In December, I sent an email to all my elected officials, including Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA), expressing my feelings about all the renewed gun control talk following the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Today I received a response from Senator Isakson:
Dear Mr. L…..:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary. I apologize for the delay in responding. My office has experienced a significant increase in the volume of incoming mail, but please know your concerns were taken into consideration at the time your letter was first received. I appreciate and understand your concerns and am grateful for the opportunity to respond.
I am terribly saddened by the loss of innocent lives at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. I ask all Georgians to join me in praying for the victims and the families affected by this horrendous tragedy.
I do not believe that bans on assault weapons or cartridges are the answer to ending acts of massviolence, nor will such measures pass Congress. As history shows us, the 10-year ban on assault weapons that was in effect from 1994 to 2004 could not prevent the mass shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. The common threads running through these shootings are mental health issues. I believe that more effective and sensible solutions are those that focus on background checks and mental health care, rather than restrictions on our Second Amendment right to bear arms. I look forward to working for commonsense solutions that keep our children safe without infringing upon our Constitutional rights.
Thank you again for contacting me. Please visit my webpage at http://isakson.senate.gov/ for more information on the issues important to you and to sign up for my e-newsletter.
Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson
United States Senator
It’s obvious he opposes any new gun bans, although he looks willing to consider and expansion of background checks. As I have said before, if done right, this isn’t a bad thing, but capitulating and turning background checks into a national firearms permission and tracking system is disaster waiting to happen.
He also says nothing about magazine capacity restrictions, although he has indicated in the past that he thinks this would pass. I would hope he would stay with his correct assertion that no AWB would make any difference on crime, since the same is true about magazine capacity.
Fill Yer Hands 
Is there a written plan on how background checks would be expanded? I honestly do not see how it’s possible to make background checks more thorough. I most commonly hear about screening those who are mentally ill. Obviously psychopaths shouldn’t lawfully own a gun but that is on the far extreme of mental illnesses. Just because you have a mental illness doesn’t mean you are dangerous. (Aren’t we all a little crazy? We just haven’t been caught!)
I see NICS denying and delaying more people who are otherwise lawful citizens.
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I don’t know the details on what they would do to expand the checks. Mostly they want to expand their application to include private sales.
From recent history an expanded review of mental health is warranted. But there really isn’t a way to track that now that isn’t being done. Anything more would violate current health reporting rules.
If you read my previous post on the subject I support a one time check then forget NICS for individual sales, whether dealer or private. This does away with the “may issue” nature of sales too.
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