[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 17 (Tuesday, February 5, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H352]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 UPHOLDING OUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS

  (Mr. MESSER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MESSER. Mr. Speaker, the victims of the recent tragedy in 
Newtown, Connecticut, and the victims of the other recent shootings 
deserve our solemn prayers for their loss and our deepest sympathy for 
their pain.
  As a Nation, we should focus our collective grief and attention on 
finding actual solutions to prevent such tragedies in the future. But 
gun bans are not the answer. History shows that gun bans only keep guns 
away from law-abiding citizens, not criminals. Blaming a gun for 
violence is like blaming a pen for a misspelled word.
  Mr. Speaker, this week President Obama hosted his latest in an 
unfortunate series of anti-gun pep rallies. This Nation does not need 
more political posturing. Instead, we need a serious discussion about 
how we address mental health as a Nation, and we need to take action to 
better protect our children in their schools.
  I stand ready to protect the Second Amendment rights of our citizens 
and work with anyone who will support policies that could actually stop 
future violence.

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