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L.A. First City to Vote to Ban 50 Caliber Rifles
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
Los Angeles First City in Nation to Vote to Ban 50 Caliber Sniper Rifles
WASHINGTON, DC-The Violence Policy Center (VPC) today applauded the Los Angeles City Council for passing a ban on the sale and possession of 50 caliber sniper rifles. This marks the first time that a legislative body has voted to ban these weapons of war. The groundbreaking measure was sponsored by Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas and passed unanimously.
The legislative effort, which received strong support from the LA Police Department, was spearheaded by the Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles, aided by the Pacific Center for Violence Prevention, and based on research by the Violence Policy Center (VPC).
"With today's unanimous vote to ban 50 caliber sniper rifles, the City of Los Angeles has sent a very strong and clear message to California and the rest of the nation: We must bring these weapons of death and destruction under control," Tom Diaz, VPC senior policy analyst states.
The Council instructed the City Attorney to model the new measure regulating 50 caliber sniper weapons on the city ordinance restricting the sale and possession of assault weapons. The VPC was the first organization in the country to alert the American public to the dangers of 50 caliber sniper rifles on the civilian market with its landmark 1999 study, One Shot, One Kill: Civilian Sales of Military Sniper Rifles.
The 50 caliber sniper rifle is an extremely powerful weapon which uses high-caliber ammunition at distances averaging between 400 and 1,700 yards. These same military armaments-designed and sold for the express purpose of killing people and disabling key command and control outposts-are now freely available across America's gun shop counters. As a result, this ideal tool for assassination and destruction is now easily accessible to terrorists, criminals, and the mentally unstable. The VPC continued to warn lawmakers and the public of the dangers of 50 calibers in its 2001 study Voting from the Rooftops: How the Gun Industry Armed Osama bin Laden, Other Foreign and Domestic Terrorists, and Common Criminals with 50 Caliber Sniper Rifles, which explains the enormous range of 50 caliber sniper rifles, the explosive power of special armor-piercing and armor-piercing incendiary ammunition easily available in the United States, and why this war-fighting power in the hands of Al Qaeda and other terrorists creates a grave threat to all Americans. The study also details: How 50 caliber sniper rifles can create disaster at industrial facilities handling explosive, toxic, or volatile chemicals-the kind of threat terrorism analysts already warn transforms a target into a weapon; a report for the Air Force which warns that 50 caliber sniper rifles endanger aircraft, bulk fuel tanks, fuel trucks, and other airport targets; and, the rash of 50 caliber sniper rifles found in the arsenals of domestic terrorist and extremist groups, including one that plotted to kill a state governor, U.S. Senator, and federal judges.
"We have made extensive research available to Attorney General John Ashcroft, the FBI, and key officials throughout the U.S.," Diaz adds. "We call on them to support the pending legislation sponsored by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congressman Henry Waxman."
http://www.vpc.org/press/0209snip.htm
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
Edited by - josey1 on 09/25/2002 06:05:14
WASHINGTON, DC-The Violence Policy Center (VPC) today applauded the Los Angeles City Council for passing a ban on the sale and possession of 50 caliber sniper rifles. This marks the first time that a legislative body has voted to ban these weapons of war. The groundbreaking measure was sponsored by Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas and passed unanimously.
The legislative effort, which received strong support from the LA Police Department, was spearheaded by the Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles, aided by the Pacific Center for Violence Prevention, and based on research by the Violence Policy Center (VPC).
"With today's unanimous vote to ban 50 caliber sniper rifles, the City of Los Angeles has sent a very strong and clear message to California and the rest of the nation: We must bring these weapons of death and destruction under control," Tom Diaz, VPC senior policy analyst states.
The Council instructed the City Attorney to model the new measure regulating 50 caliber sniper weapons on the city ordinance restricting the sale and possession of assault weapons. The VPC was the first organization in the country to alert the American public to the dangers of 50 caliber sniper rifles on the civilian market with its landmark 1999 study, One Shot, One Kill: Civilian Sales of Military Sniper Rifles.
