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Posted on 08/07/2012 3:24:56 PM PDT by holymoly
Since James Holmes fired shots into a movie theater in Aurora, killing twelve people, politicians across the country have launched heated debates about gun control. Now, Representative Diana DeGette has entered the fray with proposed legislation that she says could help prevent this kind of tragedy in the future.
The bill would limit people's ability to anonymously purchase unlimited quantities of ammunition over the Internet, and would also require that ammunition dealers report bulk sales to law enforcement.
This legislation, which DeGette introduced with Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), is one of the first direct policy initiatives after the Aurora shooting to come from an elected official in Colorado -- where it can be particularly challenging for politicians to discuss gun control policy in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.
On the national stage, President Barack Obama has said that military weapons don't belong in the hands of citizens, but he declined to call for specific policy changes -- and even some of his local supporters think he could be a bit more assertive. (Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has said he does not support any changes to gun control policy).
DeGette's legislation was officially introduced last Tuesday, a little less than two weeks after the shooting at the movie theater. Since then, Wade Michael Page, a man with Colorado ties, killed six people at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin.
This measure, called the Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act, is a direct response to the fact that Holmes was able to purchase 6,000 rounds of ammunition over the Internet before he shot seventy people at a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises.
"After the tragic events in Aurora, it became clear that this was another loophole we needed to work on closing," says Lisa Cohen, DeGette's chief of staff. "There's an epidemic of gun violence in our country. As a policymaker, the congresswoman feels very strongly that this needs to be discussed."
This bill, which is now in the hands of the House's judiciary committee and won't be discussed again until September, would require anyone selling ammunition to be a licensed dealer. It would also mandate that ammunition buyers who are not licensed dealers present photo identification at the time of purchase, which DeGette's office says would effectively ban the online or mail order purchase of ammo by regular civilians.
Additionally, the legislation calls for dealers to maintain records of ammunition sales and to report the sale of more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition to an unlicensed person within any five consecutive business days.
Some say it's still too soon to talk policy. Shortly after the attack, Governor John Hickenlooper said those conversations would eventually happen, but in his view, Holmes was so deranged that stricter policies wouldn't have stopped him.
In response to these kinds of comments, Cohen says: "Clearly a determined individual is going to find a way to wreak havoc. But we have an obligation to do whatever we can to minimize their ability to do so, and tightening up sales of ammunition over the Internet.... Someone like the alleged shooter would not be able to amass 6,000 rounds of ammo."
A few days after the Aurora shooting, DeGette -- who represents and Denver and has pushed gun control measures since she first arrived in Congress sixteen years ago -- called on Congress to pass a ban on high-capacity ammunition clips, noting that the gunman entered the theater with multiple weapons, including a semiautomatic weapon and a 100-round magazine.
Her office intentionally waited a few days to make these statements, Cohen says.
"The attention has to be on victims and support for the community," she says. "That's of the utmost importance."
Cohen says she is hopeful that Congress could ultimately agree on some of these measures. "There's definitely support building for common-sense gun measures," she says, adding, in reference to the Wisconsin shooting, "The fact that we are looking at more deaths over the weekend will hopefully encourage the committee to move [forward]."
Asked about Hickenlooper's stance on gun control, Cohen says, "We certainly hope that the governor will be a partner in our efforts."
And what about Obama?
"We intend to engage the administration in this conversation as well. The President can be a powerful voice in helping move legislation," she says, adding that she doesn't want to speculate on whether the bill will ultimately get the Obama's support.
Interestingly, Representative Ed Perlmutter, one of the first local elected officials to speak out about gun control after the theater shooting, is not officially supporting DeGette's effort yet.
Perlmutter immediately called for a reinstatement of the assaults weapon ban, but his office tells us he is now looking into DeGette's proposal.
A spokesman wrote in an e-mail yesterday: "Rep. Perlmutter wants to mitigate the problem of anonymously purchasing unlimited ammunition over the internet. He is evaluating whether the Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act is the best way to achieve that goal."
<RANT MODE ON>
The bill would limit people's ability to anonymously purchase unlimited quantities of ammunition over the Internet
How do you purchase ammo online, anonymously?
