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Dear Friend,
Thank you for contacting me about gun safety issues. I appreciate hearing the views of my constituents, and I am glad you took the time to correspond with me about this important matter.
As an avid outdoorsman and hunter, I recognize that the United States Constitution guarantees our citizens the right to keep and bear arms. At the same time that we can all acknowledge this basic right, I believe that we should also be able to come together to develop reasonable laws designed to ensure that the right to bear arms is exercised safely and responsibly. Just as we all celebrate and defend the First Amendment but also understand that practical limits must be in place, such as not shouting "Fire" in a crowded theater, so too should we be able to respect the Second Amendment while simultaneously supporting commonsense regulations.
The heartbreaking elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut that left 20 children and 7 adults dead is a stark reminder of the continued culture of violence that prevails in this country. The shocking nature of this tragedy brought an end to our country's detachment from the disturbing trend of gun violence and replaced it with a resolute call for change. President Obama, in response, established a working group on gun violence tasked with presenting real reforms. I believe we must take a three-pronged approach to solve this terrible problem.
First, we must recognize that this is a problem greater than just gun control. It has to do with our nation and its socioeconomic policies. We must gain a holistic understanding of the various factors causing violence and, in turn, provide a comprehensive solution. The 2012 Peace Index, a yearly study done by the Institute for Economics and Peace on the cost of violence across the world, found that the least violent states in America have some of the highest rates of health insurance coverage, high school graduation, educational opportunity, and perceived access to basic services, as well as among the lowest rates of income inequality, poverty, teen pregnancy and infant mortality.
These findings are especially relevant in light of Congress' current budget, deficit and debt negotiations. At a time when many are struggling to find economic opportunity, many in the Republican Party want to cut basic social services that keep many people afloat -- and safe. We must promote policies that strengthen communities from the ground up if we are to prevent tragedies that shock them through their cores.
Second, we must understand the role that gun laws play in gun violence. As a gun owner myselfre-enact the federal assault weapons ban, with even tighter restrictions that remove some of the loopholes of the original ban. When the original 1994 to 2004 ban was in effect, gun violence and mass shootings fell dramatically. A ban should be a ban across the board.
Third, we need to improve the state of mental health care in our nation. There is no reason that it should be easier to purchase a lethal weapon in our country than it is get a mental health screening. This is why I have advocated for the concept of mental health parity throughout my career in Congress. We must ensure that we consider mental ailments on the same level as physical ailments. We must promote yearly screenings for mental health, like we do for physical health, and push for full coverage of these screenings by health insurance companies. This can be done by providing incentives to insurers and patients, like we do for physicals, for completing yearly mental health screenings. We must educate individuals, their families, and the general population about the clear warning signs of trauma and social disengagement.
As a Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittees on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies and Labor, Health and Human Service, and Education;the former Chair of the Committee on Public Safety in the California Assembly; a former County Supervisor in Santa Clara County; and an educator of 30 years, I have been on the front line of these issues for decades. I believe we owe it to the victims of these heart wrenching tragedies and their families to make real and lasting progress on the issue of gun violence, by taking a holistic approach, now.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact me about this important issue. Your comments help me to better represent the people of our Congressional District.
Sincerely,
Michael M. Honda
Member of Congress
Thank you for contacting me about gun safety issues. I appreciate hearing the views of my constituents, and I am glad you took the time to correspond with me about this important matter.
As an avid outdoorsman and hunter, I recognize that the United States Constitution guarantees our citizens the right to keep and bear arms. At the same time that we can all acknowledge this basic right, I believe that we should also be able to come together to develop reasonable laws designed to ensure that the right to bear arms is exercised safely and responsibly. Just as we all celebrate and defend the First Amendment but also understand that practical limits must be in place, such as not shouting "Fire" in a crowded theater, so too should we be able to respect the Second Amendment while simultaneously supporting commonsense regulations.
The heartbreaking elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut that left 20 children and 7 adults dead is a stark reminder of the continued culture of violence that prevails in this country. The shocking nature of this tragedy brought an end to our country's detachment from the disturbing trend of gun violence and replaced it with a resolute call for change. President Obama, in response, established a working group on gun violence tasked with presenting real reforms. I believe we must take a three-pronged approach to solve this terrible problem.
First, we must recognize that this is a problem greater than just gun control. It has to do with our nation and its socioeconomic policies. We must gain a holistic understanding of the various factors causing violence and, in turn, provide a comprehensive solution. The 2012 Peace Index, a yearly study done by the Institute for Economics and Peace on the cost of violence across the world, found that the least violent states in America have some of the highest rates of health insurance coverage, high school graduation, educational opportunity, and perceived access to basic services, as well as among the lowest rates of income inequality, poverty, teen pregnancy and infant mortality.
These findings are especially relevant in light of Congress' current budget, deficit and debt negotiations. At a time when many are struggling to find economic opportunity, many in the Republican Party want to cut basic social services that keep many people afloat -- and safe. We must promote policies that strengthen communities from the ground up if we are to prevent tragedies that shock them through their cores.
Second, we must understand the role that gun laws play in gun violence. As a gun owner myselfre-enact the federal assault weapons ban, with even tighter restrictions that remove some of the loopholes of the original ban. When the original 1994 to 2004 ban was in effect, gun violence and mass shootings fell dramatically. A ban should be a ban across the board.
Third, we need to improve the state of mental health care in our nation. There is no reason that it should be easier to purchase a lethal weapon in our country than it is get a mental health screening. This is why I have advocated for the concept of mental health parity throughout my career in Congress. We must ensure that we consider mental ailments on the same level as physical ailments. We must promote yearly screenings for mental health, like we do for physical health, and push for full coverage of these screenings by health insurance companies. This can be done by providing incentives to insurers and patients, like we do for physicals, for completing yearly mental health screenings. We must educate individuals, their families, and the general population about the clear warning signs of trauma and social disengagement.
As a Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittees on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies and Labor, Health and Human Service, and Education;the former Chair of the Committee on Public Safety in the California Assembly; a former County Supervisor in Santa Clara County; and an educator of 30 years, I have been on the front line of these issues for decades. I believe we owe it to the victims of these heart wrenching tragedies and their families to make real and lasting progress on the issue of gun violence, by taking a holistic approach, now.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact me about this important issue. Your comments help me to better represent the people of our Congressional District.
Sincerely,
Michael M. Honda
Member of Congress
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