I hope and presume that you will support Senator Feinstein's re-introduction of a bill to ban sale of automatic weapons. I even wish the bill went further and banned semi-automatic weapons along with much more stringent rules and checks for anyone buying or owning any gun. This latest savagery has really broken my heart. Maybe such a horrible act is what it takes to mobilize the country to stop the stupidity of believing anyone can buy a combat weapon to "protect themselves". I pray this bill will be passed by congress.
David, Piedmont

I appreciate your response to the tragic event in Newton, in the statement released today. You have my full support to move forward and advocate for not only the control and curtailing of semi-automatic and automatic guns, but also for the four other steps to be taken, delineated in your speech - law enforcement involvement in issuing and maintaining gun permits, gun show loopholes, help for the mentally ill, and school safety. I cannot express how important this is to me. The sense of urgency is overwhelming. Thank you for your hard work and attention to this.
Teresa, Bishop

I support your efforts at gun control. When the 2nd amendment was written, soldiers used muskets, which (according to Wikipedia) could fire only 4 bullets per minute. The Constitution guarantees us life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that sets of rights was ripped away from the 26 victims in the CT murders. The last election did not show any strong wins by the NRA, so why are some congresspeople so afraid to do the right thing, and their duty, protect our citizens! Instead of a moment of silence, let's have Congress take 27 minutes, or 27 hours, of silence, so that they have ample time to reflect on the seriousness of this problem and how they can end this bloodshed.
Ralph, Oakland

While I am a hunter I do not know why we cannot have effective gun control. There is no need for assault weapons in the hunting world no guns capable of holding more than 6 rounds for the general public. Anything more is simply a weapon design to be used in a serious firefight.
Kent, Merced

How ironic that a woman who had the hobby of gun collecting and taught her son to shoot should end up being shot by her son as the first casualty of such a terrible mass shooting of innocents. Since the supreme court has said that we can't abolish guns I propose the idea that we do what conservatives have done to make abortion unavailable despite it being upheld by the court. We need to sue the gun producers until they can't do business here and make guns so difficult to obtain that they are practically abolished. This is the only positive thing that might come out of this terrible tragedy.
Regina, Granada Hills

Thank you, Senator Boxer for taking immediate action and for not stepping down to demand stricter gun control. My heart is heavy.
Tracey, Cayucos

I believe there is no need for a member of the public to own an assault rifle. They are meant for warfare and therefore should only be on the hands of our military and police. It should be a criminal offense to sell, purchase or have an assault rifle. I hope you can work towards freeing our nation from fanatics and organizations like the NRA, who perpetual the reign of terror by unstable individuals under the guise that its everyone has the right to own an assault weapons. There are something's we don't allow the general public to have, like a grenade, sarin gas or nuclear materials. Why do we allow any citizen the right to purchase weapons of war.
John, Los Altos Hill

The line has been crossed. We have stood by and watched and given prayers and said how sorry we are as people have been murdered our country. The 5 year olds have crossed the line. If we let this time go like we have let all the others go, we are saying it is okay to murder our children at school. There are some easy laws that could be passed that have huge public support. Expose the people who oppose these common sense laws. The last election showed that extreme thinking does not get elected. I'll do what I can do and I know you will do what you can do. Thanks,
Greg, Redding

We totally agree with you and hope that other members of Congress will listen and do the right thing for our Nation, children and all people who are in harms' way due to these senseless acts of violence. This is Urgent! Wishing you the best of luck in getting this passed and moving forward to a safer Nation for all of us.
Ernest, Hemet

As a parent who has experienced the loss of a child, I know in my heart how impossible it is for others to know what it feels like. But when one does understand the grief, it becomes all too apparent that we must do better. I dont know that we need to banish all guns. I think our forefathers meant us to be able to protect ourselves from the government, if need be. But I do think we can do better when it comes to letting those guns get to the streets. Maybe we need to require people to provide proof of safety, by making them have tamper proof lock boxes. Whatever, there is NO reason that ANYONE should have automatic weapons. I like guns as much as the next person. Ive spent my time hunting, and practicing at safe shooting sites. I strongly believe we need to change our legislation, requiring tougher permit applications. But that is not all. Since this happened, many of us are asking "why". What is it about Western culture, American culture, that has us killing each other. Why isnt there a task force looking into this? IS it not a worthwhile endeavor? Are you saying that any money spent trying to make American children safer, is not money we can afford to spend? This needs to happen. Please make it happen. I will back you.
Kimberlie, Turlock

