The Assault Weapon Myth

nytimes.com ^ | 9/12/2014 | LOIS BECKETT

[rktman]

OVER the past two decades, the majority of Americans in a country deeply divided over gun control have coalesced behind a single proposition: The sale of assault weapons should be banned.

That idea was one of the pillars of the Obama administration’s plan to curb gun violence, and it remains popular with the public. In a poll last December, 59 percent of likely voters said they favor a ban.

But in the 10 years since the previous ban lapsed, even gun control advocates acknowledge a larger truth: The law that barred the sale of assault weapons from 1994 to 2004 made little difference.

[rktman]

Well, since this seems to have gotten a few goats, here is the article from NYTimes due out in the Sunday review. She says "Myth" in the header at least.

[ClearCase_guy]

An “assault weapon” is technically defined as “a thing that Liberals dislike”.

[coloradan]

OVER the past two decades, the majority of Americans in a country deeply divided over gun control have coalesced behind a single proposition: The sale of assault weapons should be banned.

Nothing like starting out an article with a boldfaced lie.

[exnavy]

I like the contest to win a meeting with Obayma.

[rktman]

I’m not divided. And, I got a proposition too. LOL!

[pallis]

Good luck changing the behavior of the men who commit violence with guns. The politician who actually tries to change the behavior of urban blacks will be crucified by the media.

[beef]

The liberal obsession with “assault weapons” is not about day to day shootings. It is about the possibility that the people might effectively resist an oppressive government.

[Terry L Smith]

I agree that all the SEMI-AUTOMATIC rifle designs owned by LAW-ABIDING AMERICANS, being called by the media, politicians, and Communists alike, “assault weapons”, is a MYTH.

[ThunderSleeps]

To be fair, the president’s first legislative priority after Sandy Hook was universal background checks, a measure that might have shrunk the market for illegal guns used in many urban shootings. But Republicans in Congress killed that effort.

How about we don't make policy or laws based on what "might" work or not? Particularly when a few minutes rational thought about the topic and proposal shows that it almost certainly will not have any measurable impact. So-called "universal" background checks are anything but. They will not catch nor deter criminals. Period. Therefore they are useless at anything other than infringing upon the Constitutionally protected rights of law abiding citizens.

Of course, this being the NYT they have to take a potshot at Republicans. So they killed the effort? Good! It is a bad idea and is a stupid law here in Colorado, one that is demonstrably having zero effect.

The next proposal on his list was reinstating and “strengthening” bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. It also went nowhere.

As well it should have - gone nowhere. The ban on so-called "assault weapons" had zero measurable/attributable effect on gun related crime in the US. Why bring back an idea that has proven to be completely in-effective? Magazine capacity limits? Idiotic. Most shootings - not mass shootings - are over in seconds and involve literally 3 to 5 shots. (a firearms and tactics instructor quoted that to me) Magazine limits are meaningless in this context. In mass shootings typically the incident goes on for minutes, often 10 to 20 minutes, before law enforcement responds and then enters the structure etc. When a perpetrator has literally minutes to execute their plan, inconveniencing them by making them perform a few more magazine swaps (taking just seconds, often accomplished while looking for more targets) is just that, a mere inconvenience at most. In other words another idea/law that will have zero impact on criminal behavior, but infringe upon the Constitutionally protect rights of the law abiding citizen.

[KoRn]

At least this was published in the liberal’s ‘bible’.

I know it won’t change any of their “minds” though.

This is an IDEOLOGY for the leftists. Facts and logic need not apply....

[Bringbackthedraft]

NYT should be more interested in the job loss in Ilion NY, Remington is heading south to AL., I don’t think Cuomo wants them in NY since their #1 selling firearm is the ersatz M-16 aka Bushmaster. Maybe its because of the “Bush” in the name? He has to cater to the metropolitan crowd, because that is where all the votes are.

[ozzymandus]

The first sentence is a lie. NYT at its best.

[marktwain]

A great many “progressives” believe that if something is said enough times, it becomes the truth.

Truth is mutable to them. They believe that there is no such thing as absolute truth.

[GoldenPup]

The sale of assault weapons should be banned. That idea was one of the pillars of the Obama administration’s plan to curb gun violence, and it remains popular with the public. In a poll last December, 59 percent of likely voters said they favor a ban.

UNMITIGATED BULL EXCREMENT FROM THE COMMUNIST LEFT!!

[rktman]

59 percent of likely voters said they favor a ban.

That may be “59% of wimpified dhimmikkkrat likely multi-voters favor a ban.” Question probably was, “Would you favor banning assault weapons/machine guns from civilians?” Being as stupid as they are the probably don’t know that for a lot of the country, full auto weapons are NOT illegal. Expensive but not illegal.

[marktwain]

“Would you favor banning assault weapons/machine guns from civilians?”

more likely:

Assault weapons threaten police and are the favorite weapons of drug dealers and mass murderers.

Would you favor a ban on the sale of assault weapons?

[MasterGunner01]

NYT definition: “Assault weapon” = ugly gun that looks scary.

Scary features: folding or telescoping stock, pistol grip, magazine above 10 rounds, flash suppressor, bayonet lug, camouflage paint job. Yup, but no mention of a full-auto switch and all the hoops you must hop through to legally own a select fire firearm. May Pegasus, the flying horse from mythology. take grand and glorious dumps on the NYT.

[grumpygresh]

As the 20th century proves, only governments can be trusted to have weapons. Stalin, Mao, Hitler, Pol Pot were very respected population control experts, and their achievements are revered by the Left.

[Red in Blue PA]

Really? I bought several of them.

Enthusiastically I might add.

What planet is she on? Mars?

[Red in Blue PA]

Meant to add this: OVER the past two decades, the majority of Americans in a country deeply divided over gun control have coalesced behind a single proposition: The sale of assault weapons should be banned.