Violence In America

to Members of Congress

and all those pledged to protect me

I am an American. You represent me, and you control the powerful agencies paid to protect me. Yet I’m terrified. I’m terrified by the epidemic of violence infecting our country, and the knowledge that much of it was ignored by an informed FBI prior to its occurrence. It seems that the Bureau was too involved in other matters, often political, to protect our citizens from the "honest" members of society. And you are a co-conspirator. Rushing to collect political points, you turned a blind eye to your constituents.

I don’t mean to minimize the hazards of international and internal conspiracies, but though they dominate the headlines, they ignore the concerns of most Americans.

For this reason I want to present several steps you can take that might improve our security. Some will argue that they violate the principles of our Constitution, but I suspect you can find a way to circumvent this issue. The original document was written at the end of the eighteenth century by men sensitive to the concerns of the society of the time. But times change. and some interpretation of the Constitution short of amendment, a long and tedious process, can probably be found to deal with the concerns of a twenty-first century society. Our Legislative and Judiciary branches cannot be limited by eighteenth century sensibilities. (Indeed, I’m not even convinced that the Founding Fathers, in those years long ago, meant the Second Amendment to cover "sport" and hunting use of weapons by a "well armed militia.") And it is worth revisiting previously discussed issues. even if prior discussions have failed. So I suggest

1.     Formation of a committee consisting of NRA members and other citizens to determine maximum needs for valid uses of arms. I suggest a deadline (perhaps two weeks) after which, lacking agreement, a "civilian" should impose a non-appealable decision. There should always be civilian dominance over the military (in this case the NRA).

2.     With the same deadline, the courts should decide what the Second Amendment covers.

3.     A Public Prosecutor should investigate the functions and procedures of the FBI.

4.     There should be widespread publication of who gives to the NRA and who benefits from it -- especially to and from public servants and their families, candidates for office, and any political organization that supports either. There will be protests from the NRA relative to privacy and other constitutional rights, but in an age of "transparency" some means must be found to overcome them.

5.     Mental health proposals and appropriations should be publicized, and spending undertaken immediately -- especially as it relates to the possibility of violence.

6.     Other necessary measures should be undertaken that are not appealable later.

　

I hope that public sentiment will be taken into account in future legislation and with rapid prosecution of alleged perpetrators. There should be similar regard in all judicial decisions. Excessive concerns about the accused’s origin, illnesses, and "rights" should be avoided.

                           Son of Publius