The 50 caliber sniper rifle is an extremely powerful weapon which uses high-caliber ammunition at distances averaging between 400 and 1,700 yards. These same military armaments-designed and sold for the express purpose of killing people and disabling key command and control outposts-are now freely available across America's gun shop counters. As a result, this ideal tool for assassination and destruction is now easily accessible to terrorists, criminals, and the mentally unstable. The VPC continued to warn lawmakers and the public of the dangers of 50 calibers in its 2001 study Voting from the Rooftops: How the Gun Industry Armed Osama bin Laden, Other Foreign and Domestic Terrorists, and Common Criminals with 50 Caliber Sniper Rifles, which explains the enormous range of 50 caliber sniper rifles, the explosive power of special armor-piercing and armor-piercing incendiary ammunition easily available in the United States, and why this war-fighting power in the hands of Al Qaeda and other terrorists creates a grave threat to all Americans. The study also details: How 50 caliber sniper rifles can create disaster at industrial facilities handling explosive, toxic, or volatile chemicals-the kind of threat terrorism analysts already warn transforms a target into a weapon; a report for the Air Force which warns that 50 caliber sniper rifles endanger aircraft, bulk fuel tanks, fuel trucks, and other airport targets; and, the rash of 50 caliber sniper rifles found in the arsenals of domestic terrorist and extremist groups, including one that plotted to kill a state governor, U.S. Senator, and federal judges.
"We have made extensive research available to Attorney General John Ashcroft, the FBI, and key officials throughout the U.S.," Diaz adds. "We call on them to support the pending legislation sponsored by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congressman Henry Waxman."
http://www.vpc.org/press/0209snip.htm
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
Edited by - josey1 on 09/25/2002 06:05:14
Comments
Researchers Hope Study Will Help Prevent Gun-Related Crimes
POSTED: 4:37 p.m. PDT September 23, 2002
UPDATED: 4:38 p.m. PDT September 23, 2002
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A research group has released the first comprehensive study of handgun sales in California, and the organization describes the results as "groundbreaking."
The California Department of Justice tracks the number of guns manufactured and guns involved in crimes. But this is the first study in California that focuses on legal handgun sales, outlining where handguns are sold and who is buying them.
Researchers, who are supported by a grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, released their findings at a conference in Sacramento Monday, saying they believe if they can highlight patterns and trends in handgun sales, local law enforcement will have a better handle on preventing gun-related violence.
"What we're hoping is that this simple information can help law enforcement professionals and guide policy makers, potentially even the industry, in finding ways to make firearms available to them without feeding their criminal use," said handgun researcher Dr. Garen Wintemute.
In 1999, 235,875 handguns were legally sold in California. Twenty-five percent of those buyers bought more than one weapon. The majority of sales, 20 percent, were in Los Angeles County. Orange County came in second, with San Diego and Santa Clara counties coming in third and fourth, respectively. In 1999, Sacramento County ranked fifth in the state for gun sales.
Wintemute believes that knowing where guns are being purchased could help prevent gun-related crimes and injuries.
"We learned that it became possible to prevent motor vehicle injuries by learning, in part, how cars are bought and sold, hoping the same sort of information is useful here," Wintemute said.
Researchers chose to begin with 1999 statistics because several new laws targeting guns sales went into effect in 2000, including one that limits sales to one per person, per month.
Among the researchers findings is a statistic that derails a recent theory on who is buying handguns.
"I think there is a public perception that sales of firearms to woman have risen, our finding is about the same as documented, that woman account for maybe 10 percent of all handgun sales here," Wintemute said.
According to the study, 70 percent of handguns sold were pistols, described as semi-automatic. More than 92 percent of handgun sales were to men. And only 1 percent of sales were denied after a background check.
Copyright 2002 by TheKCRAChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.thekcrachannel.com/news/1682986/detail.html
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
By Margaret Talev -- Bee Capitol Bureau - (Published September 24, 2002)
Gov. Gray Davis is expected this week to repeal long-standing legal protections for gun manufacturers, a move that could unleash a slew of big-ticket lawsuits and challenges to gun owners' rights.
