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Supes ban sales of .50-caliber rifles
CONTRA COSTA TIMES ^ | Wed, Mar. 24, 2004 | Peter Felsenfeld

Posted on 03/24/2004 9:53:26 AM PST by B4Ranch







Posted on Wed, Mar. 24, 2004


Supes ban sales of .50-caliber rifles


CONTRA COSTA TIMES

Contra Costa supervisors deflected volleys from Second Amendment advocates Tuesday and prohibited the sale of a weapon they say could transform a refinery into a fiery chemical weapon.

The board voted 4-0 to ban firearms dealers from distributing powerful .50-caliber rifles in the county's unincorporated areas. Supervisor Millie Greenberg of Danville was absent.

"I believe it's our responsibility in terms of health, safety and welfare to move ahead with this ordinance," said Supervisor Gayle Uilkema of Lafayette, who sponsored the measure along with John Gioia of Richmond.

The ban will go into effect 30 days after a scheduled second reading April 6. It will apply to just two gun retailers, neither of which sell the weapon. However, the board plans to magnify the ordinance's impact by imploring cities throughout the county to adopt similar measures.

Supervisors took their action in the shadow of a probable lawsuit. The California Rifle and Pistol Association on Monday faxed each supervisor part of a complaint the association intends to file.

The board defeated a lawsuit filed by developers and cities when it constricted the urban limit line in 2000, Gioia said. Supervisors didn't back down then, he said, and they shouldn't now.

"We stood firm, we did what we thought was best in the in the public interest, and we won," he said.

About 20 gun advocates blasted the supervisors for passing a meaningless ordinance that they said violates their Second Amendment rights. The legislation hurts gun owners, but does nothing to combat terrorism, said Al Di Prima, a Concord resident.

"After 9/11, we didn't ban airplanes or tall buildings because we were afraid of terrorism," he said. "After the Oklahoma City bombing we didn't ban Chevy vans and fertilizer."

Bill Tharp, a San Ramon resident and NRA member, called the restrictions a "ridiculous waste of time and money," especially with Contra Costa facing a possible $82.4 million shortfall next year.

"This county is running in the red," he said. "We have serious, serious budget problems. The supervisors need to be spending time balancing the budget, not passing gun control laws."

Countering claims of fiscal irresponsibility, Juliet Leftwich, managing attorney for the nonprofit Legal Community Against Violence, offered to help the board find pro bono legal help to defend against gun lobbyists.

To highlight the weapon's destructive power, supervisors showed a Marine training video of a .50-caliber rifle blowing holes in a 31/2-inch-thick manhole cover and a stack of 8-inch thick cinder blocks.

The gun rights advocates cried foul, saying the film demonstrated a military assault rifle and armor-piercing bullets, both already illegal under state and federal law.

"That Marine film was about as disingenuous as you can get to us," said Pittsburg resident Darryl Phillips.

A smaller group of gun control advocates praised the supervisors' action. "This is an extremely dangerous weapon we don't want in our community," said Andres Soto, board member of the Violence Policy Prevention Center.

Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood, has introduced a state ban on selling .50-caliber rifles. The Senate Public Safety Committee is reviewing the bill.





© 2004 Contra Costa Times and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.contracostatimes.com



TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 50caliber; 50caliberrifle; bang; banglist; guncontrol
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To: Travis McGee; TexasCowboy; Eaker; Squantos; archy; glock rocks
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1104597/posts?page=11#11
61 posted on 03/24/2004 4:23:38 PM PST by B4Ranch (" A nation that cannot control it's borders is not a nation" President Reagan)
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To: clamper1797
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1104473/posts?page=60#60
62 posted on 03/24/2004 4:26:06 PM PST by B4Ranch (" A nation that cannot control it's borders is not a nation" President Reagan)
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To: TC Rider
Right you are!

Federal manufactures some sweet sabots in .50 and above for your 12ga.
63 posted on 03/24/2004 4:42:11 PM PST by glock rocks (molon labe)
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To: longun45
Contra Costa county supervisors have just proven themselves to be ANTI-American, Anti Bill of Rights, and worthy of becoming a Recall targets. They are about as smart as a bunch of rocks in a dark box. I guess nobody in Contra Costa was willing to run.

I went to intermediate and high school in Contra Costa co in the 60's, it was pretty free then, and there were lots of fields to shoot in. We grew up plinking with Daisy air rifles in those hills. But alas, the socialists have moved in, large cities, loads of welfare, and naturally they must have gun control. It does not stop crime, but it makes the supervisors feel wonderful. Next on the agenda, shall Contra Costa be a sanctuary for people of arabic descent who belong to Hamas, al Qaeda, or the like?

