Sen ate Bill 45if approved, would start a national program for federal regulation of all firearms.  As Outdoors Editor of Southern Outdoors I contacted Florida's Senators and asked there opinion.  Senator Martinez was the first to respond, you can find his response below.


Dear Mr. Holmes:

Thank you for contacting me regarding gun violence. I appreciate hearing from you and would like to respond to your concerns.

Gun violence is an unfortunate criminal activity that continues to exist in our society. It is important that we remain vigilant in our coordinated efforts with federal, state, and local officials to curb the incidences of these crimes in our communities. I recognize that America, however, is deeply divided over how to best accomplish this goal.

When our Founding Fathers drafted the Constitution, they included the Second Amendment to guarantee law-abiding citizens the right to keep and bear arms. This freedom is a fundamental part of our American identity.

There are a number of procedures and regulations in place to restrict those who would potentially abuse this right from purchasing or owning a gun. However, because criminals obtain guns outside of these procedures and regulations, placing further restrictions on law-abiding gun owners is unlikely to be effective. Please rest assured I will work with my Senate colleagues to provide law enforcement officials with the tools they need to prevent these tragic acts of violence and to ensure that effective punishments are in place to deter future criminals.

As the Senate considers gun rights issues in the 110th Congress, please know I will keep your thoughtful comments in mind.

Again, thank you for sharing your views with me. 

Sincerely,

Mel Martinez
United States Senator