How would the retailer know who bought it, or where to send it?
And, I guess that's just tough for people like me, who need a somewhat obscure cartridge (in my case, 8mm Mauser), but can't find it at ANY store within a 30 mile radius.
E.G. Dunhams has several boxes of .50 BMG (!?). But ask them about 8mm Mauser, and all I get is a blank stare.
President Barack Obama has said that military weapons don't belong in the hands of citizens
Really? So, the bolt-action '03 Springfields, the bolt-action Lee Enfields, the bolt-action Mauser 98K, the bolt-action Mosin Nagants, etc., etc., etc., should all be banned? /scorn and sarcasm
Someone like the alleged shooter would not be able to amass 6,000 rounds of ammo.
Bull$shit. He could have simply purchased 100 rounds at 60 different stores (or 100 rds, 60 different times, at the same store), and flown under the radar.
</END RANT>
Diana DeGette (D - CO). Your bill is not going anywhere.
I’ve laughed at the liberals wetting themselves over a mere 6,000 rounds of ammo. When we’ve had one of our BBQ weekends with Mr. Megan’s friends over they probably go through 6,000 rounds before lunch.
So, I figure I’m OK as long as I use a charge card in MY name...and have it sent to MY house. Nothing anonymous about that. /sarc
I’ll miss the good old days when you could buy ammo with bitcoin and have it shipped to that “dirty brown Ford Bronco in the Walmart parking lot off Hwy 57 in Tuscaloosa”. You just have to be sure the UPS driver uses the word “cracker” into the delivery conversation.
The only place where gun violence is rampant is in GUN FREE Chicago!!
What. An. Idiot.
Of course, we Colorado conservatives have known this for years.
Lol. She wouldn't happen to be from Pat Schroeder's old district, would she?
We should be more concerned about Dr. Lynne Fenton
distributing psychotropic drugs without paperwork.
As long as ammunition is available otherwise, what good does it do to restrict it from being sold on the internet?
The answer is none. This is just feel good legislation.
Sam Levin has all ready TRIED AND CONVICTED James Holmes.
Absolutely !
The question to ask is, “was he carrying 6000 rounds when he committed the crime?”
What gets me is that these congresscritters figure they HAVE to do “something”. So they try to pass more and more onerous legislation. What they need to do is sit back and develop some patience and not “scream and shout and run-about”.
That's not it. p
It's an excuse to push their gun-control agenda. And that's all it is.
You may remember, only a few days after the Aurora shooting, 15 people died when a truck left a road in Texas, and crashed into some trees. As I recall, the truck was carrying 23 occupants.
Re: Authorities Try To Identify 15 Victims Of Deadly Texas Pickup Truck Crash
Did you hear a single word from the likes of Michael Bloomberg, or Carolyn McCarthy, following this tragedy?
No.
No hand-wringing. No crocodile tears for the victims.
No calls for a ban on "assault vehicles", capable of traveling faster than the speed limit.
No calls for a ban on "high capacity assault vehicles", capable of carrying 10 or more passengers.
They couldn't care less.
They couldn't use these deaths in Texas to further their political agenda, so they, and the media, buried the story, even before the victims were in the ground.
And this is why people like Diana DeGette are beneath contempt.
No calls for a ban on "assault vehicles", capable of traveling faster than the speed limit.
No calls for a ban on "high capacity assault vehicles", capable of carrying 10 or more passengers.
No calls to close the border...
No surprise from Diana ReGret
Ummm, all the good all that ammo left in his apartment did. Libtards, what do you expect.
Have any of these gun-grabbing jackwagons raised a finger regarding F&F?
So he bought 6000 rounds of ammo by mail order; so what?
What exactly did that have to do with the movie theater massacre?
I believe the criminal fired less than 100 rounds during the entire shooting spree.
He could buy that much ammo in a single purchase at any department store with out raising an eyebrow because most any hobby shooter will fire that much ammo on a single day at the range.
So how madam representative would your proposed legislation have done anything to prevent this terrible crime. No your proposed legislation will do nothing to prevent crime. It will only invent new crimes and new burdens on the public and business.
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