Posted on 06/26/2007 9:38:29 AM PDT by kiriath_jearim
With the recent terrorist scare at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and the potential permanent placement of a nine-story-high, 600-yard-long gas barge in the Long Island Sound, legislation to ban anti-armor sniper rifles was pushed by Assemblywoman Patricia Eddington right up to the end of the legislative session.
The bill (A.02772) sponsored by Eddington, D-Patchogue, would ban the use, sale or possession of .50-caliber sniper rifles as well as impose additional penalties for felonies committed with the weapons. It was passed by the Assembly nearly two months ago, but did not move in the Senate.
Sen. Eric T. Schneiderman, D-Manhattan, is sponsoring the bill in the Senate.
The guns are accurate up to 2,000 yards, according to a press release from Eddington, and can pierce armor plating and steel from that distance. They are capable of even taking down a plane or disabling a tank. Eddington is concerned the weapons could fall into the hands of terrorists and be used to destroy volatile targets such as the Broadwater Energy liquefied natural gas barge, that can soon become permanently docked in the Long Island Sound. The rounds fired by the sniper rifles are incendiary and could ignite the barge she said.
“Nobody will ever know or see where it [a .50 caliber round] came from,” Eddington said of the massive range of the weapon.
Four suspects are in custody for a plot to destroy fuel pipelines outside JFK and set off a chain reaction destroying the airport. This recent scare at JFK is another reason she cited as the need to take stronger measures against terrorists.
According to the Violence Policy Center, last year 10 foreign nationals were indicted by a federal grand jury for attempting to provide .50 caliber rifles to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia, a recognized terrorist organization identified by the State Department.
Recent incidents involving the sniper rifles were a May 16 standoff with a Connecticut man and an April incident where a .50 caliber sniper rifle was found along with other assault weapons, body armor, and armor piercing ammunition in the home of a Wisconsin man who was arrested on federal charges, according to a press release from Eddington’s office. Eddington said one response supporting the weapons was made by the National Rifle Association which said the rifle is too large and bulky to be used by a common criminal, however Eddington cites a Web site ad for the Runner XM-107, claiming it “is the most innovative, unique, and novel firearm on today’s market,” and “breaks down collapsing into a very small, inconspicuous package.
The NRA did not return calls for comment on the legislation.
Mark Hansen, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, R,C,I-Brunswick, said the chair of the Senate codes committee would be best to comment on the legislation, and did not offer the leader’s personal view.
Craig Miller, who spoke on behalf of Sen. Dale Volker R,C-Depew, said the majority is opposed to such legislation.
“There is no information we have seen that justifies banning .50 caliber sniper rifles,” Miller said.
He said they are extremely expensive, and the normal street thug cannot afford the $2,000 to purchase one. The gun is specifically made for the “high-end” shooter. He also said the gun has never been used by a terrorist and is too large to realistically use for terrorist acts.
“The idea of using a .50 caliber to take down a plane is ludicrous,” Miller said.
You would need to set up a tri-pod to accurately fire the weapon, and the amount of time that would take would allow law enforcement to move on the shooter, he said.
Miller said the Senate majority does support harsher penalties for the use of illegal handguns, and that their conference would be the first to pass such legislation.
The legislation to ban .50 caliber sniper rifles was not passed this session, but Eddington is hopeful for its future.
“When we have a Democratic Senate, in a year, and Senator Schneiderman is carrying the legislation, it will pass,” she added. “I have lots of patience.”
The socialists continue to worry about the reason the Second Amendment was created....
Whats that?
All they need to do is get rid of the Second and the rest is all downhill from there.
Anything they say.
Hmmm, guess I’ll have to get some incediary rounds... Oh wait - they’re already illegal!?!? Well, certainly a .50 cal rifle is still legal... and I’m sure your average Joe will be smack’in stuff out at 2000 yards with a few rounds pratice...
Gimme a break - these a$$clowns are so misinformed it would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic...
” According to the Violence Policy Center, “
???????????????????????
Even if a .50 cal were used on a target, the shooter would probably only get one round off. I figure you can still hear that gun from 2000 yards.