Thank you for the solid assessment of the issues related to the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary and a commitment to speaking about it and going forward. I look forward to hearing more about what is being done as it evolves. I feel strongly that the issues are easy accessibility, not enough background checks AND a serious lack of helpful mental health services. The one area where I am a little uncertain is law enforcement presence at our schools. My children were raised in the Polly Klass aftermath and I have always regretted the amount of fearful concern that surrounded them. We need to find the proper balance between teaching them to be confident and powerful (versus fearful) and the need to protect them. Thank you, as always, for speaking up and for all that you do. Sincerely,
Jane, Mountain View

Eliminate ALL assault (semi-automatic military-style weapons), and eliminate all clips more than 10 rounds, and eliminate all 'armor piercing' ammunition. I also endorse fingerprinting every gun purchaser at a store or gun show, and eliminate all mail-order/internet sale of guns. I'm a former NRA member, and a gun owner.
Dwain, Goleta

As a first grade teacher, I am shattered by what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary. I have sat with my students during an "intruder drill" explaining to the six year olds why we had to practice. I can imagine how the teachers had to react quickly in this emergency situation. It sickens me that there are folks who think arming the teachers would have solved this. That is too simple of an answer. Real gun control, help for mentally Ill and a look at our culture of violence must occur. These teachers and children should not die in vain. Speak up! Speak out! Stand up to the NRA. Our youth need you! Thank you Senator Boxer.
Tina, Westminster

I do not support disarming the public in light of the Ct. shootings, I disagree with your statements regarding firearms of any kind, enforce the current laws that are on the books, I do not support any new legislation regarding firearms in any way shape or form, you swoar an oath to uphold the Constitution and as such the second ammendment falls under it, do your job and follow the Constitution, my vote will not favor you if you pursue new fireamrs legislation.
Richard, Downey

The entire Nation was saddened by the events of last week but I caution you not to read this as just an opportunity to restrict guns from the law abiding public. When a young man shoots his sleeping mother in the face, the Nation can not fault the gun he used as the problem. The Mental Health system in this country has been broken for may years and it is up to Congress to fix it. We can not let these types of events happen because people are denied assistance with problems. No one will argue that people with serious Mental Health issues should be denied access to firearms but any restrictions you put on firearms will not solve this issue. It may deny them access to the weapons you restrict but not to weapons in general. The U.S. has laws on the books to restrict access to weapons but they are seldom enforced because of a patchwork State by State system of identifing the right people. Please direct your efforts to the real peoblem or these problems will happen again and again.
Ed, San Jose

Thank you for taking a leadership role on gun control. As a mother of a 3-year old daughter, I feel like I need to take the time to make my voice heard - and time is not something that is not easy to find being a parent and a full-time science journal editor. I have been hoping for meaningful gun control for a while, but after the recent events in Newtown, Connecticut, I can no longer remain silent. We need meaningful gun control now. We needed it a year ago. Personally, I would like to see a ban on the ownership, manufacture, and sale of all semi-automatic assault weapons. Everyone who has a semi-automatic assault weapon should be asked to turn it in. They can be reimbursed, but the weapons should not be available for use by anyone with any itchy finger who is looking to inflict harm. Sincerely,
Meghan, San Francisco

Please go forth on this issue. It is long overdue. What happened Friday is just an obscenity and it's so terrible that it happens again and again in our country and nothing is done about it. Please be strong and fight the NRA for all of us. I can see where someone might need a gun to defend themselves, depending where they live. Or perhaps they hunt (although I am not a hunter.) But automatic weapons or semi-automatic weapons of ANY KIND are not necessary for anyone to have who is not a police officer, etc. It's appalling how easy these are to obtain. I wish you and Ms. Feinstein the very best of luck at turning the tide in this country. Perhaps because this latest episode is so heinous to so many, you just might win on this one! With respect and gratitude,
Lydia, Napa

Yes, please, work as hard as you can to enact a law that will keep assault type weapons off the street and out of the hands of unstable people. Among the unstable people, I count those who want to arm teachers, those who think that if they don't have guns, the government will be coming after them, and those who think the militia is still drilling on the village green.
Gale, Santa Rosa

I agree with you completely. What has been going on in this country is insane and has to stop. Why worry about al Qaeda when we are killing our own faster than they can? I will vote for any assault weapon ban you and Sen. Feinstein can pass... We really need to go further than that but that would be a good start. We also need to do something about mental health services for those who need it. Not either/or but both/and... Thank you for whatever you can do.
Agnes, El Cerrito

