Posted on 08/13/2005 5:56:31 PM PDT by palmer
(White Plains, NY) New Yorkers Against Gun Violence (NYAGV) was joined by Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano, Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro, and Jackie Hilly of the Westchester Children's Association to commemorate the five-year anniversary of the Columbine High School Massacre; as they called for renewal and strengthening of the federal assault weapons ban that will expire September 13, 2004. The teen killers at Columbine used different weapons, including a military-style TEC-DC9 assault pistol in the April 20, 1999 school shooting that left 13 dead and 23 wounded. President Bush and Congress must renew and strengthen the federal ban on military-style assault weapons to help ensure that similar massacres never happen again.
Semi-automatic assault weapons are civilian clones of military weapons whose only purpose is to kill large numbers of people. Assault weapons are used to kill police officers and continue to be prized by a variety of criminals. A recent analysis of FBI data found that between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2001 one out of five law enforcement officers slain in the line of duty was killed by an assault weapon.
President Bush pledged his support for the ban during the 2000 election and Attorney General Ashcroft stated in testimony before Congress his support of the ban on assault weapons. Yet, the ban will expire in less than five months and there has not been action from Washington to ensure that these weapons of war are kept off of our streets.
"We as a nation cannot continue to stand by and watch as these "anti-personnel" weapons wreak havoc in our neighborhoods and threaten our security" Andy Pelosi, Executive Director of NYAGV said today. "Have we not learned a lesson from Columbine and the Washington DC area sniper case where 10 people were killed and three injured by a copy cat, post ban assault weapon; or will we allow these weapons of war to be readily available for the next angry teen and homicidal adult"?
Jackie Kuhls, Public Policy Director of NYAGV added, "At a time when the safety of law enforcement personnel and our fellow residents must be a top priority, Washington has let us all down by catering to the gun lobby instead of passing a law that will ensure that military weapons are only available to members of the armed forces and not on the streets of America".
About New Yorkers Against Gun Violence
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence is New York States leading grassroots organization committed to reducing gun violence in our communities through advocacy and education that leads to changes in public awareness and policy to protect New York State residents and particularly youth from gun violence.
I should stay out of this fight since I already have a RINO senator voting for gun control (Warner) and I should let New Yorkers have one of their own. OTOH they could keep Hillary since she will probably sponsor a "hunters are people too" bill right after she wins the Democratic primary. (Warner will vote for it, Allen will ridicule it). Another thing to keep in mind is why should we get hung up on the gun control issue when there are plenty of other Rino/Dem issues to talk about...
Uhh... isn't this all kind of old news? The ban has been lifted for almost a year, and it has made almost no difference either way.
What's with all the old links today? Is it a special day at freep? Kind of like "talk like a pirate" day, only it's "post old links" day instead.
Do you realize this was last years news?
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them." (Richard Henry Lee, Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress, initiator of the Declaration of Independence, and member of the first Senate, which passed the Bill of Rights.)
"The great object is that every man be armed . . . Everyone who is able may have a gun." (Patrick Henry, in the Virginia Convention on the ratification of the Constitution.)
"The advantage of being armed . . . the Americans possess over the people of all other nations . . . Notwithstanding the military establishments in the several Kingdoms of Europe, which are carried as far as the public resources will bear, the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms." (James Madison, author of the Bill of Rights, in his Federalist Paper No. 46.)
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." (Second Amendment to the Constitution.)
It's about Pirro. Granted, she's only mentioned in one sentence, but this article strongly implies she supported extending and strengthening the AWB.
Oh yeah. It was illegal. Never mind.
Thanks for explaining it, because I missed that part.
That is why Pirro should be supported. The whole 2006 election is about scuttling Hillary's 2008 Presidential hopes. Pirro might be a liberal on many issues but anyone who can end the threat of President Hillary Clinton should be backed by the entire Republican Party. Seeing how this is New York, a Republican in the mold of Senators Cornyn or Coburn isn't going to win a state wide office and anyone who won't back the Republican candidate against Hillary might as well just vote for her in 2006 and in 2008.
That sounds like a good explanation of that side. Like I said at the beginning, Warner is awful on gun issues and had no real opposition in his last race, so I should not complain about the sorry state of NY.
Good point. The headline is very confusing, but I was going by the rule that headlines are sacrosanct.
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