Aren’t these the same type of people (Dumbocrats) that constantly assail Bush that he is taking away our civil liberties (by jailing non Americans in Guantanomo without a trial) with a terrorist scare? What is this?
When the assemblywoman finds one incidence anywhere in the world where terrorist were using .50 caliber sniper rifles from 2000 meters out, give me a call. Else, I’m not going to concern myself with this particular terrorist attack.
I'll bet he thinks Lucky Charms are "magically delicious", too.
I guess the article said yards and I said meters. Either or I guess....
This is just plain wrong. They're accurate to nearly 40 miles as any anti-gunner can tell you.
According to a press release from Eddington (Who like all anti-gunner would never lie to advance her agenda), and can pierce armor plating and steel from that distance. They are capable of even taking down a plane or disabling a tank.
Tank hell - a single hit from one of these babies can destroy a skyscraper - Doesn't she remember that the 911 murderers used a single hit from one of these on each of the world trade center towers to bring them down? The guns are accurate up to 2,000 yards, according to a press release from Eddington, and can pierce armor plating and steel from that distance. They are capable of even taking down a plane or disabling a tank. Why one round can destroy a city. (Who can forget birdman's nuclear tipped .50 BMG round?)
Incendiary rounds aren’t illegal... at least not in the majority of states around the Union. Most people don’t even have a clue about what they really are or what they were designed for... Obviously the twit that proposed this legislation is one of them.
NYC has a few Barrett rifles for defense against terrorists. This brings up 2 points...
1. If NYC needs them, then the people do too.
2. NYC knows that if the .50’s are banned, Ronnie Barrett will do to them what he did to California and they don’t want that.
Mike
A lot of the voters that decided to vote in new Democrats last time a hopping mad because they aren't living up to their campaign promises. I tell them, the Democrats believe that truth is relative. Besides that they have to serve their mistress Madame Pelosi. I find it staggering the number of people that claim to support the Second Amendment and go off and vote Democrat.
Their website: http://www.vpc.org/ is typically silent about the leadership and dollars.
A check of Wimped indicates the Director is one Josh Sugarman, who was involved in Amnesty International and Hangup Control http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Sugarmann
A heavy financier of this outfit is a group called the “Joyce Foundation” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Foundation
one of whose goody-two shoes executives was involved in “cultural affairs” in the Chicago area.
I understand Wikipedia is a questionable source, but here it has its uses.
There is an ominous nexus between pacifists, pacifist-oriented churches and clerics. “cultural relativists”, anti-Americans, far left Democrats, “fiscal conservatives
(one-issue conservatives” and the anit-Second Amendment movement. Frequently Hollywood “stars” and entertainment executives are also involved.
I think EXPOSING these people, their backgrounds and philosophies is a productive goal in fighting these groups.
They prefer to operate under a shelter of anonymity as they know many of their executives and contributors might not be popular with the average American and others - like main stream churches, might find their members taking exception to their church contributions being used in this fashion.
Another executive in the Violence Policy Center is an attorney and Democrat operative, one Tom Diaz http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Diaz
“I understand Wikipedia is a questionable source, but here it has its uses.”
http://www.conservapedia.com/Main_Page
I can't understand why people give anti-gunners the benefit of the doubt (if she just understood it she wouldn't be this way)
I have a different perspective. This woman understands exacty the capabilities and limitations of the hardware. She isn't ignorant, but evil and is deliberately lying to further an anti-gun agenda. Anti-gunners just want "reasonable" restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms. Ignoring the fact that restrictions on a right make it pass into the realm of privilege rather than right, the anti-gunners "reasonable" restrictions are complete citizen disarmament, with all firearms ONLY in the hands of the police and the military. This is what is "reasonable" to them.
Gun control is not a reasoned position to them, it is a religion, and they're as fanatical about making us helpless as Osama bin Laden is about killing us. The cannot be reasoned with. They cannot be persuaded by facts. They have no mercy or sympathy for the fact that we want to defend ourselves and our families from harm. They will never stop nor will they ever be satisfed with less than their final solution. Every new restriciton is a "good first step."
This will only end one of three ways
A small victory for those who put the 2ns Amendment FIRST!!!
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