Promised Land Homestead

A Letter To My Congressmen

After seeing the carnage at Fort Hood this week, I drafted a letter to senators Hutchison and Cornyn, and one to my representitive, Mike Conaway.  Here is one of them.  They're all the same accept for the name changes.

Dear Senator Hutchison

            As an American and service member, I was deeply shocked and saddened by the massacre that took place at Fort Hood on 5 November.  It was horrifying to see the level of damage and destruction one crazed gunman can do with just a couple of pistols against a building of unarmed soldiers.  I can’t help but think that had those soldiers had a more effective means of defending themselves, this gunman could have been stopped much sooner.  The military and civilian police forces performed bravely and promptly at the scene to stop the shooter, but even at their best, their fastest response to the scene took almost 3 minutes.  That is a lifetime to those in that building, desperately trying to survive the encounter, and with no way to adequately defend themselves.

            Federal law, under U.S. Code 18930, currently prohibits anyone from possessing a firearm on federal property.  This law clearly would not stop a crazed gunman, and did not stop the gunman at Fort Hood.  What it does do is take away a citizen’s constitutional right to defend their life, by forbidding them to carry a weapon in self defense.  As a Texas concealed handgun licensee, and trained military shooter, it is appalling to me that one of the few places I can not currently carry my handgun for self-defense is the very place I spend almost all my time…my workplace.  Although the federal government has trusted me with a TOP SECRET security clearance and has trained me to be a weapon of war against the enemies of the nation, I can not be trusted to carry a firearm on Goodfellow AFB, or any federal property, for my self defense and defense of my fellow service men and women.

            I implore to you help bring a bill to the Senate floor that would allow federal employees, who are licensed by their state, to carry concealed firearms for self defense on federal property.  A concealed handgun in the hands of a trained and licensed soldier could have easily stopped the violence at Fort Hood much sooner.  Please help give me, and every soldier, the ability to defend ourselves at our workplace.  I would think someone willing to sacrifice their life in the defense of their country could be trusted with at least that much. 

                                                                                    Sincerely,

                                                                                    DEREK S. WOODLEY, Capt, USAF

A Letter to my Congressman

11:41 PM, Sunday, November 8, 2009 .. Posted by Anonymous

Dad and I will write one as well.

It's sad that you aren't allowed to carry on base. It is even sadder that now, with all that has happened, you and most other American servicemen, will most likely have to go through airport type security every day when you go to work. Mom