Enemy action 
Posted on 12/22/2006 10:15:46 AM PST by neverdem
It is long past time for the state Legislature and Congress to enact more effective bans on high-powered, military-style assault weapons.
New Bedford police were overpowered and outgunned when they went to the Foxy Lady strip club last week to respond to a domestic violence incident that turned into a deadly and frightening rampage.
The gunman, Scott Medeiros of Freetown, had obtained a Class A license more than a decade ago that allowed him to purchase any legal gun in the state, including the AR-15, a military-style semiautomatic assault rifle that is banned in California.
It is true that without the AR-15 rifle, Mr. Medeiros still might have used deadly force to kill the two Foxy Lady employees he apparently intended to murder. But he would not have overpowered police on patrol. And as one letter writer pointed out this week, "He definitely would not have been able to accomplish the life-threatening terror that took place outside the club."
We applaud New Bedford Mayor Scott W. Lang for urging legislators from SouthCoast to push for a more effective assault weapons ban in the state, and we urge him to use his influence with our congressional delegation to revisit the federal assault weapons ban that was allowed to lapse in 2004 under the Republican-controlled Congress.
Massachusetts is such a small state and so near states with much weaker gun laws that a stronger federal policy on assault weapons is necessary to protect the Bay State.
The 10-year federal ban halted the manufacture of 19 of the most deadly military-style assault weapons and banned their sale across the nation. Critics say there were significant loopholes in that ban. For example, the weapon used by Mr. Medeiros was banned only when it included certain components, such as a bayonet, flash suppressor and other devices, according to Freetown Police Chief Carlton Abbott. The basic weapon designed to replicate the military M-16 was still for sale across much of the nation.
Chief Abbott agrees with Mayor Lang that it is time to revisit regulations on assault weapons. He also suggests that the state re-examine classifications of gun licenses. Under current law, anyone with a Class A or Class B license can purchase a military-style assault weapon.
Weapons bans open up a raging debate about the meaning of the Second Amendment "right to bear arms." But this debate should not keep us from looking at the disturbing reality that it is too easy for civilians to purchase and use weapons designed only to kill and terrorize people, weapons that provide a civilian with more firepower than local city and town police. We must then enact sensible regulations to protect all law-abiding citizens, whether or not they choose to own a gun.
The 2nd Amendment says that people have a right to own guns.
The 9th Amendment says that if there is any part of the Constitution that is fuzzy, then the issue is settled in favor of the people.
Sorry you hate that - but it's the law and have a nice day. :)
Ignorance never stopped their pontificating.
The good mayor and his state rep buddy from Cambridge have been on the radio daily since the shooting talking about these evil high power killing machines. What a load of crap. On WRKO yesterday AM a fair number of callers took the rep to task for having not a clue of what an AR-15 really is.
Enemy action
I suppose an "assault weapon" would be anything these gun grabbers decide it should be.
Cordially,
The power to decide what guns we get to own does not belong in politician hands.
Gun Control. It isn't about guns. It's about control.
The MSM is again intentionally trying to confuse semi auto with machine gun.
Is the Class A license the same license that allows the purchase of full auto machine guns?
Arbitrary classification. Describes a certain subset of features that not only can be used to scare the sheep, but to demonize an entire class of sporting arms. These features have no bearing on the lethality of the weapon.
"Any law enforcement officer, found in posession of a weapon not allowed the general public, shall be imprisoned for ten years."
IMHO, assault is an ACTION.....a weapon is a DEVICE.
This crap won't stop until those citizens take the rep to the town square for a "liberal" application of tar and feathers.
Is there another type of weapon than an 'assault' weapon?
Is there another purpos for weapons than 'assault'?
What a load of tripe!!!
That didn't stop any of the LEO's *from all across the nation* illegally seizing legally owned firearms from people in New Orleans, did it? The lawmakers and the law enforcers don't care a da*n about the Constitution.
"I propose a law -
"Any law enforcement officer, found in posession of a weapon not allowed the general public, shall be imprisoned for ten years."
"Any Government Employee of The United States, State, or Local Governments, found in possession of a weapon not allowed the general public, shall be imprisoned for the rest of his or her natural life."
I like mine better, but yours is a good start.
I just responded on another thread with a more direct reference about this... banning of the AR-15 specifically because the bad guy had one, and the cops didn't. But, this is reading like some sort of idiotic Science Fiction Book, where "military are trained" but then they come back to civilization, and society seeks to imprison them all because they are "trained killers and society is too meek to deal with them". Lemme see.. done to death on Star Trek (the original series) and if I recall correctly it was also reprised on Star Trek the Next Generation... and at least a couple of stupid movies (Sly Stallion vs. Wesley Snipes in Demolition Man). Oh well, anyway, if things keep going this way... then SF will, indeed, come true
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