The Senate Site Senator Aaron Osmond takes the Oath of Office

Senator Aaron Osmond takes the Oath of Office

Posted in 2011 on Saturday, April 16th, 2011 at 3:52 PM 1 Comments

On Friday, April 15th, Aaron Osmond took the Oath of Office and became the new state senator representing Utah’s District 10.

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1 Comments to “Senator Aaron Osmond takes the Oath of Office”

1. Kim Coleman says:

   December 20, 2012 at 10:09 AM

   Senator Osmond,

   I am sending this e-mail because I am very concerned at the reaction our society and leaders are having to the recent school shooting in Connecticut. I know you are extremely busy, but I hope that you, or at least your staff, will read this entire letter and sincerely consider what I am saying and not tally it up as just another statistic. I state, up front, that I am writing with concern about the hasty rush to create more and stronger gun control, which I do not believe is the answer to the problem. I also will state that I am not a member of the NRA, so that need not be assumed to be a possible motive for my letter.

   I am deeply saddened at the senseless and brutal taking of life in the Connecticut shooting and other shootings of the recent past. As I struggle to understand how someone could do that to their fellow man, I realize that nobody in their “right mind” would do such a thing, and I am convinced that gun control is not the issue. Mental illness and other problems are the issues.

   My heart breaks as I see the hurt and brutality around us. I absolutely cannot fathom why so many people seek to inflict such hurt and horror upon their fellow man when there is already so much sadness that occurs as a natural part of life (accidents, illness, loss of employment, etc). And yet, anyone who understands God and his plan for his creations (man, in particular) knows that trial and struggle are a natural part of man’s existence and growth. But therein lies much of the problem. Many do NOT know or understand much, if anything, about God. We have forced God and prayer out of our schools, our government, and our society in the name of political correctness. Instead of realizing that shootings and assaults like the recent Connecticut event are the result of a loss of basic morals, decency, and ethics, we instead look for a scapegoat and a quick fix that will satisfy the masses and make everyone feel better. But that does not fix the problem.

   As you are well aware, there has been a “war on drugs” for decades. And yet outlawing cocaine, methamphetamines, marijuana, and many other drugs has not stopped them from being readily accessible in our communities. Will outlawing guns or severely restricting them be any more effective on their availability and misuse or at reducing violent crime by mentally ill individuals? The mentally ill will still be with us even if the guns are taken away, and they will find another way to perpetrate their horrors.

   And what about outlawing the drugs? I am glad they are illegal and believe they should be, but is that the only problem? No! Drug runners often shoot and kill innocent citizens and police because they are less afraid of the law and its punishments than they are of their drug lords and bosses. Until we make it more painful to experience the consequences of violating the laws, this will continue. The same principle applies to gun control. You can outlaw guns and punish everyone for the actions of the few, but it’s not the guns that are the criminals. Sure, they are used in many crimes, but if you take them away from everyone, criminals will still find a way to obtain and use them or will use something else. But with gun control in place, they’ll have an even more defenseless society upon which to prey, just like the defenseless gun-free zones where they easily kill their victims and no one can stop them until many have already died. One person with a concealed weapons permit and a gun could have ended the rampages in Connecticut, the theater in Colorado, Columbine, and so many other places. Studies have shown that concealed carry weapons owners have no higher rate of accident and violation than our military. Yet we want to take guns away from those people who are law-abiding and could be part of the solution. Do you know that the Colorado theater shooter had multiple theaters all within a few minutes’ drive, yet he selected the only one that prohibited the carrying of a gun? Have you noticed how many of the recent shootings have occurred at elementary, jr high, high school and college campuses or malls where guns are prohibited? Gun controls do not work and are not the solution. They only disarm law-abiding citizens and make them easier prey for villains.

   Again, I firmly believe that we need to address something other than gun control, and that something consists of at least four critical problems. First, we must become better at identifying AND TREATING mentally ill and potentially dangerous persons who might perpetrate such crimes. I realize it’s very difficult and unpopular to identify such persons because you’ll never be able to totally and accurately identify every one of them, and many would claim they are being unfairly labeled and ostrasized in a way that damages them and violates their privacy. But hey, we’re willing to label gun owners as potential threats and monsters and take away their civil right to bear arms. How is that so different? And that hasn’t solved the problem either.

