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Sniper Shootings Prompt Call for More Gun Control
CNSNews.com ^ | 10/11/02 | Jeff Johnson

Posted on 10/13/2002 9:25:52 AM PDT by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!

Capitol Hill (CNSNews.com) - If the United States had a federal law requiring so-called "ballistic fingerprinting" of every firearm in the country, could police have already caught the murderer coming to be known as the "Beltway sniper?"

That is the assertion in a message sent to supporters of the group formerly known as Handgun Control, Inc.

"As police try to track down and stop this killer, we do know this: sensible gun laws can help law enforcement solve crimes as well as prevent gun violence," wrote Sarah Brady, chairwoman of the Brady Campaign.

Brady noted that ballistic comparisons of the bullets recovered from the victims' bodies had helped authorities link several of the shootings.

"[But] we have also seen the limitations to ballistic fingerprinting laws in their current form," she continued, complaining that the laws are only in force in two states, only cover newly purchased weapons, and only apply to handguns.

"These limitations speak to a need for a national ballistics fingerprinting law for all firearms," Brady argued.

She also used the letter to begin lobbying for a continuation of the federal ban on certain types of military-looking firearms, commonly referred to by opponents of their ownership as "assault weapons," and to solicit funds for her organization.

Americans for Gun Safety (AGS), a group founded by former Handgun Control, Inc. board member Andrew McKelvey, also supports universal ballistic fingerprinting. Matt Bennett, spokesman for the group, said the idea behind the process is similar to that of fingerprinting.

"A particular set of markings [on a bullet] can be matched to all the other [ballistic records] in the system and the top five or six matches come up and then a human expert will look at them and determine if there's a real match," he explained.

AGS argues that the system is accurate even if someone intentionally tries to alter a weapon, or subjects it to heavy use.

"It can degrade slightly, but it is still recognizable," Bennett claimed. "The metaphor we're using is it's like having a scratch on a record. It does degrade the quality of the sound, but it's still a recognizable sound."

Kevin Watson, legislative director for the Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA) - a coalition of current and former law enforcement officers and citizen supporters - disagrees.

"It sounds really neat when you hear just the basic description of it, but when you go into the description of how it would actually work," he said, "it kind of falls apart."

Watson said the "ballistic fingerprint" of a weapon will change over time, and can be altered intentionally.

"In a lot of firearms, you can replace the equipment that leaves these marks," he said, "and, as the firearm is used on occasion, that degrades the marks that are left and sometimes can change them."

Watson described the lack of a basis for comparing ballistic markings to human fingerprints.

"Imagine a fingerprint database where people can switch their fingerprints and their own fingerprints wear down over time after use," he added. "It makes it not that useful of a system."

Attorney Lisa Steele, who specializes in appellate criminal defense cases, agreed. She said it would be relatively easy for a ballistics examiner to make a mistake.

"A recovered bullet has been through a lot. It's gone down a gun barrel, it's been fired into something. It's chipped. It's damaged. It's fragmented," Steele explained.

She said examiners are trained to expect some of the marking on two bullets fired from the same weapon not to match. They are also told, Steele said, to expect many markings to match on two bullets fired from two different weapons of the same caliber and model.

"They're trained to do this. They observe this in the lab," she said. "What the training standards say is, eventually you develop a 'gut instinct' for which of these striation matches are important and which of them aren't."

Steele calls the phenomenon of seeing matches that don't really exist "suggestion bias," explaining that the examiners are not intentionally giving false reports, they simply "expect to confirm what they already believe."

Investigators can also bias ballistics examiners, she claimed, by sharing too much information about a case or the evidence being examined.

"You know some things won't match. You know some things will. You have to make a 'gut,' instinctive decision, and in the back of your head, somebody has given you information that it's supposed to match," Steele said. "Odds are, you're going to say it does match."

The biggest part of the problem, she added, is that unlike classifying human fingerprints, there is no objective reference standard for ballistic "signatures.

Images of human fingerprints can be laid one on top of the other and the number of points of similarity can be counted, Steele explained. In most jurisdictions, criminal judges have established the minimum number of points of similarity that they will accept to validate a fingerprint match.

"There's no such objective measure for ballistic fingerprints," she said.

Watson said another failing of ballistic fingerprints opponents of armed self-defense often ignore is the sheer number of firearms already in private hands in the United States.

