Reader Ben D. writes:
I’ve forwarded you a response I received from Rob Portman, a Republican senator for the state of Ohio, where I live. Unfortunately, my original message to Mr. Portman is not included, as I used a form on his website to initially submit it.
His response interests me partly because of its cookie cutter tact and partly because he volunteers his support for a ban on “bump fire” stocks. Whether or not he supports a ban on “rate increasing devices” is undetermined. His response is particularly important because of Friday’s submission of OB 219 into the Senate, a potential ban on all rate increasing devices in Ohio.
Dear Benjamin,
Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns following the tragedy in Las Vegas. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
While there are many facts that are still unknown about this horrific attack, we do know that the shooter utilized a firearm attachment known as a, “bump stock,” which is used to modify a semi-automatic firearm to mimic the rate of fire of a fully automatic firearm.
As you know, fully automatic firearms are already illegal (without a special license and rigorous background check process). I believe something that gets around these restrictions by taking a weapon that is not automatic and making it automatic should not be legal.
I support the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) re-examining the approval of bump stocks. I look forward to reviewing their decision closely, and am willing to consider, if necessary, legislation to make bump stocks illegal.
I continue to support efforts to genuinely reduce crime and make our society safer for all citizens. I have voted to increase prosecutions of those who knowingly bypass current law to get weapons in the hands of violent criminals, and in the 113th Congress, I supported legislation that would have addressed a current gap in the background check system by strengthening state reporting of individuals who courts have found to be mentally ill.
Until we get at the root causes of violence – no law, no ban, and no background check will completely ensure the safety and security of our communities.
I have supported efforts to get at the underlying problem of a culture of violence prevalent in our society by voting to authorize a study to look at the glorification of gun violence in popular culture, as well as risk factors that lead to mass shootings.
Furthermore, we must undertake a comprehensive review of the availability of current mental health services and examine the important role government agencies, community groups, and faith-based organizations can play to help provide the care and protection for those in need of services.
Thank you again for reaching out to my office. Please keep in touch and I hope you will continue to share your views on this issue and any other in the future.
Sincerely,Rob Portman
U.S. Senator
Politicians and their doublespeak.
It’s what they do when they’re not lying. Portman is not and never will be a defender of our Constitutional rights. He firmly in the RINO column.
You mean lie; even the ATF agrees a bumpstock does not convert semi to auto fire (which is already illegal just like as-built MGs go the unwashed masses)
I read thru the comments about this issue……..you all should do the same….it’s all about how fast you can kill someone with a Tommie gun, seems to me you all have been watching too many movies……disgusting
The problem is not about how fast you can kill! The problem with the bill as proposed is that it would ban other modifications of firearms that are important to hunters and sports target shooters. It could even keep American competitors out of the Olympics! An example… I have a pistol that I have replaced the original “plastic” trigger with an “aluminum” one. This was due to the original plastic trigger having sharp, straight edges that could cut into the finger on recoil. The aluminum trigger is curved and has no sharp edges. Under the proposed bill, that trigger job could be banned! The problem is liberal “gun grabbers” that write poor bills without even knowing what they are talking about! The bill was “ill proposed” and the work of political “gun grabbers”! It has to do with “Freedom”, the “Constitution”, and the belief in standing against tyrany!
Reelected to screw us.
No “re” just elected to screw us.
This is why the NRA’s supposedly genius response to the vegas attack was actually so much fail.
Congress will now just use that as a crutch and reason to pass these things through, if not at the Federal level then surely at least in some States.
Pretty simple to combat this, just mass non compliance, but since everybody is already so willing to sacrifice bump stocks and prove that they don’t care about true freedom just “their rights” I don’t suspect that will be happening any time soon…
Although I have never owned a bump fire stock device, I have recently purchased a similar device. I purchased this for pretty much one reason. So that if this becomes law, I can proudly say:
I will not comply.
Exactly this!!! I think I ordered the same similiar device from same website after reading press release on TTAG and reading your comment!
So, I can blame you guys for my order taking so long to be delivered?!
jwtaylor –
Now, if only all citizens would just realize that your solution is *the* solution to combating all infringements on our rights…well we’d live in a totally different country.
We need thousands or possibly millions of bump-stock and/or rate increasing device owners to not hide away like would-be criminals guilty of ‘pre-crime’ because they own one of these things but instead peacefully march on State capitols etc along with thousands or millions of other non-bump-stock owning people in solidarity and peacefully not comply with any “laws” or restrictions that may come about.
Because I guarantee that if a group of jack-boots come to your house you will give up the device or they will pry it from your cold dead hands.
This won’t make a difference. Half of America has smoked pot at one time or another. Untold millions currently smoke it. And the State is still happy to arrest you for violating the law, despite the fact that millions and millions of people do it.
So, I can blame you guys for my order taking so long to be delivered?!
I bought more ammo.
I have a box of rubber bands with which I will non-comply
The senator should be incredibly concerned about the political consequences that might ensue from his even considering support for restricting the constitutional rights of lawfully armed citizens.
The fact that he is not concerned about it enough tells you that there is something gravely wrong with his constituents in Ohio.
Gotta get my machine gun license..
Was thinking exactly this.
Portman wasn’t in office when I lived in Ohio, as such I haven’t followed him particularly closely.
What saddens me about this statement is the profound level of ignorance it displays. The guy doesn’t know a damn thing about the topic but he’s more than willing to not just offer an opinion but voice support for a prospective law.
Ah, for the days when people would say “I don’t know. Let me find out and get back to you”.
Yet another to add the list to be primaried.
It’d be easier to make a list of congresscreatures who don’t need to be voted out. Heck, no list needed. You could count those on your fingers.