   Second, we need to make penalties for violations involving guns (and other violent crimes without guns for that matter) much more severe and uncomfortable for the perpetrator. If they are more afraid of the law than they are of other consequences, and if the penalties outweigh their perceived glory and publicity, then perhaps they will think deeper about what they are considering. If it is more painful for a drug runner to face the law than to face his drug boss (which it currently is not), then perhaps they’ll not consider shooting innocent victims and law enforcement personnel to avoid losing their drug shipment and perhaps they’ll think more carefully before getting involved in such activities.

   Third, we need to stop glorifying the criminals and their heinous deeds. When a crime like the recent Connecticut shooting occurs, the media swarms all over it, places the villain’s picture on the front page of every news story, digs into every aspect of their life, and makes them a hero of sorts, albeit an evil hero. As the old media saying goes, “If it bleeds, it leads”. When the shoe bomber was cuffed and walked off the plane at the airport, his first question was something to the effect of “where are all the reporters?” He was looking for the fame and publicity. Deny this and you’ll give them less of a reason to do what they are doing. And what about the poor families of the victims? They are already struggling with the loss, and then the Press follows them everywhere, even to the funerals, and is snapping pictures and wanting to interview them at every turn. What about their right to have peace and privacy during their mourning? Yeah, I know… we want them to know the world feels and shares their pain and is supporting them. I concur with that, but where do you draw the line? Can we ever get the all-too-powerful media to back off a little and stop being a huge part of the problem?

   Fourth, but by no means least, we need to allow God back into schools, government, holidays, communities, and all facets of our lives. I know… this one will never fly. Our society has become so liberal and all-accepting of everyone and everything, that we cannot tread on the rights of anyone by trying to put God back into a country whose very foundation included God because it might offend someone or restrict their rights. But think about the irony. Every day we tread on the rights of those who believe in God by stripping away their ability to include God. What’s the difference between stripping away my freedom of worship and inclusion of God and stripping away someone else’s right to not believe in God? I realize it’s an impossible balancing act. And yet this country was founded by those escaping religious persecution… those seeking the opportunity and ability to worship Almighty God. And the Founding Fathers believed powerfully in a God and sought his guidance and counsel when they struggled to develop our great country and the Constitution. Is it any wonder our society has become so violent and unfeeling when we remove God from everything and then spend millions of hours every day watching violent movies and tv shows, playing violent video games, and indulging ourselves with blow-em-up and shoot-em-up entertainment?! We need to put God back at the center of our country and end the reverse-discrimination the believers are experiencing.

   I believe that if we don’t address these problems (identifying and treating mental illness, stiffer penalties for violators of law and those using guns in crime, not glorifying villains, and not eliminating God from all facets of our lives), then our society as we have known it is doomed. We’ll be looking for scapegoats and treating symptoms, we’ll be striving to make everyone feel good and violate no one’s rights, and we’ll be busily engaged in chasing something, but it will be the wrong something and we will never resolve the true problems.

   In closing, I will point out and remind you that gun controls have not worked in other countries which have eliminated most or all guns. Australia is often cited for its restrictions of guns, yet many violent crimes there have actually increased. China has very strict controls, yet even without the availability and use of “assault type weapons” or other guns, has had a rash of violent crimes involving many victims. The perpetrators have used knives, axes, clubs, but no guns. Yet the victims were numerous and the deaths and injuries were horrible. The problem wasn’t guns!

   I’m very sorry for the extreme length of this communication. But, it is a huge matter and I think it has many components that all need to be addressed. I realize you are only one of several hundred lawmakers in Congress. But, you are my representative and one of the few I can turn to for a true listening ear and for representation so far from home. I work for local government in Utah, so I understand it’s a balancing act to try to make everyone happy (which is impossible). Obviously you need to know what our beliefs and desires are in order to represent them, so I am sharing them with you. I plead with you to do all in your power to make sure the REAL problems are addressed and the knee-jerk gun control reaction does not run rampant and out of control as in the past. A well-armed responsible citizenry is a helpful defense of our safety against threats both internal and external. Even if we didn’t have our excellent military and its technology, do you think any other country would want to invade the United States knowing that so many of its citizens are armed? I don’t think so. Please don’t let our own government take guns away from law-abiding citizens. Please defend my right and your right and address the real problems. THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your time in reading this letter and for your representation.

   Sincerely,

   Kim J. Coleman
   Bountiful, Utah

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