My heart is broken for these children and teachers 3,000 miles away. I am a mother of 10-year-old twin boys, and I'm a teacher myself. This news story has caused me to cry for days, and the tears keep coming. Obama nailed it when he said that if we can't get this right (ensuring our children's safety), then we can't get anything right. My heart aches for a future of fear and the illusion that locks and an escalation of guns for self-defense can keep us safe. They can't; this path will enable a endless cycle of fear. The ONLY solution to keep innocent people safe are laws that put tighter restrictions on guns and ammunition built to kill people. It is time to lay the guns, and not the children, to rest. Thank you for taking the lead! We need leaders on gun control, particularly leaders who are mothers.
Lise, Los Olivos

A gun is an inanimate object and is incapable of doing anything on its own including being violent. Violence is a human trait and / or an emotional condition that NORMAL people do not have. There are laws in place to prevent felons and other criminals from LEGALLY obtaining them. Criminals will ALWAYS get a gun, knife or other weapon to wreck havoc on peaceful normal individuals. Innumerable laws can be passed to remove guns from peaceful law abiding citizens and criminals will still find a way to obtain them. Too many liberal politicians and other groups are trying to disarm America for what I feel are socialist purposes. Our representatives need to stop funding, placating, and excusing criminals for their criminal acts against society. Our representatives need to quit underwriting and funding people who are in our country illegally and divert those funds to caring for the mentally ill in facilities that are staffed with people qualified to care for them utilizing their professional skills. Return foreign criminals to their homeland for prosecution and / or imprisonment we should not have to fund housing illegal aliens from EVERY country in the world; send them home. The money saved would surely put a dent in the cost of humanely caring for mentally ill or mentally challenged individuals in professional medical settings not in jails or prisons. My heart aches for the children, their parents, the town and nation. Respectfully,
Diane, Hemet

I'm in favor of repealing the second amendment, actually, but at this time we must work for what we can get: serious restrictions on automatic weapons and large magazines. The harder it is for criminals and mentally ill individuals to obtain such weapons, the safer our children will be. Please do all you can to pass meaningful gun control legislation, starting with automatic weapons.
Gretchen, Valley Village

I favor responsible gun legislation. Thank you for your support of a federal ban on the sale, transfer, importation, and possession of assault weapons and the munitions that go with them. Please continue to push to fund robust care for those with mental illness as well as take steps to address the growing use of violence as a means of entertainment. Thank for your leadership on these issues and continue to help move us as a a people to the awareness we have a responsibility to protect our children.
Sister Pat, Santa Monica

I am in support of more diligence in pre-sale situations for guns. Not sure we need assault weapons on the market either. I am however a life long gun owner and would resist any action that would stop Americans from owning or buying hunting grade guns or handguns for self defense in the home. Thank you.
Gary, Felton

You have a long personal history of supporting gun control measures, so we will forego any effort to persuade you to change your thinking. We will ask you to get your facts and definitions straight. Please stop using the word "clip" to describe what is correctly defined as a "magazine." Also, I believe that the San Francisco gunman used a semi-automatic pistol, not an "assault weapon." Also, there is no such thing as a "gun show loophole." Every firearm sold at a gun show must, by law, be sold in compliance with all Federal, State, and local laws. Several states, including California, require every firearm sale to be run through the NICS system. If that is what you want, then say so, please do not try to deceive the public into believing that gun shows are some sort of unrestricted free trade area. Further, banning so-called high capacity magazines will do nothing to eliminate the millions of them already in existence. You would be more likely to acheive your goals by being accurate and honest. At present, it is too easy for people such as us to destroy your arguments by pointing out your inaccuracies.
Tim and Vicki, Riverside

Focusing on gun control will not solve the problem of random violence. The shootings and other violent acts are terrible symptoms of mental illness. Our children and young adults need more attention, training in how to cope with life and better medical coverage (screenings) to identify this sickness before the terrible violence has a chance to happen. If it wasn't guns, it would be some other method. James Holmes had bombs in process in his apartment. Please stop focusing on a symptom and start focusing on the systemic issues that create these monsters. Thank you.
Marguerite, Fallbrook

Please do whatever it takes to get assault weapons out of the hands of regular citizens, and do something to prohibit anyone from having ammunition that fires 100 shots without reloading. This is ridiculous and insane to even need to type these requests. I don't understand how this issue ever got so skewed in one direction. Don't let this issue go. Those little first graders and those teachers who gave their lives trying to protect them deserve better than letting the issue be controlled by the news cycle. Sincerely,
Rita, San Jose