Nutter, Rendell want assault-weapons ban - NRA says they exploit Liczbinski death (new federal AWB!)

Philadelphia Daily News ^ | May. 9, 2008 | CATHERINE LUCEY

[neverdem]

Days after a Philadelphia police sergeant was killed with a semi-automatic rifle, Mayor Nutter and Gov. Rendell called upon Congress to enact a new federal assault-weapons ban that would remove such weapons from the streets.

"The time has come for politicians to decide," said Rendell at the City Hall news conference attended by top police brass and state elected officials. "You have to decide whether you're on their side - the men and women who wear blue - or whether you're on the side of the gun lobby."

The federal assault-weapons ban, which lasted from 1994 through 2004, outlawed an array of military weapons and semi-automatics that fire and automatically reload when the trigger is pulled.

The expired bill would not have outlawed the Chinese-made SKS Carbine - outfitted with a 30-round detachable magazine - used to kill Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski Saturday.

But a new version of the legislation, currently languishing in the House of Representatives, specifically lists "SKS with detachable magazine" as a banned weapon.

Supporters of the federal ban said that the restrictions made it harder to obtain illegal weapons. But critics argued that loopholes in the ban made it easy to modify deadly guns to keep them legal.

Rendell and Nutter have sent a letter to the state's representatives and senators in Washington. In it, they ask for a new assault-weapons ban, but do not back a specific piece of legislation.

Nutter said that the city just needs help.

"Those weapons have one goal and use in mind," Nutter said. "They are to destroy human beings and do it as quickly and as dangerously and in as devastating a fashion as possible. I stand here with Governor Rendell and members of the general assembly to ask for help. Our state and federal legislators need to pass laws that protect citizens and do not protect criminals."

Two local legislators are already showing their support. U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah co-sponsored the new version of the assault-weapons ban. And U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak this week added his name to the list of co-sponsors.

Sestak said that after the Liczbinski slaying he decided to see if he could "bring a light to a piece of legislation that hasn't been moving around. Let's add our name to it and try to move this further down the road."

Nutter also criticized the National Rifle Association, saying they should support this effort.

"The National Rifle Association must explain to the public how they can stand behind criminals who have access to these kind of weapons while purporting to protect the Second Amendment right," he said.

NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said it was "sad to see [Rendell and Nutter] stoop to this level to exploit the death of a police officer."

He said that new laws weren't needed. Instead he questioned why someone like accused killer Eric Floyd - who has a long criminal history and fled a halfway house earlier this year - was out on the street.

"The most important thing for residents in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania is to ask their governor and their mayor what career criminals are doing out on the street," he said. "The problem in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania is violent criminals get multiple chances."

Yesterday's news conference grew contentious when a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter questioned whether the SKS Carbine was technically an assault weapon, noting that the National Rifle Association disagreed with the classification and that a search on www.wikipedia.com brought up information saying it was not.

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey then got into the mix.

"I don't care about Wikipedia or any other kind of pedias," he said. "If it's not an assault weapon by definition, then add it to the freaking list."

Meanwhile, gun-control advocacy group CeaseFire PA sent a letter to Pennsylvania gun-shop owners Wednesday, asking them to voluntarily stop selling the SKS Carbine. Nutter and Rendell said that they supported the effort.

Fred Delia, 69, owner of Delia's Gun Shop, on Torresdale Avenue near Benner Street, sells the weapon. He said he would not honor such a request.

"I don't want to see any of the police get shot," Delia said. But, he added, "them guns have been sold for the last 20 years."

Delia, who has run his shop for 39 years, said gun-shop owners are being unfairly targeted.

"I understand they're getting mad in the city," he said. "They have to get to the source of this. It's drugs, it's judges." *

[TheBattman]

Actually - I do not believe wrong. Just because they supported a sunset clause does not take away from the fact that they did support the law.

Of course, their view is that a toxic bill/law with a sunset provision is better than a bill without the sunset clause (which is somewhat right), but why support such a law to begin with.

[Shooter 2.5]

Actually, you are wrong so deal with it. The NRA doesn’t support any gun control and they keep fighting even though they are outnumbered.

There are only four million members of the NRA out of eighty million gunowners. There are forty million members of the antigun AARP.

[Dead Corpse]

Actually, their support for stronger sentences for those committing crimes with firearms was directly tied to more background checks.

This in turn has lead to McCain supporting closing the phantom "gun show loophole".

NRA's fault. Directly.

And that is just one example. Yes, the NRA has done a lot of good over the years. But they'll sell out on certain points to try and keep "hunting sports" alive while our general Right swirls the toilet bowl.

[TheBattman]

Let me guess - you are a “lifetime” member?

I canceled my membership back in 2004 when the NRA director called for enforcement of magazine bans, but that was just the final straw. I think I can find some info on that particular incident with a Google search...

OK -found it:

http://www.keepandbeararms.com/information/XcIBViewItem.asp?ID=3643

And look up HR 2640

[Shooter 2.5]

THE NRA director??? Are you implying there is only one and you claim you used to be a member?

Did the author of this article, Angel Shamaya, ever get released out of jail for being a dumbass?

[quack]

Wow!I almost destroyed a human being last Friday for breaking into my garage.Thank God my “assault weapon” pointed in their direction saved myself,my wife,and my 3 and 4 year old sons lives.

[TheBattman]

Yep - spent about 10 years as a member.

No claims that there is “only one” director. Poor choice of grammar. But this is not the only case of an NRA director having less than stellar thoughts on the 2nd Amendment.

But that's ok. Be happy with your membership. I will admit that American Rifleman was enjoyable - particularly the page of stories where the 2nd Amendment saved someone's life. Too bad some directors over the years have chosen to ignore both the column and the entire 2nd Amendment.

Of course, my opinion is quite similar in this case to my opinion of the Republican Party now. I am sick of the capitulation and “compromise”. It is compromise that gets us more and more anti-gun, anti-2nd Amendment laws. And it is compromise and capitulation that gets us a John McCain as the Republican nominee for POTUS. (who by the way doesn't even get mediocre ratings from the NRA).

But have it your way. When I have money to give in support of the 2nd Amendment, I will send it to GOA. No junk mail from them, and no compromises that I know of.

Have a great day!

[Shooter 2.5]

No results from the GOA that I know of. None, nadda, zip.

So, did the author of that poorly written article ever get out of jail?

[LimaLimaMikeFoxtrot]

And I had to LOL @ the term "deadly guns". You know, as opposed to those non-lethal guns Rendell would rather we have.

Sorta reminded me of Elders' "safer bullets".