Was that a response to your letter…, or his damn CV ?
I think we should find ways to make all Americans safe. I’ll take care of mine by remaining armed. Thank you for your cooperation Senator Bob.
In Illinois TODAY a quite similar bumpstock/ trigger ban in the Senate was DEFEATED! Thanks all who helped kill this BS. GSL especially…
Yes, indeed. Thank you very much, John Boch.
Awesome. Why isn’t TTAG reporting on this?
What a horrible non-response and typical of politicians.
So tired of this BS. As a nation we cannot stop shootings such as Las Vegas. We already have laws making murder and felonious assault crimes. Why do we need gun control laws? Gun control laws are political games to garner support from imbecile voters. The laws should be rewritten so that weapons, drunk driving are sentence multipliers for murder. Stop making laws that burden the law abiding. Someone intent on murder isn’t stopped by gun control laws any more than junkies are stopped by drug laws or drunk drivers are stopped by DWI laws.
He sounds like a democrat and an absolute idiot!
His statement is not a fact yet. That is purely his conclusion. Granted the hotel room had bump stock accessories, however, we still have not officially established if the actual gun fire came from Paddlock’s hotel windows. With all the video circulating of potential multiple shooters and how the sound signature doesn’t match the rate of fire for the bump fire, it’s all speculation at this point.
“While there are many facts that are still unknown about this horrific attack, we do know that the shooter utilized a firearm attachment known as a, “bump stock,” which is used to modify a semi-automatic firearm to mimic the rate of fire of a fully automatic firearm.”
Double speak. Complete BS. But typical politicianese.
Next chance you get. Help to toss him out. Unless the other is allot worse.
I have begun to doubt the wisdom of “unless the other is a lot worse.” It’s very difficult to primary an incumbent Senator. And it is arguable that RINOs are an even bigger barrier to progress than Democrats, because they betray us when they’re in the majority, while at least we recognize a Dem as an opponent.
I’d rather suffer through six years of a Democrat than have Portman continue to betray the base that put him in office.
He even looks like a two faced weasel
In other words, he’s going to bore the hell out of you to the point that you forget what you originally asked him about. Typical. Very typical.
Charlie
“Furthermore, we must undertake a comprehensive review of the availability of current mental health services”
If we did that, there wouldn’t be a career politician left in Washington. And probably everywhere else.
That’s a standard Portman response. He and his staff don’t care what you think. Every time I email him and criticize his position on an issue I get a long form letter back lecturing me about how I am wrong. Representative of the people my *ss.
NOT Good at All.
He’s been greatly irritating me since trump was elected. Not only has he shown he is the entitled establishment is every way, now he has shown me he wants to remove my constitutional rights… I emailed him not long ago telling him he was on thin ice with losing my vote. He just lost it, and by default, he just lost my wife’s as well. By the time I’m done running him down to everyone I shoot with, talk guns with, etc… he will lose a lot more than that.
I’ve put some land mines around the perimeter of my acreage. And I’ve got some grenades with remote detonators attached to some video drones that I can komikazi in to any vehicle, including air, that comes into my airspace. Already bought up dozens of bumps, figuring they will be banned soon. When the next Hillary/Obama army comes to put me in front of their death panel, I will be ready. Go ahead, make my day!
I just wrote another email to Sen. Portman and explained what a “bump stock” does, how the same effect can be achieved by just using your finger, and why it does not convert a “semi-auto” to a fully automatic weapon. Fully automatic weapons are either illegal by state laws or a highly controlled by federal law! I also told him that I was a former armorer in the military “spec-ops” community for 36 years and that he is free to contact me at any time!
The Gun Act of 1968 that made it so a person with a felony could not own a gun is illegal in itself. Every time I hear this BS I get P off. They may be able to make a law to pass a background check which has been proven pointless because of the LA shooting. There is nothing in the Constitution that says they can change a RIGHT, or RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS or SHALL NOT INFRINGE. With the millions of gun laws already on the books, it has not stopped any killings. Now if you look at a drivers license, that is a privilege and they can INFRINGE on that, but a law should make sense as well. If you drink and drive, they take your license. To many tickets they take your license, but what happened in NY with the Home Depot truck, Are they now going to have background checks to own or rent a vehicle? In the right situation like a concert, and with the right vehicle, he could have killed just as many people. Same with a small or large Airplane but we all know 911. Might be harder to use a plane, but some use gas and one match in a club or theater. Now not only people with a felony cant own a gun but even people with some misdemeanor’s cant own a firearm. So it is not only people with a felony and I am sure they will be adding to this list as time goes on, so people that may have a misdemeanor should start fighting for people with non violent felonies. If it were not for a plea bargain, there would be millions more people with a felony charge. The only reason that they do not is because they saved the State money and took a plea to reduce there charge, but they may have done the same thing as someone with a felony that exercised their Constitutional Right to go to trial. In North Carolina vs. Pearce the Supreme Court said, you cannot receive a harsher sentence for appealing a sentence or conviction because it is a Constitutional Right and if they could give a harsher sentence, people would be afraid to appeal, calling it the chilling effect. This is the same, if you want to exercise your right and go to trial instead of taking a plea, than you should not be punished harsher or no one would go to trial, they would all take a plea bargain, no matter if you are guilty or not.
It is also against your right to be grouped as in all people with a felony or all people with red, or yellow, black skin, or all of a religion. The justices of the Supreme Court need to go by what the Second Amendment says, not what they think or fell it says. It was written back when people had to own a gun to eat or protect them selves. Having a grocery store does not change what they intended it to mean. Your personal feelings should not enter in your judgement. The only reason Alcohol (which is a drug) and is responsible for more deaths than guns, I think should be a law against, but politicians would never do that since they all drink.
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