Spring Break
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Gun legislation not needed
Letters to the Editor | 11/13/07
Posted online at 12:26 AM EST on 11/13/07
The unintended consequences of H.R. 2640 could turn innocent Americans into felons. For instance, if an American serving in Iraq suffers a traumatic brain injury and goes through a recovery period in which he "lacks the mental capacity to contract or manage his own affairs (a key test in the bill for mental impairment)," he will be placed on the NICS watch list for life. However, he will receive no notice he is on that list. Ten years later, that same veteran and could be charged with a felony for buying a gun to take his son hunting. He also will have to pay his own legal fees to regain his constitutional rights under H.R. 2640.
Finally, my objections to this bill are not keeping the Senate from voting on this issue. I will not give my consent for H.R. 2640 to pass unanimously, but the Senate leadership may still bring the bill up for a vote. So far, they have decided against doing so.
Every American who was touched by the Virginia Tech tragedy, particularly the families of the victims, deserve Congress' best effort, not another hastily crafted bill that has more to do with protecting politicians than the public.
-Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., M.D
Finally, my objections to this bill are not keeping the Senate from voting on this issue. I will not give my consent for H.R. 2640 to pass unanimously, but the Senate leadership may still bring the bill up for a vote. So far, they have decided against doing so.
Every American who was touched by the Virginia Tech tragedy, particularly the families of the victims, deserve Congress' best effort, not another hastily crafted bill that has more to do with protecting politicians than the public.
-Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., M.D
Be the first to comment on this story