"If you were just to do new firearms, that basically means that there would be 200 million firearms that would not be traceable in this system," he explained. "Any criminal would know or would learn that if they wanted to make sure their gun was not traceable in the new system, they would simple make sure they were using a gun that was made before the enactment of the system."

Watson speculated that law-abiding gun owners might not be willing to bring their weapons in for ballistic fingerprinting because of the de facto registration of gun owners such a system would create.

He also disputed Brady's claim that the so-called "assault weapons" ban - which actually banned military-looking semi-automatic firearms, not fully-automatic assault weapons - could have had any effect on the sniper's armament.

"They could be using a gun that they could lawfully purchase today in Maryland, even if the 'assault weapons' ban is in place or renewed," Watson argued. "The notion that, if we renew this ban then we'll somehow pretend to keep certain guns off the street is really kind of nonsense."

Brady's attempt to capitalize on the murders to promote her anti-Second Amendment agenda is "quite honestly shameless," Watson said, especially while police are still looking for the sniper.

"This is a group that, every time tragedy happens, they jump out and say 'We need these [gun control laws] we need these," he alleged. "It's not really all that surprising to see it happen, but it's still shameless."

The premise that a gun control law could somehow affect the behavior of a murderer is puzzling to Watson.

"It's just a nonsense comment to say that somebody is going to break the law about murder, but obey the law about which tools they can use," he said. "It's pretty obvious that people who are not influenced by laws banning murder aren't going to be too influenced by laws banning what tools of murder they can use."

Both Watson and Steele believe that, once a suspect is in custody and ballistics examiners can compare his or her weapon to the bullets and shell casings recovered at the crime scenes, authorities will be able to use that evidence to aid in obtaining a conviction.

E-mail a news tip to Jeff Johnson.

Send a Letter to the Editor about this article.


TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: banglist; for; guncontrol; more; promptcall; shootings; sniper
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
A few comments:

Associating some murderer with the need for gun control is logically flawed. Teenage drivers kill and injure WAY MORE people than legal gun owners, but you do not hear people talking about taking away teenagers cars. What we need here is not more gun control, but MORE GUNS (in the hands of law abiding citizens). Maybe some armed citizen could have the opportunity to take this cretin out if more Marylandites were armed. Instead, we see press report after press report, showing the Maryland police bumbling their way through this ordeal. Furthermore, gun control will not stop black market guns from getting into the hands of people bent on committing crimes. All it does is give criminals the confidence to attack their victims with little fear of resistance. This is why I moved out of NY and moved to AZ.
61 posted on 10/13/2002 9:17:07 PM PDT by ohrwaschl
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To: ohrwaschl
Well said. The fact that there is an APB out on white cargo vans complete with a photo proves your thoughts.
62 posted on 10/14/2002 2:56:47 PM PDT by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
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To: angkor
Connie Morella is a RINO. She is one of the few republicans who voted to approve of Clinton breaking the law/raping women/lying under oath. She voted NOT to impeach. Her campaign ads are calling her DemocRAT opponet "more of a Republican" than she is. She is disgusting but I would hate to not vote for her and lose the house to DemocRAT control...
63 posted on 10/14/2002 3:01:39 PM PDT by 69ConvertibleFirebird
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
HERE ARE SOME MORE TOOLS FOR GUN OWNERS

2nd Amendment for Dummies

It’s common sense for humans to defend his/her life from bad guys. Can you? What is your plan at home and on the street? What is your wife’s plan? What is your daughter’s plan? When you see the robbers or rapist knife, what negotiating technique will you use as your eyes met while you wait for 911 police?

Dial 911 and Die – 3 to 30 minutes normal police response time. 1.5 million felons are released into our neighborhoods annually. 75 % of released felons will commit felony acts again. Will you be next?

Felons don’t register guns. Felons will always get guns Bad guys are felons with guns.

Robbers love to rob citizens without guns and with government trigger locks. Robbers do not fear police with guns. Rapists prefer to rape women without guns.

Robbers select big food chains to hit because corporate policy does not allow mgrs to carry guns. Robbers avoid small mom and pop food stores because they know these storeowners are armed and robbers might get killed.

Robber breaking in – dial 911 require 5-15 minutes for police to arrive --- 5 seconds to arm yourself. If you don’t have gun? Do you have a plan?

Gun Control advocates should post sign on their lawns, “home is gun free”. These miss-guided advocates would soon miss the umbrella that 57 million gun owners provide.

