Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Senator Toomey:
This week to our dismay, you joined Senator Manchin (D-WV) in authoring the misnamed "Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act." Your bill would establish universal background checks in clear violation of the Second Amendment. As your constituents, we have a number of problems with both the bill itself and the manner in which it was drafted and presented to the American people. Backroom deals and closed-door meetings are not in the best interests of Pennsylvanians or the American people, and quite honestly, we expect more from you.
While you have attempted to prevent such an event by including specific language to the contrary, according to a report by the Department of Justice, the "effectiveness [of universal background checks] depends on...requiring gun registration." When the new system of background checks inevitably fails to protect against some future act of gun violence--because criminals do not follow laws that require background checks--it will trigger a new political push for a system "that works" and for gun registration. This bill moves the nation one large step closer to that day.
In establishing a system of universal background checks, the bill would accelerate the path to a national gun registry. Your bill also overrides existing federal medical privacy laws as they pertain to the transmission of mental health records to the background check system that could strip Americans of their Second Amendment rights without due process. It could also discourage Americans from seeking medical treatment for anxiety or depression.
Furthermore, we must also consider that universal background checks will disproportionately affect law-abiding citizens, and will not preclude criminals from obtaining firearms. As Philadelphia District Attorney R. Seth Williams said, "85% of the homicides in Philadelphia are caused by people using illegally obtained handguns, with 99% of those being committed by individuals not licensed to carry." Even you admitted that this legislation would not have stopped the tragedy at Newtown, CT. Burdening law-abiding citizens with costly, unconstitutional federal regulations is not the solution, and as your constituents, we demand that you respect the Second Amendment and relinquish your support of this bill.
Respectfully,
Krystal F. O'Connor
Secretary
Firearms Owners Against Crime
Joined by:
Veterans and Patriots United -- We the People Greene County -- Concerned Gun Owners of Bucks County -- Northeast PA Spirit of 1776 -- Republican Liberty Caucus of PA -- South Hills of Pittsburgh 9.12 -- Duquesne University Young Americans for Liberty -- Blair County Tea Party -- Coalition for Advancing Freedom -- Valley Forge Patriots Tea Party -- Delaware County Patriots -- Washington County 9.12 -- Dickinson College College Republicans -- Philadelphia Tea Party Patriots - South -- University of Pittsburgh College Libertarians -- Pennsylvania Freedom Allies -- Westmoreland County Sheriff Brigade -- Pittsburgh 9.12 Project -- PA Coalition for Responsible Government -- Monroeville 9.12 -- PA 10th Amendment Center -- Philadelphia Tea Party Patriots-Lower Bucks -- Constitution Party of Allegheny County -- Murrysville 9.12 -- University of Pittsburgh Students for Liberty -- Liberty Grassroots of Pittsburgh -- Bedford County Patriots Tea Party -- Pittsburgh Tea Party -- Fayette Patriots -- Tea Party Patriots-Central PA -- TURN: Taxpayers United for Representation Now -- Pittsburgh Tea Party Movement -- Blair County Republican Women -- Northeast PA Tea Party