Posted on 12/07/2007 6:03:10 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Iowans should press presidential candidates for their views on assault weapons in light of Wednesday's shopping-mall massacre in Omaha, a national gun-control advocate said Thursday.
Most Democratic candidates support reinstating a federal assault-weapons ban that expired in 2004.
Most Republican candidates oppose reinstating the ban, saying it was ineffective.
Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said Thursday that the 30-round ammunition clips Robert Hawkins reportedly used in Wednesday's shootings in Omaha would have been illegal to purchase under the assault-weapons ban.
Helmke said it was not clear whether the gun itself, described as an AK-47-style assault rifle, would have been covered by the ban. But it should be illegal, he said.
"If this is something that can take a 30-round clip and fire them off quickly, it should be banned. This is a weapon of mass murder," he said.
Hawkins used the rifle to kill eight people and wound five before killing himself, police said. He reportedly stole the gun from his stepfather.
The assault-weapons ban was passed in 1994 and allowed to lapse a decade later. It covered purchases of specific models of guns and certain accessories, including clips that held more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
Helmke said Iowans should demand responses from the presidential candidates campaigning before the caucuses. He said they should ask why Americans are allowed to buy guns designed for the military.
"Basically, should the public be able to get the types of guns we use in Iraq?" he said.
State Rep. Clel Baudler, R-Greenfield, who is a board member of the National Rifle Association, urged people not to rush to judgment while police investigate the Omaha shootings.
Baudler said every time such a tragedy happens, NRA supporters expect to hear calls to toughen gun-control laws.
But he contended that if the killers didn't have guns, they would use another type of weapon.
"When you have a lunatic that's bent on becoming famous and wants to be remembered, you're going to have problems, whether it's a gasoline bomb or any type of device. ... It comes back to the lunatic," he said.
Baudler added that the 30-round clips reportedly used in Omaha take less than two seconds to replace, so a smaller-capacity clip would not have slowed the shooter very much on Wednesday.
Earlier this fall, The Des Moines Register surveyed presidential candidates about their stances on gun control.
Democrats Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich and Barack Obama said they would support reinstating the assault-weapons ban.
Democrat Bill Richardson and Republicans Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Tom Tancredo and Fred Thompson said they would not support reinstating the ban.
Several of them said they opposed the ban because they thought it was ineffective.
Republican Rudy Giuliani's campaign declined to specifically answer the question, but Giuliani supported the ban when it was enacted in 1994.
Helmke, the gun-control advocate, said the Republican candidates appear to have more differences over the issue than their Democratic counterparts.
Although they do not talk much about it as candidates, he said, Romney and Giuliani were relatively supportive of gun control in their previous jobs as governor of Massachusetts and mayor of New York City. McCain also has been relatively moderate on some gun-control issues, Helmke added.
He said it was not clear whether other restrictions, such as bans on sales of guns to mentally ill people, would have affected the outcome of Wednesday's shooting.
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Reporter Tony Leys can be reached at (515) 284-8449 or tleys@dmreg.com
According to our Founding Fathers as described in the Federalist Papers, these are exactly the types of guns we're supposed to have.
Good grief -- with my own ears I heard Romney say he supports the AWB in that debate. Now he's claiming he doesn't support it? Does he truly think we're all so dumb that we're not going to remember what he said only a few months ago?? Shameless!
But I thought the 2nd amendment only applied to membership in a militia. How can I be a member of a militia if I can’t own a military weapon per the Miller decision??
Stupid tyrants want it both ways. Miller decided a collective right, but you’re not allowed to exercise that collective right either.
Riiight.
Brady Bunch happily rolling in the still-warm blood of innocent victims, yet again. These “people” sicken me.
Actually it's precisely defined term. It's unlike this "AK-47 style" Carbine met the definition.
Assault Rifle: A select fire, full auto or burst fire capable, rifle firing an *intermediate* power cartridge. (Intermediate between a full power "battle rifle" cartridge such as a 30-06, 7.62x51, 7.62x54R, etc, and a pistol cartridge (.45 ACP, .40 S&W, 9mm,, etc).
This AK style weapon likely met the second part of the definition. We can only wish it had met the first, because he'd likely have missed more firing full auto, and run out of ammo faster.
Of course they were/are. But military weapons are just what, according to the Supreme Court (US. vs. Miller) says the keeping and bearing of which is especially protected by the second amendment. That is pretty much the thrust of the founders' intent, that the citizenry be as well armed as the standing Army, but with much larger numbers.
True but any made since 1986 have been banned for mere citizens.
Or a thurty-thurty (or a similar lever action either a heavy pistol cartridge, or a heavier rifle cartridge than 30-30.)
Security photos I saw on CNN today (I a captive audience), showed something that looked more like an AK. Besides few SKSs have detachable magazines that allow for quick change out.
It did not.
The Constitution as originally adopted granted to the Congress power - "To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions; To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress." With obvious purpose to assure the continuation and render possible the effectiveness of such forces the declaration and guarantee of the Second Amendment were made. It must be interpreted and applied with that end in view.
...
In the absence of any evidence tending to show that possession or use of a "shotgun having a barrel of less than eighteen inches in length" at this time has some reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well regulated militia, we cannot say that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear such an instrument. Certainly it is not within judicial notice that this weapon is any part of the ordinary military equipment or that its use could contribute to the common defense. Aymette v. State,
.
There are many expert night hunters that can hit small runnning targets in tall grass by starlight alone using a .22lr semiautomatic carbine
Start young
Using standard or even subsonic .22lr ammo and an inexpensive scope an expert shot can bring down a large biped with only one well placed first shot
I once took down a huge bull gator in the Everglades that charged me with .22lr hollowpoints
None of the Brady Bunch know beans about firearms or hunting or what various size caliber cartridges will do
That includes Sarah Brady’s little boy who was given the same basic model Remington high powered scoped hunting rifle for Christmas from his mommy that has long been used as a superb sniper rifle in combat situations
Practice and instincts and experience can give amazing results
Would we be having this discussion if the kid stole his father’s Chevy Suburban and ran down eight people in the mall parking lot? Car control anyone? Mitt and Rudy would be right on top of that.
Of all the things that drive me crazy in this country, IGNORANCE takes the top prize.
I will NOT turn in my .22 Remington semi-auto that takes a 10 round magazine even though it misfires on every 4th pull. It’s difficult to determine exactly how hard to screw in the spring nuts without a torque wrench.
There, fixed it. Other nuts would be calling for a total ban on Suburbans.
I went to high school with Paul Helmke
How did you turn out perfect (all conservatives are.lol) and he turned out to be a dirtbag????
Overlooking the fact that the Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting...I regularly use my AR-15 for coyote hunting. That .223 is just about perfect for nuisance critters. And, it’s great sport for intermediate range target shooting.
But, the bottom line is this: RKBA doesn’t require LIB tweaking or DEM tomfoolery. It’s plainly written, and it should be construed to mean just what it says.
“Good grief — with my own ears I heard Romney say he supports the AWB in that debate. Now he’s claiming he doesn’t support it? Does he truly think we’re all so dumb that we’re not going to remember what he said only a few months ago?? Shameless!”
Check post #28. OnTheIssues already has his quote from the 2007 debate listed. He can’t lie his way out of this one.
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