Response Senator Rand Paul

[John F]

January 29, 2013
Dear Mr. France,

Thank you for contacting me regarding the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn. My thoughts and prayers are with the children, parents, teachers and community as they mourn this tragic loss of life. After such a senseless act of violence, the power of prayer and the kindness of friends, family, and neighbors near and far provides solace and strength to the community. I hope we can learn more about what warning signs were missed and how we can better prevent tragedies like this from occurring in the future. However, I do not believe we should rush to point fingers or enact reactionary legislation curtailing Second Amendment rights. No amount of gun control will be able to prevent mentally disturbed individuals from committing despicable acts of violence. High-risk individuals will still be able to acquire firearms and other lethal weapons, even with an increase in prevention. Please be assured I will oppose any proposed gun control law which would limit the right to gun ownership by those who are responsible, law-abiding citizens, and that I will continue to defend Americans' Second Amendment rights in the Senate. Once more, thank you for sharing your thoughts. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance in the future. I look forward to hearing from you again.

Sincerely,
Rand Paul, MD
United States Senator