Sniper Victim Joins Lawmakers to Urge Renewal/Strengthening of Assault Weapons Ban

releases.usnewswire.com ^

[chance33_98]

One Year After Attacks, Sniper Victim Joins Lawmakers to Urge Renewal and Strengthening of Assault Weapons Ban

9/30/03 10:26:00 AM

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To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor

Contact: Blaine Rummel of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence & The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, 202-408-0061, ext. 118; http://www.csgv.org

News Advisory:

-- Sonia Wills, mother of final sniper victim, wants to ban all assault weapons - including Bushmaster XM15 that killed her son

-- Strong support revealed for S. 1431 and H.R. 2038

WHAT: Press conference to commemorate the one year anniversary of the DC-area sniper attacks and call for supporting S. 1431 and H.R. 2038 - identical bills that will both renew and strengthen the federal assault weapons ban. Violating the spirit of the 1994 law, the gun industry has manufactured "post-ban" assault weapons like the Bushmaster XM15 used in last year's sniper shootings. "Post-ban" assault weapons are identical to those banned, except for minor cosmetic changes.

The current ban will expire Sept. 13, 2004 unless President Bush and Congress act.

VISUALS: Replica of an Uzi assault weapon

WHERE: Russell Senate Office Building, Rm. 385

WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 1, 1:30 p.m. EDT

WHO: Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.); Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.); Sen. Jon Corzine (D-N.J.); Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.); Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.); Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.); Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.)

-- Sonia Wills, Mother of Montgomery County bus driver Conrad Johnson, the 13th and final sniper victim

-- Dr. Sheldon Teperman, MD, assistant professor of Surgery, Trauma and Critical Care Services, Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y.

[toothless]

" "Post-ban" assault weapons are identical to those banned, except for minor cosmetic changes. "

LOL! Pass a law based on 'minor cosmetic' differences and then complain when people make 'minor cosmetic changes.'

[Puppage]

Sonia Wills, mother of final sniper victim, wants to ban all assault weapons - including Bushmaster XM15 that killed her son

Let's ban cancer, too. For all the mothers that have lost their children to that disease.

Then, we can work on banning murder. That way we'll ALL be safe.

It just FEELS good, doesn't it?

[KantianBurke]

If you're the average Joe, how do you defend against a sniper rifle? Its not as if its a mugger who will crawl away once you pull out your .357.

[dirtboy]

Sonia Wills, mother of final sniper victim, wants to ban all assault weapons - including Bushmaster XM15 that killed her son

I feel sorry for this mother's loss, but the DC snipers fired a single shot at their victims, and a bolt-action hunting rifle would have been just as deadly.

[Bringbackthedraft]

A sniper fires one bullet not a burst. You don't need an assault rifle. A bolt action makes a better sniper rifle. If the shooter had a .22LR they'd try to ban that too.

[Redcoat LI]

It's not the Bushmaster,it's the sick bastard who is pulling the trigger.I'm sorry for your loss,but an inanimate object has no moral culpability.

[Joe Brower]

[biblewonk]

Ping

[KantianBurke]

Meaning? Once again, how can you defend yourself against an individual from xxx yards away who has a sniper rifle trained on you? What good would your cc gun do for that matter?

[Atlas Sneezed]

If you're the average Joe, how do you defend against a sniper rifle? Its not as if its a mugger who will crawl away once you pull out your .357.

---

The person in the sniper's sights is not the only potential armed person around who can act.

[KantianBurke]

So in essence you are therefore dependant upon another for your safety? Kinda like dialing 9-1-1 and waiting 20 minutes for the cops to show up.

[mbynack]

The AWB didn't stop the Washington snipers. The triggerman was a minor and the mastermind had a restraining order against him and was a convicted felon. They still managed to get a weapon despite over 22,000 existing gun laws.

[wku man]

No more good than it would against a scumbag hiding in the trunk of a car, 25 yeards away, like Malvo and Mohammed did. It's not 300 yard shots you need to worry about, it's the scumbag that comes from out of nowhere. A 300, or even a 200 yeard shot takes some skill level to make, which means the shooter would have to practice a bit in order to achieve that skill level. Your typical scumbag criminal wouldn't have the facilities, or even the inclination to practice that much, and the typical lawful shooter, who has achieved that proficiency level, is not a scumbag criminal.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that none of the high-profile shootings that we've heard about over the last 15 years of anti-gun hysteria were done from 100+ yards. If memory serves me correctly, they've all been relatively short range shootings...inside schools, offices, on the street, etc.

So, again, it's not the long-range shooter you need to worry about, it's the murderer with any weapon, who's close by. He could have an AR-15, and cheapie .380, a knife, a beer mug, or a car. If he doesn't want you to know about it, you won't.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[mbynack]

Kinda like dialing 9-1-1 and waiting 20 minutes for the cops to show up.

Or not showing up at all. Approximately 20% of all 911 calls in the Washington DC area go unanswered. I guess they feel that having the most restrictive gun laws in the country means that the cops don't need to respond.

[End Times Sentinel]

If only hunting humans with a sniper rifle had been illegal, none of this would have occurred.  I feel much safer now.

 

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”

[wku man]

Dang it! yeard = yard, yeards = yards

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[KantianBurke]

Separated at birth?

[Fee]

Two culprits in the DC sniper case. One the FFL gun dealer who violated all the laws when he sold the gun to the sniper. Two, PC profiling that had the cops looking for a white man when a witness had come forth and claimed to see a black man. Hesitation by Chief Moose to issue an all points bulletin for a black man and it lead to officers at a road block recalling letting a blue car with two black man in it go by at a road block after a shooting. They did not stop them because they were still being told by PC profiling that the sniper is mostly likely a white rightwing gun/militia nut. The dealer and the police should be sued for their incompetence.

[Jack Black]

You can't defend yourself from sniper attack as an idividual. A concealed carry firearm isn't going to help.

The question is will banning some (or all) rifles make this problem disapear. The answer is no, it will not. Because there are hundreds of millions of guns out there and because people who want to do evil will find a way. We've had mass killing by anthrax, airplane, automobile, suicide bomb, rifle, pistol, sword, arson and a bunch more I can't think of.

The nightclub fire killed a bunch of people and was set with gasoline. Register gasoline? Ban the sale of gasoline?