Linking Assignment Part 1
Linking Assignment
Linking Assignment Part 1
Abdullah EssaPOSC 100, Dr. Wright
Date: 5/29/14
689 TEMPLE AVE, LONG BEACH, CA, 90814
U.S Congressperson: Doris O. Matsui
District: California-District 6
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Length of Service: Since March 8, 2005.
Previous Work Experience:
1998-2005-Colleen, Shannon, Scott Director of Government Relations
1992-1998- White House Staff
California State Senator: Ricardo Lara
District: 33
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Length of Service in this office: 2012 to date
Previous Work Experience: Served as California State Assembly Member between 2010-2012
California State Assemblyperson: Frank Bigelow
District: 05
Party Affiliation: Republican (Bigelow Web)
Length of service in this office: Since June 5, 2012
Previous Work Experience:
Since 1973 Ponderosa Telephone Company/ Volunteer fire fighter and owner of Bigelow Farms
Linking Assignment Part 2
Senator Ricardo Lara.
Weapon Ban
My View: Assault weapons should not be banned from the public because it will not actually bring to an end the gun violence in America. There is no clear relationship between gun control and reduction of gun violence in the country, as presumed by the senator and other proponents (“Votesmart.org” Web). The issue of gun violence should be geared towards pragmatic, bi-partisan solutions instead of focusing on political divisiveness as well as ineffective legislation as it is currently done by politicians. Attacking the rights of legal gun owners cannot offer the solution that is currently needed in reducing gun violence through wholesale prohibition of whole categories of firearms. Existing laws should just be reformed such as evaluating the mental health of people buying the guns instead of taking guns from people.
Senator Ricardo Lara’s stance on the issue
Public Statement
Senator Ricardo Lara highlights several gun violence cases in the state such as children killing children with guns as the reason for prohibiting the manufacture and possession of military style assault weapons as well as establishing licensing and record of sale requirements for gun ownership (“Votesmart.org” Web).
Senator Ricardo Lara supports the assault weapons ban legislation, which intends to stop the sale, transfer, importation, and manufacturing of military-style weapons, handguns and short-guns as well as a ban on weapons that can hold a magazine with a greater than 10 round capacity. Senator Ricardo Lara voted YES on the legislation that introduced banning of high-capacity magazines of over 10 bullets and even sponsored a gun control proposal that would see gun owners obtaining license as a way of keeping handguns and semiautomatic firearms away from people who can misuse them in killing people such as criminals.
Some of the relevant interest groups in the issue of gun control include the National Rifle Association (NRA) that which is against a tighter regulation of firearms. Gun control is absolutely one of the hotly debatable issues in America and the battle has been waged intensively through the media campaigns to assert pressure on policy makers of which NRA and the pro-gun rights voices tend to win the debate. The group has a great influence on the public something that makes it impose a great threat to the gun control policy.
Ban on Funding Abortion
Abortion is a serious issue that touches on the life of both the mother and the fetus. Funding abortion should however not encourage the act to be conducted irresponsibly especially as a birth control mechanism because that is not what it is fit to do. Most teenagers would always resort to abortion as a way of doing away with unwanted pregnancy (“Votesmart.org” Web).
a. Senator Ricardo Lara’s stance on the issue is that funding abortion should be encouraged and he supports the idea of using taxpayer funding for the project and strongly opposed bans on the practice of partial birth abortion.
Lara has demonstrated that he does not support law that allows third trimester’s abortion unless the mother’s life is in danger and has since opposed attempts to remove abortion coverage from plans covering abortion.
Planned Parenthood is one of the interest groups that actively lobby on the pro-choice side especially the right of women to have access to all reproductive healthcare options. The interest group has a huge influence on the public and has greatly invested on the abortion issue.
