To Senator Dick Durbin, Senator Mark Kirk, and Representative Mike Quigley,
In light of US Attorney General investigations into Chicago PD, I want to know what is being done to protect both the rights of citizens and the lives of our law enforcement personnel?
How do we balance the 1% of criminals ruining the every day lives of the 99%? It's understanding that this is a difficult question but changes must be made towards progress in the United States. As a constituent I urge that we work in small strides towards the ultimate goal of eliminating private ownership of firearms.
RE: http://artandeverythingafter.com/i-fit-the-description/
Similar incident happened to a friend that was riding a motorcycle. What's worse: his incident included a helicopter with night sun, and a taste of pavement as an officer dug a knee into his back to detain him. As they left the officer muttered, "you fit the description of someone fleeing police on a Ninja motorcycle." He was riding a Yamaha, not a Kawasaki.
On the flip side, the job of law enforcement is not to be taken without suspicion. Stories of officer shootings are all too common, and some very disturbing (http://abc7.com/news/dash-cam-images-of-west-covina-traffic-stop-shooting-released/989093/). We train officers to respond to worst-case-scenarios with assault weaponry because it's the current norm of society.
Something needs to change. We cannot continue as-is because the current laws by which we're governed and the state of our current societal norms: all are barely hobbling through year by year, day by day, minute by minute, second by ticking second. Innocent people are being wounded, some are sadly dying. It will be a long journey to a better US but we know it will be worth the effort. Please help us get there by proposing and/or supporting legislation that continues progress into a better future for me and my wife, our daughter, US society, and humanity in general.
Regards,
Andre Alforque
Great letter, but just as a note, you've buried the lede.
ReplyDelete"As a constituent I urge that we work in small strides towards the ultimate goal of eliminating private ownership of firearms." appears to be a significant point of your letter, but then I'm not sure what the point of the next two paragraphs are in context, and as a result, by the end, I'm not sure what *kind* of legislation you're encouraging.
Elimination of private ownership of firearms? Not arming police w/ assault weapons? Police brutality & profiling?
Maybe the point is "everything's kinda fucked," and I generally agree with that, but focus on a core actionable item would send a clearer message to your rep. :)
At least, that's how I read it.
Great points! Ultimately, it's a cop out from posting my hard line stance.
DeleteI decided on this presentation because A) it's an optimistic vision of hope for the world, and B) it's scientifically proven I won't be changing anyone's stance on gun control. The purpose of this letter is to illicit response from those that represent me in Congress from "we're thinking and planning" to "we're taking action." I suppose it's akin to "God Isn't Fixing This."
As gun violence in the US has always been around, this topic has mulled in my brain even before Sandy Hook. My stance has not only been molded by events like the North Hollywood Shootout and various others, but has changed several times from personal experiences and lively conversations. I'm as close as I've ever been to taking a hard side on this debate, and hope to soon find the best representation and action(s) as consequence. For now, I'm still listening to all sides, all facts, and all opinions.
All that said, BRAVO for taking the step to write. Democracy in action!
ReplyDeleteFantastic letter Andre. I usually don't muster much better than the standard talking points.
ReplyDelete