Posted on 05/03/2003 1:10:54 PM PDT by Enemy Of The State
Bush gun control plan is threat to homeland security
WASHINGTON, DC -- President Bush's support for renewing a Clinton administration ban on so-called assault rifles sends the wrong message to terrorists and other criminals, Libertarians say.
"Politicians who want to disarm vulnerable Americans at a time like this are a threat to homeland security," said Geoffrey Neale, Libertarian Party chairman. "The government simply can't protect everyone, all the time, but at least it can allow Americans to protect themselves."
The 1994 assault weapons law, sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-CA, and then-Rep. Charles Schumer, D-NY, banned the manufacture and importation of certain types of semi-automatic rifles and prohibited magazines of more than 10 rounds. Bush administration spokesman Scott McClellan set off a public furor recently when he said the president "supports reauthorization of the current law," which is set to expire in September 2004 because of a 10-year sunset provision.
But banning guns sends terrorists and other criminals the message that Americans are even more vulnerable than before, Libertarians point out.
"Fortunately, terrorists carrying semi-automatic rifles haven't yet stormed a shopping mall, an office park or a busy urban area, but they could," Neale said. "If that happens, shouldn't their victims be able to shoot back with the same weapons the terrorists are using?
"Of course, an assault weapon may never be used to thwart a terrorist assault. But if overturning this gun ban saves just one life, it will have been worthwhile."
The main justification for the gun ban -- that assault weapons are a favorite choice for criminals -- doesn't stand up to logical scrutiny, Neale pointed out.
"According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, assault weapons are used in less than 1 percent of violent crimes, and the FBI admits that far more people are killed every year by knives and blunt objects than by any kind of rifle, including an 'assault rifle,' " he said. "So banning assault weapons to protect public safety makes as much sense as banning knives and baseball bats."
The threat posed by assault weapons is so exaggerated that Joseph Constance, a deputy police chief in Trenton, NJ, once told the Senate Judiciary Committee: "My officers are more likely to confront an escaped tiger from the local zoo than to confront an assault rifle in the hands of a drug-crazed killer on the streets."
The bigger threat is that Bush will follow through on his promise to sign the renewed assault weapons ban, Neale said.
"When it comes to supporting crime-victim disarmament laws, Bush is a recidivist," he said. "Just eight months after terrorists commandeered four airlines on September 11, Bush opposed a House bill that would have allowed armed pilots in the cockpit. Fortunately, the president reversed himself in response to public pressure -- and the legislation was approved."
Now Bush seems to be repeating his mistake -- and that's bad news for homeland security, Libertarians say.
"Let's urge Bush to flip-flop in the direction of freedom again and let this gun ban quietly expire," he said. "It's time to stop the government's assault on public safety."
If every assertion you make were true, the second amendment would still stand. Instead of berating us for our support of this country's laws, why don't you try to change them instead?
If there is any additional garbage added to the AWB and it somehow makes it to Bush's desk, he'll be able to sign it without breaking any promises whatsoever. It might not be a bad idea to convince someone like McCain to add something extra in there for that very reason [plus it would aid in the 'unelect John McCain' efforts].
If the thing does get out of Congress, things will be difficult, but that would be so whether or not Bush signs it, since whatever Republicans went along with it would have drawn bullseyes on their backs come election time.
California has put out the welcome mat for illegal immigrants. I very much doubt you'll ever have the demographics needed to compete with that.
Perhaps you should figure out how to convince California to secede from the U.S. Unlike the 1860's war, I think much of the U.S. would be glad to see California become its own country.
Indeed you do, and anybody who hasn't read it yet needs to do so. My copy of Volume III just got here :)
I think I will just let your latest post sit there for everyone to see. It really doesn't need anyone to point out the obvious nonsense.
At least you didn't try the old "I am a gun supporter" lead off, which most trolls use before you went off on your tirade against gun owners.
Well, considering that he also said, immediately after stating that the 2nd Amendment is an individual right, that the government still reserves the right to say WHAT KIND OF GUNS CITIZENS CAN OWN, I think you're gonna be waiting a looooong time for your fervent wish to come true, unfortunately.
I'm not sure what that means. Its a non sequitur.
Why aren't thousands of crimes averted every day by the millions of gunowners in this country?