Linking Assignment Part 3
Name:
Address:
Senator Ricardo Lara
State Capitol, Room 5050 Sacramento, CA 95814-4900
Dear Senator,
I beg to disagree with you on the issue of gun control. Gun ownership greatly helps in self-defense among the citizens. Proponents of gun ownership argue that the idea that guns are used in criminal activities is misleading since these activities are believed to have existed even before the guns came into existence. Guns may play a major role in reducing crime rates, since the criminals may fear being attacked by their target who own guns. Ownership of guns may imply that the government is no longer responsible in providing security, and this may discourage tourists from visiting the country.
Gun control does not deter criminals from their activities but instead provides guarantee that they will not face any armed resistance from the civilians. Prohibition of guns may lead to increase of black market that may impose serious threat to the citizens. It is apparent that there is no clear relationship between gun control and reduction of gun violence in the country, as presumed by the senator and other proponents. The issue of gun violence should be geared towards pragmatic, bi-partisan solutions instead of focusing on political divisiveness as well as ineffective legislation as it is currently done by politicians. Attacking the rights of legal gun owners cannot offer the solution that is currently needed in reducing gun violence through wholesale prohibition of whole categories of firearms. Existing laws should just be reformed such as evaluating the mental health of people buying the guns instead of taking guns from people. Kindly reconsider your stance on the issue of gun control based on the facts I have provided.
Sincerely,
Name
Signature
Name:
Address:
Frank Bigelow
Address:
Dear Assemblyman,
Your support for owing a gun is a great boost to not only the district you represent but also to the country at large (Bigelow Web). The most important thing is peaceful coexistence that comprises love, trust and forgiveness amongst individuals would be better than gun control law. Gun control have not completely solved the issue of insecurity. This is evident from the numerous failures such as various shootouts that have been experienced in various parts of America. It is therefore important to note that gun control cannot solve the issues of insecurity by making others safer, yet these zones, whether on college campuses or at the city or country level, have not disarmed criminals (Bigelow Web). It may be assumed that the law only target innocent citizens who are the most law-abiding citizens hence exposing them to risk while making criminals lives easy because they cannot be easily disarmed.
In rural homes, riffles are widely used in hunting and therefore illegalizing them may deny a citizen’s right to hunt. Moreover, banning guns may lead to rising of black market that will even impose more threat to the citizens with criminals even earning a lot more from the gun business. Civilians’ contribution towards the companies selling guns cannot be denied. The companies’ sale increases thus getting enough money to make weapons that are even more sophisticated. Additionally, there are deadlier weapons used in mass destruction apart from guns. For instance, citizens owning guns did not contribute the 9/11. People have used knives in killing others and other simple things such as pens that are turned into weapons by their users. The people of America may also use the guns against a dictatorial government.
Sincerely,
Name
Signature
Name:
Address:
Doris O. Matsui
Address:
Dear Congresswoman,
Following your NO stand from in prohibiting taxpayer funded abortion, you have shown the public that you strongly care about the right of a woman and mothers across America (“Open Congress” Web). Funding abortion is absolutely one of the ways mothers can escape death that could have otherwise occurred without carrying out abortion. Mothers across the country and in the 5th district are actually relieved and they feel that they have a leader who fully represents them.
However, there are cases where the act of abortion is misused and even treated as a birth control system. Parents take their teenage girls to abortions to get rid of unwanted pregnancy yet that is not the main purpose of the act. You should therefore lead the campaign that can stop the misuse of abortion so that the funds provided can be effectively and efficiently used. Public awareness and introduction of legislation that deters the misuse of abortion may greatly help. Kindly do something in your capacity to make sure that mothers are safe and that public funds are not misappropriated.
Works Cited
“California State Senate.” Senators, 2013. Web. 22 May 2014. <http://senate.ca.gov/senators>.
“Open Congress.” On Passage: H R 1797 District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, 18 June 2013. Web. 22 May 2014.
“Votesmart.org.” Ricardo Lara’s Biography, 2014. Web. 29 May 2014. <http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/104399/ricardo-lara#.U4bjra6Ipdi>.
Bigelow, Frank. Issue Policy Positions: Frank Bigelow for Assembly 2012. Web. 22 May 2014. <http://frankbigelow.com/policies.html>.