“Fear in felons mind”. Gun Control grabbers advocates should visit daily high crime neighbors and wear T- Shirts “they are unarmed”. This will sharpen their focus and fear of assault, robbery, murder shared by citizens live in these neighbors.

75,000,000 gun owners only have one question for gun control grabbers & advocates. If a bad guy puts a knife to your chest, and I have my gun, Do you want me to shoot the bad guy or not?

Felons will always have guns. 20,000 current gun laws have not stopped felons from having guns, or stop humans from killing humans.

States with Conceal Carry laws CCW have experienced significant drop in contract crime to citizens. These state have Citizen Carry; AL, AK, AZ AR, CA, CO, CT, DL, FL, GA, HI, ID, IN, IA, KY, LA, ME, MY, MA, MI, MN, MS, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WY. Serious Contact Crime has dropped in 95 % of the states.

In 1986 seven states had CCW, today 43 states have CCW and crimes continues to drop in these states. Support HR 407 bill for national CCW in all 50 states.


43 STATES ALLOW CONCEALED CARRY WEAPONS FOR CITIZENS. New York and Hawaii almost impossible to obtain permit (no one meet requirements) and they are experiencing no significant decline in crime.

States that do not allow concealed carry
> IL, KS, OH, MO NB, Washington DC.

Innocent citizen are five to seven time more likely to be killed by police officer than a CCW citizen in an accidental shooting.

Bible says right to defend self, wives, daughters, sons, mothers, fathers, and property against bad guys. Citizens have the right to self-defense in public.

Gun grabbing politicians know fear means votes and re-election. Battered women have the right to self-defense.

Elderly 83 yr old grandmother shoots bad guy save daughter’s life.

Jesus said to disciples lay “aside” your sword; at last supper not lay down your sword. Peter’s sword was to protect his own moral life not Jesus, Luke 22:36 30, He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. The sword was considered the finest weapon of its day.

Baptist Minister Michael McCubbins clears the air on the bible view of the old/new testament. Bible says you are responsible for your self-defense.

Exodus 22:2-3 if the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed. Gen. 9: 5-6.

When Cain killed Abe, God did not ban or register rocks, but banished the murderer. God was smarter than our gun-grabbing politicians.

Matthew 5, Individuals have the responsibility of protecting their lives and family from attackers.

Nowhere in the bible does God make any provision for dealing with the instruments of crime. He always focuses on the consequences for the individual and his actions.

Timothy 5:8 but if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever of God. PS 46:1

Jesus who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.

Num 31:3 Every man gird on his sword, So every man girded on his sword and David also girded on his sword.

1 Sam. 25:13 National defense in bible.

2 Chronicles 17 1:10, and the fear of the Lord fell on all kingdoms around Judah, so that they did not make war.

Neh. 4:17-18 Gates and walls of Jerusalem were built with one hand on his weapon, and one hand worked.

Romans 13:4 God says if you do evil be afraid. Also: As you live by the sword so shall you die by the sword.

God says in the sixth commandment “Thou shall not murder.”

Matthew 26:52-54 Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

McDonald’s employee kills 2 and stopped mass murder in Houston restaurant and is fired by McDonald’s.

Pizza man in Cincinnati is cleared of CCW because judge says that OH law preventing carry of gun is a bad law.

Mom and pop storeowner kills two robbers, and wounds third in fourth robber attempt in 4 years.

Kennesaw GA ordinance requires every home to have a firearm in 1982 and crime dropped 89 %

Washington DC has the toughest gun laws in the nation and the highest death rate in North America. 56 murders/100k

Vermont no gun laws and has the lowest contract crime rate in nation. Anyone can CCW (conceal carry)

Police has absolutely no duty to protect an individual by law.

Criminals fear armed citizens more than the police because citizen will shoot.

Criminologists are turning from anti-gun to support citizen self-defense.

2.5 million stops of criminal acts annually by gun owner’s just flashing of a gun, says John Lott, Univ Researcher.

Thank you letter from a felon in prison to Bill and Hillary and Al Gore for taking guns out of the hands of citizens.

Single liberal mom in California switched from liberal viewpoint to CCW and it saved her life.

43 states have right to bear arms written into its state constitutional.

2nd amendment is “silent sword” to remind politicians that government is by the people for the people.

WWII wheelchair bound veteran carries 38 pistol in wheelchair to protect himself from home invaders.

Rapists know that a bullet stops rape.

Robbers know that a bullet stops them. You are responsible to protect yourself and family not the police or military.

