Letter from Congressman Jim Matheson

[Ceicei]

Remember this thread Festus set up: Let's try this - Everyone Sending The Second Amendment on July 4th

I sent snail mail and electronic mail to all of my United States and Utah Representatives in both the Senate and House.

Well, I finally got a response, although it appeared to be a form "ready-made" reply--probably in response to any letter related to 2A, and the fact he addressed me as "Friend" rather than with my name. I thought it was interesting and I truly hope he actually follows what he states he believes. Below is a copy of the letter he sent to me:

July 15, 2009

Dear Friend,

Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding the protection of Second Amendment rights. I appreciate your interest in the issues facing our country and state, and I am glad for the opportunity to respond.

I am a staunch supporter of Second Amendment rights and believe that we must take a balanced approach when addressing the problem of violent crime in the United States. It is a mistake to deny constitutional rights to all Americans because of the misdeeds of a few. My record of support for Second Amendment rights is unwavering.

I recently joined the Second Amendment Task Force, which seeks to ensure that the Second Amendment rights of all Americans are protected. I was concerned when Attorney General Eric Holder made comments suggesting that the Administration would look into reinstituting the assault weapons ban. I wrote a letter with some of my colleagues to Attorney General Holder shortly after he made those comments and encouraged him to not push for a ban.

I have cosponsored several bills that would enhance and protect Americans' Second Amendment rights. I cosponsored HR 197, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act, which allows individuals licensed to carry a concealed weapon in one's own state to carry a concealed weapon in another state, provided that the individual complies with all of those state's laws. I also cosponsored HR 510, which would allow manufacturers of ammunition to pay the excise tax quarterly (instead of monthly), thus enabling them to manufacture ammunition in a more cost-effective manner. Furthermore, I cosponsored HR 1684, the Preservation of the Second Amendment in National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges Act. This bill would allow individuals to possess firearms in national parks and wildlife refuge areas, many of which include vast and remote areas of land on which it can be difficult for park rangers to sufficiently protect visitors.

I look forward to continuing my work to protect Second Amendment rights in Congress and will keep you informed of these issues as they arise. Again, thank you for sharing your concerns with me. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact my office.



Sincerely,

(signature)

JIM MATHESON
Member of Congress

[capo2186]

Nice job! I like that guy! Sounds like he has his head on straight

[HardCorps53]

Jim Matheson is a good guy. He's catching hell right now because he's a Democrat who's against the health reform rebill. He's a strong supporter of veterans rights. He gets my vote even though he's from "the wrong party."

Matheson has a much better 2A record than our "conservative" Senator Orrin Hatch. Hatch brokered a deal with Clinton that got Sotomayer confirmed as an appellate judge. He'll likely vote to confirm her to SCOTUS. He voted to confirm Eric Holder as AG. He crossed the aisle to help bust up a fillibuster that would have prevented Harold Koh from being confirmed as Legal Adviser for the State Dept.

Just goes to show that you have to look at the candidates records rather than wearing party blinders. If only the voters had done that with Barry Sotero......