Gun-control advocates said Davis would appear Wednesday in San Francisco to sign SB 682 by Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland, and AB 496 by Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood.
The measures repeal a 1983 statute that has shielded gun makers from lawsuits over design, distribution and marketing.
The shield law also has hindered lawsuits that argue guns are inherently defective because their potential risks outweigh their benefits. Removing that protection doesn't guarantee such lawsuits will succeed, but the repeal would open the door to such efforts.
Davis, a former assemblyman, opposed the shield law when it made its way through the Legislature two decades ago. On Monday, administration officials acknowledged the Democratic governor's plans to appear in San Francisco later this week but said Davis would not comment in advance.
Campaigning in Southern California, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon said he would veto the legislation if he were governor.
"If you want to reduce gun violence in California, lock up the criminals who use guns rather than enrich trial lawyers, which is what this bill will do," he said.
Supporters say a repeal of the 1983 statute will make gun makers more responsible about how they design and market their weapons. "Gun manufacturers will now be subject to the same kinds of responsibilitiles as every other industry," said Eric Gorovitz, western policy director for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. "They no longer get a free ride if they behave badly."
Opponents argue that it's unfair to blame gun makers for how people use, or misuse, their product. They say the repeal is a thinly veiled strategy to bankrupt manufacturers and ban firearms.
"It's death by a thousand cuts," said Chuck Michel, a spokesman for the California Rifle and Pistol Association. And opponents say the repeal effort is out of step at a time when a majority of states and Congress are moving to limit such lawsuits.
The Perata and Koretz bills were prompted by a California Supreme Court ruling last year. In Merrill vs. Navegar, plaintiffs argued that the maker of the TEC-9 semiautomatic assault pistol should be held liable in connection with a 1993 killing spree at a San Francisco law firm.
The gun had no legitimate purpose for sporting or self-defense, the plaintiffs argued, and its manufacturer should have known that it would attract users with bad intentions. Justices ruled that the shield law protected the manufacturer from liability in such claims.
The company is no longer in business, according to the lawyer who represented it in that case.
Perata and Koretz could not be reached for comment Monday. Perata has said it is not his intention to limit gun owners' rights, simply to hold manufacturers accountable in extreme cases.
Michel disputed that, however. "They picked that case as the starting point, but that's not the limits of the argument they're going to make," he said.
"They're going to argue every gun is defective just by its nature. They're going to try to argue, in every court case, that the risk that a gun might fall into the wrong hands and be misused outweighs the social utility of a firearm for self-defense, shooting and hunting."
http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/v-print/story/4528622p-5548118c.html
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
By DAVID KLINE
Californians are more likely to be killed by criminals now than they were last year, and are far more likely to become victims of property crimes.
That is the latest news from the state attorney general, who this month unveiled California's crime report for 2001.
Overall, the state's crime rate increased 3.7 percent from 2000 to 2001. That is the second consecutive year in which there was more crime, after a decade of massive decreases in the crime rate-especially since passage of the three-strikes law in 1994.
Last year, there was a 0.8 percent decrease in violent crime, but this figure is a bit deceptive. The homicide rate increased 5 percent and robberies went up 4.2 percent, while aggravated assaults decreased 3.1 percent to make the overall violent crime rate seem less frightening.
Seniors fared better than the population as a whole in several of these categories. The number of violent crimes involving victims over 60 dropped from 6,608 in 2000 to 6,425 last year-homicides dropped from 130 to 112, forcible rapes from 102 to 97, and aggravated assault from 3,367 to 3,127. But robbery of seniors increased from 3,009 to 3,089 over the one-year period.
Property crimes, meanwhile, went through the roof last year. Overall property crime increased 6 percent, fueled by a 10.2 percent increase in vehicle theft and a 2.6 increase in burglary.
The increase in crime is particularly troubling since it comes at a time when advances in technology should be putting a stop to more illegal activities. Along with expanded use of DNA evidence to solve new and old cases, police now have a statewide photo data bank to expedite identification of bad guys, and better computer technology to analyze leads, process tips and trace stolen items. This technology should help police put career criminals behind bars, and the crime rate should fall when these offenders are taken off the streets.
