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Widower crusades to ban assault weapons
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
Widower crusades to ban assault weapons
Gun law enacted after 101 California massacre due to expire in 2004 -- NRA girds for battle
Edward Epstein, Chronicle Washington Bureau Friday, September 27, 2002
Washington -- A grimly determined Steve Sposato is back in the capital this week to campaign against assault weapons, nine years after a gunman toting two of the semiautomatic weapons killed his wife, Jody, and seven others at 101 California St. in San Francisco.
To win passage of the assault weapons ban in 1994, backers had to agree that it would expire after a decade, in September 2004. The new Congress, to be elected in November, and the president would have to approve new legislation to keep the existing federal ban on manufacturing or selling semiautomatic versions of such weapons as AK-47s and Uzi submachine guns.
The two sides in the gun control debate, one of America's perennial hot- button issues, are gearing up for another battle, and Sposato -- the Lafayette man who lobbied strenuously for the 1994 law -- is back in the trenches. He faces groups like the National Rifle Association, the powerful 4 million- member group that promises to fight the ban with all its many resources as an infringement of Second Amendment rights.
SEEKING CANDIDATES' BACKING
"I intend to make this a hot issue," Sposato said as he appeared with several leaders of police and gun-control groups to announce that candidates in November's congressional elections will be asked to sign a pledge of support for making the ban permanent.
But in an election year in which campaigns are dominated by talk of war against Iraq and a sour economy, assault weapons are barely an asterisk among most voters' concerns.
Yet advocates point to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, saying that legalizing assault weapons capable of spewing several rounds of ammunition a second makes little sense in a society that fears more attacks.
"Will this administration and the next Congress go down as visionaries, or will they legalize these weapons, while touting the war on terrorism, in a society where we are being told there are al Qaeda sleeper cells?" asked Sposato, whose daughter Megan was only 10 months old when her mother was slain.
To the NRA, which is the key part of a powerful pro-gun political lobby that has contributed $1.88 million to congressional candidates this year, the assault weapons ban remains a bad idea that was "purely political in motivation and consequence."
'THEY'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE'
NRA spokeswoman Kelly Whitley scoffed at the attempt to tie the ban to fighting terrorism.
"They're taking advantage of the situation and trying to link the lawful ownership of firearms to 9/11," she said. "Since the terrorists used box openers, maybe they should propose banning them."
The law banned the manufacture and sale of semiautomatic, military-style assault weapons. It defined those weapons as guns with a detachable magazine and two or more of the following: a bayonet lug, flash suppressor, protruding pistol grip, folding stock or threaded muzzle. The law also banned the making or sale of "large capacity" ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.
The NRA says the 1994 law banned weapons that were rarely used in crimes, although the ones in which they have been wielded are high-profile incidents such as 101 California, the Columbine High School shootings in Colorado and the Santee school killings in San Diego County.
Those guns were available after 1994 because the ban didn't affect weapons already in the public's hands.
TARGET SHOOTING, HUNTING
While champions of the ban say the semiautomatic assault weapons have no valid use, the NRA says the weapons are used for target shooting and hunting. The NRA estimates these weapons account for about 15 percent of all guns in the country.
"Any firearm, regardless of type, size, caliber, cost or appearance, can be,
and is most often by far, used for legitimate purposes," adds the NRA.
Gun control advocates, who have managed to donate only about $51,000 to congressional candidates this year, admit they face an uphill fight in renewing the ban.
"It would be tough, maybe impossible, to pass this in the current Congress, " conceded former Maryland Rep. Michael Barnes, who now heads the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "Lots of members from both parties wouldn't be willing to vote for reauthorization."
After the 1994 vote, gun ownership advocates exacted revenge at the ballot box, ousting several members of Congress who had voted for the ban.
Sposato said he wanted to enlist Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the prime sponsor of the 1994 ban and of subsequent efforts to fight its repeal, in the new fight.
FEINSTEIN'S SUPPORT
The senator, who as a freshman legislator got national attention for her gun control effort, is ready for the battle, said spokesman Howard Gantman.
"This will be one of our top priorities next year, no question," he said.
"But the gun lobby is extremely strong," Gantman added, saying the 108th Congress would face another major debate over guns.
One hopeful sign, said Barnes, is that in the 2000 presidential campaign then-candidate George W. Bush said he supported the law's renewal. Since then, the White House has been silent on the issue.
E-mail Edward Epstein at eepstein@sfchronicle.com.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/09/27/MN22855.DTL
"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
Gun law enacted after 101 California massacre due to expire in 2004 -- NRA girds for battle
Edward Epstein, Chronicle Washington Bureau Friday, September 27, 2002
Washington -- A grimly determined Steve Sposato is back in the capital this week to campaign against assault weapons, nine years after a gunman toting two of the semiautomatic weapons killed his wife, Jody, and seven others at 101 California St. in San Francisco.
To win passage of the assault weapons ban in 1994, backers had to agree that it would expire after a decade, in September 2004. The new Congress, to be elected in November, and the president would have to approve new legislation to keep the existing federal ban on manufacturing or selling semiautomatic versions of such weapons as AK-47s and Uzi submachine guns.
