Mid-October, 2023, I invited my state representative, Christine Morse, and her husband to be my guests at our local gun club; to spend a little time learning about firearms, firearm safety, and to shoot handguns. Here is the invitation I sent her:
“Good Morning Ms. Morse,
My name is Jerry Warnemuende. I am a CPL holder, certified firearms instructor with certifications from NRA in Pistol – First Steps, Personal Protection in the Home (CPL) and Certified Range Safety Officer. I am also certified by the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners (MCRGO) as a CPL instructor and Advanced CPL. I am also currently a member of the MCRGO Board of Directors representing Southwest Michigan.
I would like to extend an invitation to you and your husband to be my guests at the Kalamazoo Rod and Gun Club to spend a little time learning about firearms, firearm safety and to shoot handguns. I would like to give you and your husband the opportunity to experience this popular sport just to see what so many of your constituents (so many of them ladies) love and enjoy. There would be no cost to you. I’ll provide hearing and eye protection and firearms and ammunition to use at the range.
Please respond expressing your interest and possible dates you may be available. KRGC is an outdoor facility so it would be nice to choose a date yet this month before it gets too cold.
Thank you in advance for your interest in learning about this sport.
Sincerely
Jerald (Jerry) Warnemuende”
This would have provided her with an opportunity to experience shooting sports and to better under what so many of her constituents enjoy and the self-defense rights we hold so dearly. Attached is Christine Morse’s response:
“Hi Jerry,
Representative Morse appreciates your offer but she would like to respectfully decline.
Thank you,
Connor Loftus
Policy Services
State Representative Christine Morse
District 40
(O) 517-373-8670
While she ultimately declined my offer, and thus confirmed that these anti-gun legislators have no desire to hear, see or experience facts, it was an earnest attempt to reach out to a legislator beyond the phone calls and emails that are managed by their staff and typically result in form responses, if we receive any response at all.
I encourage you to reach out to your own elected representatives, to visit their town halls and office hours. If they are supportive, perhaps even attend one of their district fundraisers or volunteer to walk with them in a local parade. Most legislators have accounts on social media, particularly Facebook, which they usually monitor themselves and respond to directly. Regardless of their political party or views on the Second Amendment, it is helpful to follow them and comment respectfully on their posts.
Even if we may not always agree with them, they’ll know we are their constituents and that we are politically active. We cannot afford to surrender our rights through non-participation or by hoping other gun owners will step up in our place. We need to persist to the point that our elected officials know us by name.