Letter to Senator Bill Cassidy (LA-R)

This letter is in response to his (Senator Bill Cassidy) involvement with drafting an agreement on principle for gun safety legislation on Sunday, June 12, 2022. Some of these proposed laws seem "reasonable" on the surface, but just like current gun laws, have the potential for further restrictions as it pertains to existing and/or new legal gun owners. 

I will list the main talking points of each proposed gun law. For further information on each or all points, please reference the article on the CNN Website. 

• 'Red flag' laws
  
• Mental health and telehealth investment
  
• Closing the so-called boyfriend loophole
  
• Enhanced review process for buyers under 21
  
• Clarifying the definition of a Federally Licensed Firearm Dealer
  
• School security resources

Letter

Senator Bill Cassidy,


Good morning sir. I do not know if you directly read these emails or if a representative of yours does, but I will address this as though you and I are speaking.


Before going any further, I would like to give my background and experiences because it is relevant to this topic. I served in the United States Army (active duty and Louisiana National Guard) for approximately 11 years before being honorably discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant/E-6, along with having two deployments to Iraq. I also have approximately 10 years in law enforcement with time spent in Narcotics, S.W.A.T. Team, and other specialized units to include a Task Force Officer (TFO) for the United States Marshals Service, Violent Offender Task Force based out of Lafayette, Louisiana. I left law enforcement with the rank of Sergeant for an antiterrorism/counterterrorism position overseas. I am still actively working overseas and am currently in the Middle East.


Now the reason for this email. According to several media sites, you, along with several other Senators (Republican and Democrat) have engaged in a "compromise" as it pertains to "reducing gun violence". I have some concerns regarding this agreement on principle for gun safety legislation, which I will list below. 


1) Senator Chris Murphy stated as part of a tweet announcing the deal, that it "will save lives". I would like to know the overall intentions of this "deal" along with the factual data on how more gun laws will save more lives and how these measures will be monitored/tracked to ensure that in fact these actions work.


2) Who will these new proposed laws actually impact most? Existing and/or new legal gun owners or lawless criminals?   


3) Does any or all of the new proposed laws in the slightest way begin to or does infringe on the rights and freedoms of the American people?     


4) Could any or all of the new proposed laws in the slightest way begin to or does open up the door (at any time) for federal and/or state governing agencies to restrict and/or remove the rights and freedoms of the American people without due process?


5) Do current gun laws impact existing and/or new legal gun owners more or less than lawless criminals?


6) Are any of these new proposed laws directed specifically at existing and/or new legal gun owners or lawless criminals? 


7) "Who" is the problem? Existing and/or new legal gun owners or lawless criminals?


8) "What" is the problem? The object (gun) or the person (lawless criminal)?


9) Do any of these new proposed laws actually impact/target "who" and "what" the problem is? If so, is it the real problem?


11) Could any or all of the new proposed laws in the slightest way limit and/or reduce an existing and/or new legal gun owners ability to adequately protect them, their family or others in a defensive use situation? If so, what is the largest priority? Knowingly and willfully limiting and/or reducing one's ability for self defense or possibly limiting and/or reducing the actions of a lawless criminal, assuming they are concerned with and abide by these new proposed laws?   


12) Using existing gun laws as a reference, do any or all of the current laws in the slightest way limit and/or reduce an existing and/or new legal gun owners ability to protect themselves, their family or others in a defensive use situation? If so, what is the largest priority? Knowingly and willfully limiting and/or reducing one's ability for self defense or possibly limiting and/or reducing the actions of a lawless criminal, assuming they are concerned with and abide by the current gun laws? 


13) Factually speaking, will these new proposed laws be more effective at stopping lawless criminals than the existing gun laws? If so, how? If not, what is the point of the new proposed laws?  


14) Who is drafting and/or helping to draft these new proposed laws? People who have real world experiences with guns and/or using them in defensive use situations (along with other pertinent topics) or people who have little to no real world experience? If it is solely being drafted and/or influenced by people who are not well-versed (subject matter experts) in these matters, why are they doing it?  


15) Are these new proposed laws born out of facts and logic or feelings and emotions? Which one of those is more important and plays a larger role in the real world?


Do you, Senator Bill Cassidy, truly believe that any or all of these new proposed laws on their own will save more lives from the actions of lawless criminals or limit and/or fail to give law abiding citizens the means to effectively save their own lives from the actions of lawless criminals?  


I understand you are a busy individual and I thank you for your work and service to Louisiana. I hope this email finds its way to you for review. I know an immediate response, more specifically an in-depth response from you personally is an unrealistic expectation, but from one professional to another, I trust to hear something at some point. These questions are very important to me especially since these proposed laws could restrict certain rights and freedoms of the American people. 


Because the government can not guarantee my safety all the time, it is my opinion that self defense is a personal responsibility. As such, if I so choose, I should have access, without further limitation, to the most effective means of protection; a gun, whether it be a pistol, rifle, and/or shotgun.


"It is not the job of government to limit our rights, it is their job to protect them".


My last question to you sir, do any or all of the new proposed laws limit our rights or protect our rights?


Thank you for your time Senator.