Posted on 06/29/2004 7:13:35 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) -- U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer held a joint news conference in San Francisco Tuesday morning to call attention to the struggle to renew Feinstein's federal assault weapons ban, which is set to expire Sept. 13.
The ban was Feinstein's response to the tragedy that occurred 11 years ago this week in which a man opened fire with an assault weapon at 101 California St., killing eight people and injuring six.
It was signed into law 10 years ago by former President Bill Clinton as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, but Feinstein said today prospects for its renewal are bleak.
"The president of the Unites States has said he will sign this legislation if it reaches his desk," she said.
However, while the ban has 52 votes in its favor in the Senate, it is unlikely to pass in the House of Representatives, Feinstein said.
Feinstein and Boxer were flanked by Steve Sposato and Carol Kingsley, who lost their spouses in the 101 California St. incident. Boxer said one of her son's best friends was also killed in the assault.
Sposato held up one of four assault weapons on display at the news conference, saying that a similar weapon claimed the life of his wife, Judy Jones Sposato, leaving his daughter Megan, now 11, without a mother.
Kingsley, whose husband Jack Berman was killed, urged California residents to ask their friends and family in other states to persuade their legislators to support renewal of the ban.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom weighed in as well, saying that seven of the more than 50 people murdered in San Francisco this year have been killed by bullets from assault weapons, including San Francisco police Officer Isaac Espinosa, who was fatally shot with an AK-47 in the city's Bayview District in April.
"These truly are weapons of choice for these young men who are out there on the streets doing these killings," Newsom said.
San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong said police have confiscated three assault weapons in the past 10 days alone.
Boxer said that since the assault weapons ban was passed a decade ago, assault weapon use has decreased by 45 percent.
Feinstein said the ban has resulted a two-thirds decrease in the numbers of shootings using assault weapons. She also said that "by every poll" three-quarters of Americans support the assault weapon ban, as do 60 percent of gun-owning families.
National Rifle Association spokeswoman Kelly Hobbs, however, said statistics given by supporters of the renewal should be taken with a grain of salt.
"The difference between 2004 and 1994 is that most Americans understand banning these firearms has no effect on crime," Hobbs said.
Hobbs cited a 1997 study by the Urban Institute, commissioned in part by the U.S. Department of Justice, as one indication that the ban was ineffective.
The study, which only took into account one year of post-ban data, showed a slight drop in gun murders, but did not conclusively prove that the drop was attributable to the assault weapon ban.
Hobbs claimed that it is the criminals, not the assault weapons, that are the problem behind violent crime and that law-abiding gun owners use assault weapons for legitimate purposes including sports and target shooting.
The fate of the ban, she said, is "an extremely important issue to our 4 million members," she said.
Feinstein accused the gun lobby, which she called "very powerful," of using its political clout to sway legislators.
If the ban is not renewed, Feinstein said she would spend next year fighting to pass a new ban similar to the original. "We'll launch a nationwide effort to get it passed," she said.
Bang!
We need to work hard to ensure Kerry doesn't make it into office, because he'd surely sign more of this heinous POS legislation. Oh. Wait. That's right.
Bush let the bill expire.
Bush says he will sign it if it reaches his desk.
The ban hasn't expired yet, but most likely will (on Sept 13). Very slim chance the renewal bill will pass the House, so the Prez probably won't have to worry about it.
There must be some mistake. Assault weapons are illegal in California. Who on earth would risk their freedom to murder someone with a banned weapon?
if it reaches his desk and he signs it he will be losing my vote.
I really feel that we're going to know something important about George W on this one. Now his Dad canceled his NRA membership and supported some of this early AWB crapola. I only hope Dub-yah is not a dummy about this and simply allows this ridiculous thing to sunset.
Take away the right to own firearms to protect ones family from returning Afghanistan and Iraq veterans...after you've given their 2nd Ammendment rights to any and every active duty and retired cop in America....(only took our leaders a few minutes to pass this....yet couldnt agree to allow airline pilots to carry?)
See how popular a move that will be....
If any have any questions about the effectiveness of Assault Weapons bans, an item here on the local news in Washington, DC reports another armed robbery of a bank on Connecticut Ave. Welllll....that's got to be impossible because firearms ownership is totally banned in Washington, DC. All those people in that bank must have suffered a group hallucination. (wink, wink)
keeping this from being voted on is an excellent way to show the democrat party is impotent and voting for a democrat is voting for the powerless.
This dies in the house, the senate is a den of fools. Fools we have to suffer.
Ditto.
The Republicans have everything to lose by letting the ban get renewed, and very little if anything to lose by letting it expire. If they don't hold their ground, I'll sit out this election.
Moreover, regardless of Bush's promises to sign it, he's got more than enough political capital to see to it that it never reaches his desk - and without having to take responsibility for that happening. He would not be in office were it not for the support of gun owners, and there's no guarantee that this election will not be as close as the Y2K election. For my money, he'd best take note of where his friends are.
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