Dear Senator Feinstein -
I am the flesh and blood of America. I am also an American. I am not a gender. I am the granddaughter, daughter, niece and mother of family members who have served or are currently serving in the United States Military.
I have had the unique perspective and experience to both shoot a firearm and to serve as a parent to three children.
I am a proponent of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. I believe that as citizens we have an obligation to protect our private dwellings and our families from impending harm.
I also understand the perspective that The Second Amendment was adopted in the year 1791 for a single shot weapon to serve as a protective measure against one or more of the following to include: deterring a tyrannical government, repelling invasion, suppressing insurrection, facilitating a national right of self-defense, participating in law enforcement and enabling the people to organize a militia system.
I failed to find mention of the Second Amendment Right to Bear Assault Weapons and Magazines to massacre innocent children in our schools.
The evolution of our humanity has positively influenced equal rights and has restricted, disbanded, curtailed or advocated big money makers like the tobacco and alcohol industries.
We must now evolve to make necessary accommodations current to protect our children in schools while allowing a reasonable right to bear arms. The answer is not to impose unreasonable requirements, training and license in schools on people who have not chosen a career in the military or law enforcement. How can we expect teachers to load and fire a weapon under stressful conditions when there are trained law enforcement officers who struggle or are reluctant to fire a weapon during their entire career?
I am repulsed by the obvious disregard with the fragility of human life when "we as a nation" are strong armed to decide that it is reasonable to arm everyday citizens with military style magazines and weapons of mass destruction in the sanctuary of public places like our schools.
Instead of arming a trembling hand against the unparalleled adversary of an assault weapon firing back forty-five rounds in a minute, perhaps a better approach would be to advocate and financially support bullet-proofing our schools and other control measures in lieu of profiting from this tragedy, as proposed by the National Rifle Association, in addition to banning the sale of assault weapons and magazines to everyday people.
I believe that one voice - although not the strongest, the loudest or the wealthiest - can reverberate a ripple effect of change and quietly sway an otherwise still resolve.
If this letter is not significant enough to cause pause, than I seal my position with at least TWENTY SIX MORE REASONS to cement my purpose.
Senator Feinstein, I stand and applaud your tenacity, bravery, insight and leadership with the proposed legislation in the wake of our nation's most recent tragedy.
Yours Truly,
Sherry L. Guarneri
Wife
Mother
Working Class Citizen
Connecticut Native
American