Reasonable gun control is an oxymoron. That was Hitler approach.

More innocence people are killed by police (330) than by citizens (33) who have a concealed carry permit.

Tens of thousands of Military veterans over the last 200 years have died for our freedoms from tyranny both domestic and foreign.

Second amendment sisters protect their families from robbers and rapist with a personal weapon. They are armed concerned soccer MOMS.

1986 - 8 states had Concealed carry laws, in 1999 - 41 states have concealed carry. Crime has dropped in nearly every state with CCW.

2nd amendment men and women love their country and fear government with too much power.

Veterans paid with blood for this freedom and liberal gun controllers are stomping on their graves.

Governments that seized all guns from citizens: Turkey, Cambodia, Russia, China, and Nazi. Germany. 56 million men, women, children murdered w/o a fight.

Million-mom march should be named Misguided Mommies March, orchestrated by political friend of Hillary Clinton to energize fear and re-elect gun grabbers.

Misguided Mommies March was really only 75,000 to 90,000 mommies. Promise Keepers has close to one million, and misguided mommies were no way near the size of Promise keepers.

Second Amendment Sisters are common sense mommies, sisters, grandmothers, and daughters, along with sons, men, fathers, and grandfathers who understand family self-defense

Sara Brady, and Handgun control says 12 children a day die in gun accidents. Last ten year average FBI, 83 children a year are killed in gun accidents. Each a tragedy -- our hearts go out to families. Who’s Lying?? The FBI & Depart of Justice says Bill Sara Brady and Handgun Control are miss-stating the facts.

Bad guys with guns in CA bring TV helicopters, live drama, equal viewer ship and huge profits, generates copycats crime and more fear. Fear sells newspapers, nightly TV news spots, media equate guns with fear, death, and ratings, and i.e. fear equals profit for TV and newspapers.

St Gabriel Possenti society says priest would be alive today if he had handgun. Priests in Houston want guns to protect parish.

Sara Brady is paid $278,456 dollars annually to spin fear as president of Handgun Control Inc. Diane Finstien, and Media talking heads, love power of “I know better than any second class Taxpayer.” Sara Brady earns salary more than the President of the United States and all of congress to sell fear.

Women who refuse to be victimized by Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Sara Brady formed the Second Amendment Sisters organization.

His Holiness Pope John Paul II Evangelism Vitae Encyclical Letter on the Value and Inviolability of Human Life March 25, 1995 46-page statement supports self defense and right to guns.

The 1st amendment is guaranteed by the second amendment. 2nd provides and helps guarantees all ten amendments and freedoms in the --Bill of Rights.

290 university scholars from 175 universities sign and send each congressional leader a letter stating that GUN LAWS are counter productive to achieving control of the crime problem.

Federal law prohibits all felons from owning guns. Gun grabbers don’t have a clue why felons have guns. Could it be felons don’t follow the rules?

Common sense and logic has failed gun grabbers and politicians who stomp on 2nd.”

John R Lott School of Law, University of Chicago, Extensive study says Crime, Deterrence, and right-to-carry concealed Handguns.

Criminals fear citizens who can defend themselves.

The stated and published United Nations charter is to disarm the citizens of all Nations. The current party in power supports this view. Check it out. The Federal 1964 gun control act is worded similar to gun control laws in Hitler Germany in the 1930’s. Is this mere chance, or is it fact? Australia is experiencing large increases in personal body contract crime, rape, armed robbery, and assault since the removal of all guns from the citizens.

One half of American Homes have guns owning 250,000,000 guns. Over 99 percent of these American households do so in a very responsible manner. 75% of all murders have adult criminal records. Guns purchased at gun shows are involved in less than 2 % of murders.

Author Paul Williams all copy writes and rights reserved. Reprint encouraged with recognition of author.

Visit the bills of rights for dummies at http://gunsdontkill.virtualave.net/html/bill_of_rights.html
64 posted on 10/14/2002 6:09:38 PM PDT by CHICAGOFARMER
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To: wardaddy

65 posted on 10/15/2002 1:19:31 AM PDT by ezo4
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To: ezoeni
LOL...the shrill cry for squashing RKBA will come down from DC in a roar.....if this shooter is not a MooseLimb terr.
66 posted on 10/15/2002 6:44:18 AM PDT by wardaddy
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To: ezoeni
good one!
67 posted on 10/15/2002 11:31:24 AM PDT by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
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