I received this correspondence from Sen. John McCain via e-mail today, in response to some pointed criticism I gave him on his 2nd Amendment votes and pronouncements. I know it's boilerplate. 
John
September 12, 2013
Dear (insert constituent's name here)
Thank you for contacting my office regarding gun control and the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013 (S.649). I appreciate your taking the time to share your views with me.
Like all Americans, my heart goes out to the people of Newtown, Connecticut; Aurora, Colorado; my beloved Tucson, Arizona; and all of the other cities and towns impacted by recent acts of senseless gun violence. Sadly, the rest of us are left with more questions than answers, and differing, albeit well-intentioned, solutions designed to preserve our way of life and do our best to ensure these horrible events are less likely tomorrow.
For over three decades in Congress, I have built as strong a record as anyone in this body in defending the Second Amendment. I have consistently opposed the efforts of anti-gun supporters to ban guns and ammunition, staunchly defending the Constitutional rights that Arizonans hold dear. I have voted against assault weapons bans because I believed they would not work and opposed efforts to cripple firearms manufacturers by making them liable for the acts of violent criminals. I proudly lent my signature to Supreme Court briefs defending an individual’s right to bear arms. In my view, the wisdom of our framers inclusion of the right to bear arms is self-evident. Further, and as an Arizonan, I understand the significance of gun ownership to the people of the West, whether for self-defense, sport, or simple ownership.
I approach the issue of gun rights with a profound respect for our Constitution, and the freedoms and rights that it bestows on each and every one of us. But, I am also guided by a firm commitment that we should do everything we can, within the bounds of the Constitution and the principles of individual rights and federalism on which it is based, to stem the rising tide of gun violence in this country.
Gun violence in America, particularly mass violence, has roots that are much deeper than the instruments of violence itself. These roots are, as they have always been, cultural, systemic and diffuse. They involve the confluence of many different factors that we live with, and tacitly accept, every day. The increased lethality of some of these weapons, in particular, those that have been used in many of the most high-profile incidents, does not change this fact. Nor does it alter how inherently difficult it is to adequately address these factors legislatively.
These factors include, more prominently than is being recognized, a popular culture that celebrates hyper-violence. Over the last few years, this culture has become manifested in cruel and sadistic interactive video games, access of which to our children is unprecedented. Such influences have made the ability of parents to monitor what the developing minds of our children consume—and are consequently affected by—all the more difficult.
The effect of such stimuli on the developing minds of our young—minds that are, by definition, not fully matured and given to compulsive behavior—is something about which there is precious little discussion. In many of these same cases, young people are also subject to family dynamics that are volatile, enormously stressful and which lack structure or discipline. Or, are over-prescribed (or themselves abuse) powerful mood-altering medication that, administered outside an appropriate treatment regime, undermine the ability of young people to learn how to manage stress. We also have to mention, of course, widespread abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs. We also see, in many of these cases, a chronic inability or unwillingness by law enforcement to enforce currently existing laws that, if followed fully and consistently, would be helpful in deterring or preventing gun violence.
In a few of the cases that have been highlighted in the recent debate, we see persons with severe undiagnosed mental illness, and their parents, without the ability to recognize when they need to ask for help or the means to address their conditions effectively. So how do we legislate each of these factors or the cumulative effect of them all? We have to be honest. We cannot.
But, what we also cannot do is perpetuate the fiction that we can legislatively address all the root causes of gun violence today with efforts that do nothing other than impinge on rights that the Constitution bestows on all Americans. On issues such as these, we have to be more precise in our efforts, and more creative in our resolve.
Read this next paragraph carefully. After all the rhetoric above and below it, it essentially says he's going to vote for expanded background checks or anything else that comes up in spite of the admitted fact that such things do nothing to prevent crime or criminals from having access to guns. - John
I do not believe narrowly expanding background checks impinges on our Second Amendment Rights. Anything we can do within the bounds of the Constitution that would prevent someone who should not have a firearm from getting one is a good thing. And, embracing the opportunity to do so with the recent profoundly tragic events in mind, is worth doing.
But, let me be clear. We must not conflate doing so with the delusion that, if enacted, the legislative proposals we are considering or will consider would have prevented a lot of the mass violence in the past. Given the cultural, systemic nature of the problem, this would be, at best, unknown and, at worst, untrue.
For this reason, as we debate and consider legislative proposals on this vitally important subject, we must discharge our legislative responsibilities with great care and deliberation. This issue is too important and complicated and the lives and rights of all those whom it affects are far too precious for any lesser approach.
Again, thank you for contacting my office. Please do not hesitate to do so regarding this or any other matter of concern.
