Posted on 04/24/2005 2:28:30 PM PDT by FairOpinion
Despite dire predictions that America's streets would be awash in military-style guns, the expiration of the decade-long assault weapons ban in September has not set off a sustained surge in the weapons' sales, gun makers and sellers say. It also has not caused any noticeable increase in gun crime in the past seven months, according to several city police departments.
The uneventful expiration of the assault weapons ban did not surprise gun owners, nor did it surprise some advocates of gun control. Rather, it underscored what many of them had said all along: that the ban was porous - so porous that assault weapons remained widely available throughout their prohibition.
Assault weapons account for a small fraction of gun crimes: about 2 percent, according to most studies, and no more than 8 percent. But they have been used in many high-profile shooting sprees.
Gun crime has plummeted since the early 1990's. But a study for the National Institute of Justice said that it could not "clearly credit the ban with any of the nation's recent drop in gun violence."
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
"It also has not caused any noticeable increase in gun crime in the past seven months, according to several city police departments."
I seriously doubt that anyone here is going to be surprised by this.
Although I don't guess that we'll be able to restrain ourselves from some "I told you so"'s
A longer version of the article at the NYT, but I posted this one, because you can read this article without registering.
The link to the NYT article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/24/national/24guns.html?ei=5094&en=0e8529cfd37fccb0&hp=&ex=1114315200&oref=login&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print&position=
previously posted in original form here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1389856/posts
Perhaps Ms. Sontag could define "assult weapon" for us ?
Of course they have the use the excuse that the ban wasn't good enough, to try to pass even stricter bans, such as outlawing ALL guns.
What else would you expect from gungrabbers?
Here is a relevant article:
Police turn to judges over rising knife use
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/LondonFreePress/News/2005/04/22/1007789-sun.html
The number of weapons offences involving knives in the city has spiked, prompting city police to prepare reports for Crown attorneys on the skyrocketing statistics. Police hope the reports, which will be provided when someone convicted of a weapon offence is sentenced, will show judges that the use of knives is a dangerous trend in London.
In 2003, London police investigated 165 offences involving knives, compared to 190 in 2004 and 63 in the first three months of this year -- a 50 per cent increase compared to the same time period in 2004.
====
As we keep saying, it's not the guns, it's the people.
That's what happens, when they publish the same article with different titles in different papers.
We just wanted the freedom to buy an "assualt weapon."
We didn't say we actually wanted to buy one.
If they don't understand what freedom is, maybe they don't belong in this country; maybe they were fraudulently naturalized or violated their oath and should be deported.
"If they don't understand what freedom is, maybe they don't belong in this country; maybe they were fraudulently naturalized or violated their oath and should be deported."
I think that applies to most Democrats -- I would be happy to see them deported. Cuba comes to mind.
---as the WaPo admitted upon passage-"a symbolic gesture"---
My .357 Python has no bayonet lug. The shame of it all.
It's hard to believe that it started in 1961 with T.J. Dodd and Emanual Cellar wanting a simple gun law that would..
Register all handguns, not rifles or shotguns.
Ban the import of 5 shot bolt action military rifles because they cut into the business of America's hunting rifle makers.
See how far we've come since then!
Demographics has always had a larger bearing on crimes of violence than we'd like to believe. Thomas Sowell has written extensively on "crime waves" that peaked just as the most-susceptible youths were coming into their most-productive criminal years (about the age of 19-25, if I recall).
Besides this, another very interesting theory has been put forth to explain in part why crime has subsided. And it has nothing to do with gun laws. Rather, abortion laws:
Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars. (THR)
I will have to think a bit about that article. Thanks for posting the link.
You are welcome. (And it does inspire thought . .)
Maybe they've figured out that when Americans sense a threat to the Second Amendment -- THAT is when gun sales go up.
I know some people that think there are assault weapon sling shots. /sarcasm (but not by far).
There are an amazing number of people who are TOTALLY ignorant about firearms. I know that I am in the GI issue weapons arena, but I admit it!
I bought a VEPR K in 5.45mm with several 30 round mags WHILE the AWB was in action. It was purchased through an FFL, no gun show loop holes involved. Come to think of it I bought my M1A during the ban too.
Who knew the bayonets were more dangerous that the ammo? Only libs and RINO's. The rest of us know that it's not the tool, it's the thugs and criminals that wield it with no regard to humanity that is the problem.
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