64 posted on 03/24/2004 4:49:26 PM PST by KC_for_Freedom (Sailing the highways of America, and loving it.)
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To: B4Ranch
Thanks for the ping! I will be at the Reno show next month, hope to see you there. I'll be wearing a homemade Free Republic label on my shirt.
65 posted on 03/24/2004 5:25:15 PM PST by Inyo-Mono (Proud member of P.O.O.P., People Offended by Offended People.)
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To: spodefly
I bought my daughter a Red Rider BB gun two years ago. And now at 13 she is a dead shot with it.
66 posted on 03/24/2004 5:28:25 PM PST by Inyo-Mono (Proud member of P.O.O.P., People Offended by Offended People.)
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To: TC Rider
They aren't takin' my .50 cal!


67 posted on 03/24/2004 5:32:41 PM PST by Inyo-Mono (Proud member of P.O.O.P., People Offended by Offended People.)
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To: hadaclueonce
"you can punch a hole in a cinder block with a sling shot."

Libs read these threads too, don't give 'em any more ideas!
68 posted on 03/24/2004 9:49:46 PM PST by Blue Collar Christian (Are these leftists stupid or evil or both? ><BCC>)
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To: spetznaz
Forget the f-ing shirt. Put your money where it really counts....
69 posted on 03/24/2004 9:54:35 PM PST by Joe Hadenuf (I failed anger management class, they decided to give me a passing grade anyway)
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To: blackie
Welcome to Kalifornia ~ damn, I glad I left there in '90!

And now your surround by tree hugging, hippys and assorted leftist that thought going to rainy Oregon was paradise.

70 posted on 03/24/2004 9:57:13 PM PST by Joe Hadenuf (I failed anger management class, they decided to give me a passing grade anyway)
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To: Joe Hadenuf
Oregon is conservative everywhere except the three northernmost counties (the cities of Portland, Eugene and Corvallis.)

Everywhere else it's just like Idaho or Utah, redneck, Republican and conservative.

And there's LOTS of Class III weapons around here!

Ed
71 posted on 03/25/2004 1:10:02 AM PST by Sir_Ed
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To: elbucko
With all due respect to the Second Amendment Sisters, the majority of women in this country want to eliminate guns altogether.

And other ladies with common sense, it's not a co-incidence that the rats are called the mommy party.

72 posted on 03/25/2004 2:09:08 AM PST by neverdem (Xin loi min oi)
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To: Blue Collar Christian
Libs read these threads too, don't give 'em any more ideas!

What about Palis slinging rocks? What about rocks?

73 posted on 03/25/2004 2:32:27 AM PST by neverdem (Xin loi min oi)
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To: MD_Willington_1976
"30-06 will be next..."

Over my cold, dead carcass.
74 posted on 03/25/2004 4:52:25 AM PST by ought-six
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To: blackie
"Welcome to Kalifornia ~ damn, I glad I left there in '90!"

I fled in 1979.
75 posted on 03/25/2004 4:53:53 AM PST by ought-six
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To: TheDon
"The logic is a bit hard to follow. Criminals may use firearms to commit crimes, therefore ban law abiding citizens from owning firearms to make us safer."

The liberals do not want to reduce crime, since crime gives them the excuse to pass draconian and tyrannical leftist laws, that oppress the people but keep liberals in power. No, the reason the liberals so adamantly support gun bans is they want to disarm the American people, and thus remove from the American people the surest means of revolting against the tyrannical leftist leaders. The liberals are all for banning guns for one reason, and one reason only: The safety and security of their own worthless hides.
76 posted on 03/25/2004 5:00:28 AM PST by ought-six
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To: neverdem
If they outlaw rocks, only outlaws will have rocks.
77 posted on 03/25/2004 7:04:26 AM PST by Blue Collar Christian (Are these leftists stupid or evil or both? ><BCC>)
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To: Blue Collar Christian; neverdem
Let's make that .50 cal and over rocks(for now).
78 posted on 03/25/2004 7:06:45 AM PST by Blue Collar Christian (Are these leftists stupid or evil or both? ><BCC>)
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To: Joe Brower
Guess I'm gonna have to go buy one now just to stick a thumb in the supes' eyes. I live in CoCo county.
79 posted on 03/25/2004 5:32:09 PM PST by .38sw
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To: B4Ranch
I live there, and I can't express how much safer I feel, now that the county supes have acted on this vital issue.
80 posted on 03/25/2004 5:32:51 PM PST by .38sw
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