There are in fact thousands of crimes stopped every year by ordinary citizens, armed with their own personal weapons. Its the kind of story that doesn't get covered, though, but the statistics are available.
And every so often one of their kids gets hold of one and shoots themselves or another kid.
Until this generation, fathers normally taught their sons and daughters to shoot and handle a weapon at an early age. This was normal. Everyone knew how to shoot, everyone had a gun, so it was nothing exotic. In my dad's day, kids took their guns to school. Everyone had one in the car. No one shot up the school.
I learned to shoot when I was old enough to hold one. But then in 7th grade, the local high school offered marksmanship training to the junior high kids, so I took it there after school (it was offered during school to the high school kids).
It is only now, in this era in which guns have been made less accessible, and seemingly more exotic, that schools are being shot up.
I was in South America when a restaurant in the US was shot up, one gunman killed 23 people. My friend was laughing, saying it couldn't happen in his country. "Every grandmother has her little .32 in her purse, if someone walked in and pulled a gun, he would have 50 guns pointed right back at him". It was funny.
The school massacres in the US all, all, have one thing in common. All of the shooters were on prescribed psycho drugs. Just something to consider. There have been several cases of cops, on psycho drugs, also going off and killing people.
I'm sure this is what the authors of the second amendment had in mind.
The importance of the second ammendment is this: if you have to ask permission to defend yourself, you don't have any other rights. The constitution is based on the idea that all rights reside first with the people, who then loan them to the government. Without the 2nd ammendment, all other rights are mere privileges extended by the government, which may be withdrawn at will. The government is no longer your agent, rather, you are its agent and nothing more.
Someone was saying we contribute a large portion of the nation's defense technology and manufacturing, and we may even contribute as many or more troops than any other state. So California has at least some redeeming qualities, not to mention its natural beauty.
Yes, this state is a mess. But I'm not giving up on it yet. I think over the past 30 years many mistakes have been made in the name of "peace" and "shared" prosperity. We can reshape states as well as our nation. It takes time and determination.
By the way, it may take a federal solution to our state's leniency regarding illegal immigration. Again, please don't just sit there: let your senators know they need to act before it's too late and a nuke has been smuggled in across the Mexican border. And the demographics, aiyeeee, the demographics. It seems that every other illegal alien is a leftist.
Thank you. My bill will be in the mail.
When you go to your regular shrink, just tell them you're Hoplophobic. He'll understand.
One liners and verbal shots have nothing to do with anger. It was more of a dismissal of your idiotic post that has no basis in reality. We aren't mad at you. We're laughing at you, son.
Hotheads, including people who debate by insulting people they don't agree with, ought not to be carrying guns.
People that insult others aren't necessarily hotheads, son. In fact the only hothead I see here is you.
If these things are so valuable and will save all our lives, why weren't the assault rifle 2nd amendment patriots out there when DC was being shot up by snipers a few months ago? Why aren't thousands of crimes averted every day by the millions of gunowners in this country?
Well the LOWEST number of estimated defensive gun uses is 108,000 a year. Gary Kleck, a criminologist estimates the number to be around 2 million. So they are averting crimes, son, and if you learned the facts without making dumbassed statements like that, you would know that.
Because they can't really protect anyone; they mainly like to stroke the big long hard barrels and fantasize about how they'll save the world.
What the hell kind of statement is that?
And every so often one of their kids gets hold of one and shoots themselves or another kid. Oh, I'm sure this is what the authors of the second amendment had in mind.
No son, the authors of the 2nd amendment wrote that as a check against the powers of government. Read Federalist 46 and the rest of the documents and get yourself an education.
And you mean to tell me you could walk into your local mall with an assault rifle and not get stopped? If you walked into a mall with an assault rifle, even with the intention of protecting yourself and everyone else,
There's laws on brandishing son. Didn't you know that.
I'm sure you think they're all dumb as posts, too.
Just you son, just you.
This statement couldn't be more wrong. Cal Prop 187........
It is impossible to get a carry permit in Illinois. Not only that, if you live in three particular towns in Illinois plus Chicago, it's illegal to have a handgun in your sockdrawer.
I hope you don't live in Chicago. There's a good chance the murder rate is going to go up another hundred victims this year.
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