This open letter was sent to Senators Dianne Feinstein, Jeff Merkley, and Ron Wyden.

It was sent to Senator Feinstein for the obvious reasons. Senators Merkley and Wyden were also included because they are the US Senators representing Oregon, where the writer is from.

This letter is intended to voice support for the stands taken by Cpl Joshua Boston and other US Military veterans.

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Dear Senators Feinstein, Merkley, and Wyden,

I am writing to you to add my voice to those of other US Military veterans who have stated they will not comply with any assault weapons ban or other gun registration laws which may be passed in the near future. I have long believed in maintaining my silence, living my life as best as I can, and being a good, independent American. Unfortunately, the time has now come where good Americans are being persecuted for their very desire to be independent: their privacy is being violated, their good names are being slandered, and they're being grouped in with mass murderers simply because they own firearms.

So now that I am speaking up, let me make myself very clear: should Senator Feinstein and other gun control advocates succeed in passing an assault weapons ban that requires gun registration, I will not register my weapons. Nor will I hand those weapons over to any authority that may come to claim them as a result of my "disobedience."

I do not say this to be disrespectful, or because I want to shirk authority or pick a fight--though certainly many people will say that is exactly what I am doing. Let me explain why I have taken this stance.

Since our country was founded, the Constitution drafted, and the Second Amendment added along with the rest of the Bill of Rights, our gun control laws have gradually become more and more strict. Gun control advocates would have the American people believe that more gun control equals less crime. But the statistics show that instead, violent crime only increases as the laws become more strict. These laws fail to address the basic fact that evil people exist, evil people don't care about laws, and the only way to stop an evil person is to put a good person in his or her way. For the sake of my family, my friends, and the citizens around me, I intend to be the good person standing in harm's way, and no one--not even Congress--can take that right from me.

History has shown that disarming the populace of a nation is often a precursor to tyranny. And make no mistake, disarmament is exactly what gun control advocates want. For now, it is "registration," "grandfathering," and "only banning high capacity magazines." But when these laws fail to curb violent crime, disarmament will follow, because everything else has already been tried. And when a nation is disarmed, it is a nation of slaves, for its populace will have no choice but to comply with ANY law its government imposes--regardless of its morality or humaneness.

Furthermore, I served in the United States Navy for four years. When I signed up, I held up my right hand, stood in front of the American flag, and swore to defend this country and its Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I did not abandon that oath simply because I finished my four year contract with the Navy. Foreign enemies may no longer be my responsibility--we have the active duty military for that--but our country is still under grave threat by those who seek to undermine our liberties. Our freedom of speech is ignored whenever the powers that be find it inconvenient or troublesome. Our freedom of religion has been confined to our homes or specific places of worship. Our privacy is nonexistent, thanks to a government that believes it deserves to be involved in every part of our daily lives. Our domestic enemies are very real, and I intend to stand against them.

This is why I will not comply with any assault weapon ban or registration laws that may be passed by Congress. I have drawn my line in the sand, and I call on all other veterans to do the same and make their voices heard. In the past, I have served this country to the best of my ability. I will serve it still.

I will stand alone if I must, but I will not allow the United States of America to become a land of slaves.

Respectfully Submitted,
Bryan R. Durkin
GM2, United States Navy
2005-2009