Instead, the crime rate increased 3.7 percent last year, after a 1 percent increase the year before.
These increases have happened even as Gov. Gray Davis has bragged about signing gun control laws to "make California's streets and neighborhoods safer." Statistics indicate just the opposite has happened, so maybe the real effect of the gun-ownership restrictions has been to keep law-abiding people from having firearms available to protect themselves and their property.
Davis is tough when it comes to supporting the death penalty and opposing the parole of convicts, but the last two years of his term have shown that that isn't enough.
In a Jan. 5, 2000 speech, Davis told Californians, "A governor has no greater responsibility than to ensure that the public is safe and secure." It is a true statement, and the governor should heed his words. Rather than spending time shaking down campaign contributors and restricting citizens' access to self-defense weapons, Davis should be addressing his self-proclaimed top responsibility with real solutions.
To shirk this responsibility is to allow more men, women and children to be victimized as the crime rate continues its dangerous climb.
- Capitol News Service
http://www.metnews.com/articles/affairs092002.htm
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
What the hell are these idiots thinking? When was california supposed to float off into the pacific?
to have had a 50 caliber during the riots. Too bad for many
they had to wait 2 wks. before they could even purchase a
handgun. (Now in Ne. you can't carry a loaded handgun unless
you've taken their handgun safety class and have a card from
the police dept.) Hope they bought em' off the shelfs while
still available. Amerika.
If your gonna be stupid you better be tough !!
- Life NRA Member
"If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
I suppose I'll just do what I planned all along: buy the best guns I can, buy as many as I can afford, and make sure they last.
Apparently the fact that there's never been a single shooting with a .50BMG in Los Angeles (or all of California), and 99.9% of their gun crimes are committed with knives, bludgeons, and cheap .22s just doesnt register with these people. Doesnt even make a dent in their mindsets.
"If it saves even just one person, then it's worth it..."
quote:Los Angeles First City in Nation to Vote to Ban 50 Caliber Sniper Rifles
quote:This marks the first time that a legislative body has voted to ban these weapons of war
quote:"With today's unanimous vote to ban 50 caliber sniper rifles, the City of Los Angeles has sent a very strong and clear message to California and the rest of the nation: We must bring these weapons of death and destruction under control
quote:One Shot, One Kill: Civilian Sales of Military Sniper Rifles
quote:The 50 caliber sniper rifle is an extremely powerful weapon which uses high-caliber ammunition at distances averaging between 400 and 1,700 yards. These same military armaments-designed and sold for the express purpose of killing people and disabling key command and control outposts-are now freely available across America's gun shop counters. As a result, this ideal tool for assassination and destruction is now easily accessible to terrorists, criminals, and the mentally unstable. The VPC continued to warn lawmakers and the public of the dangers of 50 calibers in its 2001 study Voting from the Rooftops: How the Gun Industry Armed Osama bin Laden, Other Foreign and Domestic Terrorists, and Common Criminals with 50 Caliber Sniper Rifles, which explains the enormous range of 50 caliber sniper rifles, the explosive power of special armor-piercing and armor-piercing incendiary ammunition easily available in the United States, and why this war-fighting power in the hands of Al Qaeda and other terrorists creates a grave threat to all Americans. The study also details: How 50 caliber sniper rifles can create disaster at industrial facilities handling explosive, toxic, or volatile chemicals-the kind of threat terrorism analysts already warn transforms a target into a weapon; a report for the Air Force which warns that 50 caliber sniper rifles endanger aircraft, bulk fuel tanks, fuel trucks, and other airport targets; and, the rash of 50 caliber sniper rifles found in the arsenals of domestic terrorist and extremist groups, including one that plotted to kill a state governor, U.S. Senator, and federal judges.
Are these freaks so power hungry as to believe this crap they are saying?? The people who believe this crap are they realy that stupid? Like a .50 is the only rifle capable of long range shooting? Tell me this, how many punks can afford one of those and how many murders are there each year with even a deer rifle at the distances they are capable of? I wonder how many crimes they are preventing, NONE!!
Real men use little bullets.
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