Reply from Sen. John Cornyn

[G26ster]

Received in my mail this AM

Thank you for contacting me regarding federal firearms laws. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this matter.

As a strong proponent of the Second Amendment, I believe it is essential to safeguard the law-abiding citizen's constitutional right to own and use firearms designed for legitimate purposes such as hunting, target shooting, collecting, and self-protection. Restricting this right runs counter to the intent of our Founding Fathers, who expressly guaranteed that citizens would retain the right to keep and bear arms.

It is encouraging that the Supreme Court has upheld the will of our Founders and re-affirmed the ideals our country was established upon. The Supreme Court's decision in District of Columbia v. Heller provides a greater guarantee that Americans' Constitutional rights remain secure from federal government intrusion. I was proud to sign an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in that case stating an individual’s right to bear arms is fundamental. This historic ruling continues to have implications far beyond the District of Columbia. In 2010, the Supreme Court decided in McDonald v. City of Chicago to strike down the arbitrary gun ban in Chicago” and thereby affirm that the Second Amendment safeguards against state and local encroachments on the fundamental right to keep and bear arms.

As a former Texas Supreme Court Justice and Attorney General, I have firsthand knowledge of crime-fighting policies that work, and I believe that citizens' Second Amendment rights should not be restricted because of the actions of criminals. Rather, we must focus our attention on the source of violent crime: criminals who use firearms to commit crimes. I believe that strictly enforcing the law and meting out tougher sentences for career criminals and those who use firearms when committing crimes will reduce crime more effectively than gun or equipment bans, which primarily serve to take firearms away from law-abiding citizens.

I appreciate the opportunity to represent Texans in the United States Senate, and you may be certain that I will continue working with my colleagues to protect our Second Amendment rights. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.

Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator

[AEA]

We'll be watching how he votes. That will tell the truth.

[Vol Texan]

I received the same email from Sen. Cornyn today - word for word. I understand the need for some amount of standardization in these replies, but I had hoped that some amount of personalization could have been inserted - to let me know that he (or someone on his team) actually read the text that I'd written him.

Oh well...let's watch how he votes.

It's interesting, however how he missed the one key part of this sentence (I corrected it for him):

As a strong proponent of the Second Amendment, I believe it is essential to safeguard the law-abiding citizen's constitutional right to own and use firearms designed for legitimate purposes such as keeping the government in check, hunting, target shooting, collecting, and self-protection.

[jvalle1911]

I got the same message about a week ago. We'll see how he votes.

[canvasbck]

I don't think we have to worry too much about Cornyn for the next couple of years. He already knows that he will be facing a Tea Party backed primary challenge in 2014, he's going to spend the next two years trying to prove how conservative he is.

[chasfm11]

We'll be watching how he votes. That will tell the truth.

I guess I'm expecting more than just voting. Cruz has been in people's faces since he took office. I'm tired of supposedly Conservative Republicans allowing the opposition (sometimes other Republicans)to bring the fight to them and then claiming there is nothing they can do. People who want to be re-elected better start jostling for lectern time and putting forth Conservative ideas. It is time to try to get in front the message, not just react to it.

Maybe that is just me.

[texanjoker]

Got the same "personally written" letter.

At least they know were are reaching out to them.

[JALLEN]

Even with modern word processing, it is impossible to have 400,000 unique replies to letters on the same issue, and as far as I'm concerned, a waste of staff time to try. As flattering is it is to think that this Senator sat in his big chair in the plush office and dictated a reply to a secretary while holding your letter in his hand, thoughtfully composing his reply, like he probably does when writing a K Street bigshot, or Donald Trump or somebody, his time might be better spent reading bills to see what they say.

[TXCO]

I, too, received this same letter.

[anygunanywhere]

Way back when Ma Richards was governor, her Austin staff actually knew me by name when they heard my voice on the phone. I knew all of their names as well. We had some spirited conversations, especially when she vetoed the carry legislation.

I am not certain that email has any affect on what these people do. I think phone calls and faxes have more of an impact. Direct visits do too but then most of us work....

Anygunanywhere

[Jasonw560]

Way back when Ma Richards was governor, her Austin staff actually knew me by name when they heard my voice on the phone. I knew all of their names as well. We had some spirited conversations, especially when she vetoed the carry legislation.

I am not certain that email has any affect on what these people do. I think phone calls and faxes have more of an impact. Direct visits do too but then most of us work....

Anygunanywhere

Not to derail this, but Rep. Strauss's office needs to know our names.

All of the Calendars committee, as well.

[v-rog]

same letter received yesterday!

[RX8er]

I must be low on his mailing list. I finally received my email from him today and it is the same.

[G26ster]

I must be low on his mailing list. I finally received my email from him today and it is the same.

I think it has something to do with the magnetic forces of the poles, and its effect on electronic mail, so you probably live further south than I do

[Wodathunkit]

I got this same email this afternoon. I'm curious when we all mailed him.