Unraveling strange logic

The Chicago Tribune ^ | May 27, 2004 | Steve Chapman

[neverdem]

Renewing the assault weapons ban ill-conceived

An organization called the Million Mom March held a rally in Washington on Mother's Day to urge a renewal of the 1994 assault weapons ban. If you must know, the turnout was about 997,500 short. But the advocates are not easily discouraged. Afterward, they launched a vehicle called the Big Pink Rig on a "Halt the Assault Tour." The bus will crisscross the nation between now and September, when the ban is scheduled to expire.

The 1994 law was a monument to President Bill Clinton's distinctive political genius--which generally involved tiny symbolic changes that pleased particular constituencies without actually having much effect. It prohibited the manufacture, sale or import of 19 different firearms, along with magazines holding more than 10 rounds.

All the rhetoric behind the bill gave the impression we were outlawing military machine guns, an impression fed by references to the need to get AK-47s off the streets. But machine guns were effectively banned long ago, and the 1994 law didn't affect them.

The guns used by the Red Army and assorted guerrillas around the world are indeed automatic weapons, firing up to 100 rounds a minute with a single squeeze of the trigger. But the so-called AK-47s allowed before the ban were semiautomatics, which fire only once each time the trigger is pulled. They are to authentic military weapons what a beer-league softball player is to Barry Bonds.

[neverdem]

BANG

[Monty22]

Nice to see Chicago writers getting it..

[Physicist]

The guns used by the Red Army and assorted guerrillas around the world are indeed automatic weapons, firing up to 100 rounds a minute

Is that all? Geez, no wonder the Russkies got their butts kicked in Afghanistan.

[nerdwithamachinegun]

100 rounds a minute? I guess he's talking about emptying as many 30 round mags as possible in 60 seconds.
The nominal rate of fire for a 16" barreled 7.62x39mm AK varies pretty widely depending on ammo, wear, cleanliness and temperature but generally it's around 750 rounds a minute, not 100 rpm.

This guy is going to get fired if he keeps making this much sense.

[Paul Atreides]

the Big Pink Rig

Endorsed by Maureen Dowd.

[Kirkwood]

I like this guy's writing style.

[CPOSharky]

I always thought "big rigs" were 18-wheelers. Isn't the MMM pink thing a motor home?

I guess if 2,500 equals a "million," then a 30-foot motor home is a 100-car freight train.