The two sides in the gun control debate, one of America's perennial hot- button issues, are gearing up for another battle, and Sposato -- the Lafayette man who lobbied strenuously for the 1994 law -- is back in the trenches. He faces groups like the National Rifle Association, the powerful 4 million- member group that promises to fight the ban with all its many resources as an infringement of Second Amendment rights.
SEEKING CANDIDATES' BACKING
"I intend to make this a hot issue," Sposato said as he appeared with several leaders of police and gun-control groups to announce that candidates in November's congressional elections will be asked to sign a pledge of support for making the ban permanent.
But in an election year in which campaigns are dominated by talk of war against Iraq and a sour economy, assault weapons are barely an asterisk among most voters' concerns.
Yet advocates point to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, saying that legalizing assault weapons capable of spewing several rounds of ammunition a second makes little sense in a society that fears more attacks.
"Will this administration and the next Congress go down as visionaries, or will they legalize these weapons, while touting the war on terrorism, in a society where we are being told there are al Qaeda sleeper cells?" asked Sposato, whose daughter Megan was only 10 months old when her mother was slain.
To the NRA, which is the key part of a powerful pro-gun political lobby that has contributed $1.88 million to congressional candidates this year, the assault weapons ban remains a bad idea that was "purely political in motivation and consequence."
'THEY'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE'
NRA spokeswoman Kelly Whitley scoffed at the attempt to tie the ban to fighting terrorism.
"They're taking advantage of the situation and trying to link the lawful ownership of firearms to 9/11," she said. "Since the terrorists used box openers, maybe they should propose banning them."
The law banned the manufacture and sale of semiautomatic, military-style assault weapons. It defined those weapons as guns with a detachable magazine and two or more of the following: a bayonet lug, flash suppressor, protruding pistol grip, folding stock or threaded muzzle. The law also banned the making or sale of "large capacity" ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.
The NRA says the 1994 law banned weapons that were rarely used in crimes, although the ones in which they have been wielded are high-profile incidents such as 101 California, the Columbine High School shootings in Colorado and the Santee school killings in San Diego County.
Those guns were available after 1994 because the ban didn't affect weapons already in the public's hands.
TARGET SHOOTING, HUNTING
While champions of the ban say the semiautomatic assault weapons have no valid use, the NRA says the weapons are used for target shooting and hunting. The NRA estimates these weapons account for about 15 percent of all guns in the country.
"Any firearm, regardless of type, size, caliber, cost or appearance, can be,
and is most often by far, used for legitimate purposes," adds the NRA.
Gun control advocates, who have managed to donate only about $51,000 to congressional candidates this year, admit they face an uphill fight in renewing the ban.
"It would be tough, maybe impossible, to pass this in the current Congress, " conceded former Maryland Rep. Michael Barnes, who now heads the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "Lots of members from both parties wouldn't be willing to vote for reauthorization."
After the 1994 vote, gun ownership advocates exacted revenge at the ballot box, ousting several members of Congress who had voted for the ban.
Sposato said he wanted to enlist Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the prime sponsor of the 1994 ban and of subsequent efforts to fight its repeal, in the new fight.
FEINSTEIN'S SUPPORT
The senator, who as a freshman legislator got national attention for her gun control effort, is ready for the battle, said spokesman Howard Gantman.
"This will be one of our top priorities next year, no question," he said.
"But the gun lobby is extremely strong," Gantman added, saying the 108th Congress would face another major debate over guns.
One hopeful sign, said Barnes, is that in the 2000 presidential campaign then-candidate George W. Bush said he supported the law's renewal. Since then, the White House has been silent on the issue.
E-mail Edward Epstein at eepstein@sfchronicle.com.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/09/27/MN22855.DTL
"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
Comments
While I do support much of the libertarian cause I hope their party can see how valuable their votes can be in keeping control of congress out of the hands of the Dems., not only is the future of our sport/hobby at stake but our way of life. JOSEY
"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 09/30/2002 07:38:39
"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
A great rifle with a junk scope,....is junk.
Never mind the fact that the submachine Uzi has about a 3" barrel where the semi carbine has a rifle-length job imposed upon it.
This headline might as well read "Widower crusades to ban the Second Amendment." What does he think assault weapons are FOR, if not defense? Everybody thinks they're doing us a big favor by leaving us with Marshall Dillon six shooters and Chuck Connors lever actions.
Of course, you realize that when the government wants to change public opinion (at least, according to most conspiracy theorists) they simply create an event in which many good Americans defend freedom from terrorism with these very assault weapons, saving the day, thereby turning the tide of public opinion at just the right moment to sunset the ban. Perhaps we should sink to their level in this case, if the end justifies the means .....?!
- 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'm going to go out on a limb here!I'll bet that if the fight to stop the ban from setting slips or looses support, there will be another terrible, Columbine-type shooting.Then there will be renewed support for the ban!Please everybody remember this posting and pray for our country that I'll be wrong!
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