Sincerely,
John McCain
United States Senator
John
September 12, 2013
Dear (insert constituent's name here)
Thank you for contacting my office regarding gun control and the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013 (S.649). I appreciate your taking the time to share your views with me.
Like all Americans, my heart goes out to the people of Newtown, Connecticut; Aurora, Colorado; my beloved Tucson, Arizona; and all of the other cities and towns impacted by recent acts of senseless gun violence. Sadly, the rest of us are left with more questions than answers, and differing, albeit well-intentioned, solutions designed to preserve our way of life and do our best to ensure these horrible events are less likely tomorrow.
For over three decades in Congress, I have built as strong a record as anyone in this body in defending the Second Amendment. I have consistently opposed the efforts of anti-gun supporters to ban guns and ammunition, staunchly defending the Constitutional rights that Arizonans hold dear. I have voted against assault weapons bans because I believed they would not work and opposed efforts to cripple firearms manufacturers by making them liable for the acts of violent criminals. I proudly lent my signature to Supreme Court briefs defending an individual’s right to bear arms. In my view, the wisdom of our framers inclusion of the right to bear arms is self-evident. Further, and as an Arizonan, I understand the significance of gun ownership to the people of the West, whether for self-defense, sport, or simple ownership.
I approach the issue of gun rights with a profound respect for our Constitution, and the freedoms and rights that it bestows on each and every one of us. But, I am also guided by a firm commitment that we should do everything we can, within the bounds of the Constitution and the principles of individual rights and federalism on which it is based, to stem the rising tide of gun violence in this country.
Gun violence in America, particularly mass violence, has roots that are much deeper than the instruments of violence itself. These roots are, as they have always been, cultural, systemic and diffuse. They involve the confluence of many different factors that we live with, and tacitly accept, every day. The increased lethality of some of these weapons, in particular, those that have been used in many of the most high-profile incidents, does not change this fact. Nor does it alter how inherently difficult it is to adequately address these factors legislatively.
These factors include, more prominently than is being recognized, a popular culture that celebrates hyper-violence. Over the last few years, this culture has become manifested in cruel and sadistic interactive video games, access of which to our children is unprecedented. Such influences have made the ability of parents to monitor what the developing minds of our children consume—and are consequently affected by—all the more difficult.
The effect of such stimuli on the developing minds of our young—minds that are, by definition, not fully matured and given to compulsive behavior—is something about which there is precious little discussion. In many of these same cases, young people are also subject to family dynamics that are volatile, enormously stressful and which lack structure or discipline. Or, are over-prescribed (or themselves abuse) powerful mood-altering medication that, administered outside an appropriate treatment regime, undermine the ability of young people to learn how to manage stress. We also have to mention, of course, widespread abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs. We also see, in many of these cases, a chronic inability or unwillingness by law enforcement to enforce currently existing laws that, if followed fully and consistently, would be helpful in deterring or preventing gun violence.
In a few of the cases that have been highlighted in the recent debate, we see persons with severe undiagnosed mental illness, and their parents, without the ability to recognize when they need to ask for help or the means to address their conditions effectively. So how do we legislate each of these factors or the cumulative effect of them all? We have to be honest. We cannot.
But, what we also cannot do is perpetuate the fiction that we can legislatively address all the root causes of gun violence today with efforts that do nothing other than impinge on rights that the Constitution bestows on all Americans. On issues such as these, we have to be more precise in our efforts, and more creative in our resolve.
Read this next paragraph carefully. After all the rhetoric above and below it, it essentially says he's going to vote for expanded background checks or anything else that comes up in spite of the admitted fact that such things do nothing to prevent crime or criminals from having access to guns. - John
I do not believe narrowly expanding background checks impinges on our Second Amendment Rights. Anything we can do within the bounds of the Constitution that would prevent someone who should not have a firearm from getting one is a good thing. And, embracing the opportunity to do so with the recent profoundly tragic events in mind, is worth doing.
But, let me be clear. We must not conflate doing so with the delusion that, if enacted, the legislative proposals we are considering or will consider would have prevented a lot of the mass violence in the past. Given the cultural, systemic nature of the problem, this would be, at best, unknown and, at worst, untrue.
For this reason, as we debate and consider legislative proposals on this vitally important subject, we must discharge our legislative responsibilities with great care and deliberation. This issue is too important and complicated and the lives and rights of all those whom it affects are far too precious for any lesser approach.
Again, thank you for contacting my office. Please do not hesitate to do so regarding this or any other matter of concern.
Sincerely,
John McCain
United States Senator
