the cameras to collect sound bites for his next campaign. The problem is, when you look at his record, he has never really done much other than a few “me too” votes. He is no leader. He learned from another do nothing Senator that the only thing that matters is reelection and is guided accordingly. Don’t be taken in.
In his list of legitimate uses he left out the right of armed resistance against an oppressive government. But that’s understandable. No need to rattle the commies and facists unnecessarily.
“law-abiding citizen’s constitutional right to own and use firearms designed for legitimate purposes such as hunting, target shooting, collecting, and self-protection.”
The minute Ccongress bans a certain weapon, the weapon no longer has a “legitimate” purpose and the owner is no longer “law-abiding.” The term “constitutional right” is also incorrect. If the Constitution grants it, the Constitution can take it away. We have Creator bestowed, unalienable rights. Cornyn DOES NOT get it. Just another jerk-off politician.
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