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IL. state Rep May wants to limit sale of sniper rifle
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
May wants to limit sale of sniper rifleBy Amanda VogtTribune staff reporterPublished January 22, 2002Citing new fears of domestic terrorism, state Rep. Karen May (D-Highland Park) said Monday she wants to restrict the sale in Illinois of the .50-caliber military sniper rifle, which at least one group has identified as a terrorist weapon."This is a weapon of war," May said of the rifle, which fires bullets capable of piercing armor-plated targets 2 miles away. "The world changed on Sept. 11, and we need to reflect that in our gun-control laws," said May, adding that she will introduce legislation in the spring that would limit the rifle's sale to law-enforcement and military personnel."These deadly rifles are a threat to our safety and security because they end up in the hands of domestic and international terrorists, drug traffickers and criminals."Not everyone agrees that the weapon is a threat. Richard Pearson, president of the Illinois State Rifle Association, said the .50-caliber rifle is comparable in power and accuracy to hunting rifles commonly available and legal."These weapons are as clumsy as a cow on a fire escape," Pearson said. The .50-caliber gun averages 40 pounds with a barrel that's almost 5 feet long, making it inconvenient as a weapon for criminals, he said.Then there's the cost."The high-end rifle costs $9,000," Pearson said. "It's difficult to find a .50-caliber for under $3,000."The weapon is classified by federal laws as a long gun, which under Illinois law makes it easier to purchase than a handgun, May said. Handgun buyers must be 21 and are subject to a criminal background check under federal law, officials said.To purchase a rifle or long gun, buyers must be 18 and have a valid Illinois firearm owners identification card, and no criminal background check is required, May said.May introduced a slightly different version of the bill last year that died in committee. Her latest version also will include restrictions on incendiary ammunition and conversion kits that upgrade the firing capacity of certain weapons to that of the .50-caliber rifle, she said.Legislation similar to May's is being proposed in Connecticut, California, Massachusetts and New York, said Kristen Rand, director of the Violence Policy Center, a Washington-based non-profit research group that sponsors studies on the effects of violence.A bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.) in the House of Representatives would reclassify the .50-caliber sniper rifle as a machine gun under the National Firearms Act, making it difficult for civilians to purchase, Rand said.Dave Schrank, of Schrank's Smoke 'n Gun in Waukegan, accused gun-control advocates of "selling one thing and delivering another" in their attack on the .50-caliber rifle."The .50-caliber rifle used by civilians is a completely different weapon from the machine gun used by the military," Schrank said. "Civilians use a .50-caliber single-shot bolt action rifle for recreational target shooting."Tom Mannard, executive director of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, said that regardless of whether the .50-caliber rifle is a single-shot or fully automatic weapon, it's capable of tremendous damage."The U.S. State Department recently went so far as to ban the export of this type of weapon because it's a favorite of terrorist organizations," Mannard said.Mannard said State Department officials based the recent export ban on a report released in October by Rand's group. The report documents the use of .50-caliber rifles by terrorist groups, including the Irish Republican Army, the Branch Davidians and Al Qaeda.In the 1980s, the U.S. government sold at least 25 of these sniper rifles to Afghan freedom fighters in their battle against the Soviet Union, according to the report. Today, many of those freedom fighters reportedly are members of the Al Qaeda terrorist group linked to bin Laden."Most alarming in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is the .50-caliber's threat as an ideal tool for assassination and terrorism," the report concluded. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0201220170jan22.story
CONTACT REP. MAY HERE http://www.karenmay.org/contact.htm
REPLY TO EDITOR HERE mailto:publiceditor@tribune.com
CONTACT REP. MAY HERE http://www.karenmay.org/contact.htm
REPLY TO EDITOR HERE mailto:publiceditor@tribune.com
Comments
Have Gun, will travel
Protect our Constitutional Rights. [This message has been edited by Boomerang (edited 01-23-2002).]
If I dont own one, and I cant think of what I'd use one for, then no one deserves one or should be allowed to have one.But hey, they've got to protect against all those drive-by .50 Barret-ings. The guy sitting on the far side of the car with the barrel still sticking four feet out the window. LOLAs for .50's being a favorite with terrorists, when was the last time you saw a Taliban soldier with anything other than a dusty and dingy Russian-surplus AK or RPG?A better question: when was the time you saw a Taliban soldier with the mental skill to freakin' use anything that requires more effort than just holding the trigger down?
Quod principi placuit legis habet vigorem.Semper Fidelis