Gun-control organizations call for semi-auto ban in wake of Alabama rampage

[derby378]

National Gun Violence Prevention Organizations Call for Effective Federal Assault Weapons Ban in Wake of Alabama Rampage Shooting Leaving 11 Dead, Including Shooter

WASHINGTON, March 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following yesterday's assault weapon rampage shooting in Alabama leaving 11 dead including the shooter, America's leading national gun violence prevention organizations -- Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Freedom States Alliance, Legal Community Against Violence, and Violence Policy Center -- issued the following joint statement:

"Our sympathies go to all those affected by this terrible tragedy.

"The guns used in yesterday's rampage shooting across Alabama -- a Bushmaster AR-15-style assault rifle and an SKS assault rifle -- are military-bred firearms developed for the specific purpose of killing human beings quickly and efficiently. Yesterday's shooting is only the latest addition to a string of preventable tragedies committed with these military-style weapons. America needs an effective federal assault weapons ban to stop the mass production and marketing by the gun industry of these anti-personnel weapons. Today we call on the U.S. Congress to pass a federal assault weapons ban modeled on California's effective law that would ban these weapons once and for all.

"The answer to gun violence is not more guns. Alabama has one of the highest gun ownership rates in the nation -- more than 57 percent of the state's households have guns -- and some of the weakest gun laws in the country. At the same time, its overall gun death rate for 2005 (16.18 per 100,000) ranks it fifth in the nation. The sad truth is that America will continue to experience these horrific events until Congress listens to the friends and families of the 30,000 Americans who die from guns each year instead of the National Rifle Association."


SOURCE Violence Policy Center

Peter Hamm of Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, [phone], [email protected]; Ladd Everitt of Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, [phone] x1003, [email protected]; Scott Vogel of Freedom States Alliance, [phone], [email protected]; Julie Leftwich of Legal Community Against Violence, [phone], [email protected]; or Mandy Wimmer of Violence Policy Center, [phone] x101, [email protected]

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS187526+11-Mar-2009+PRN20090311

[FudaFuda]

1. Of course they do.

They've been hoping for something like this to happen for a while.

[derby378]

2. I wouldn't say they were "hoping' for this...

...but they still remember how to milk these stories for all they're worth.

But the times, they are a'changin'...

[spanone]

29. yes, we've been holding prayer sessions that this would happen....thanks for pointing that out

jjjeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzz

[FudaFuda]

30. ok, they weren't 'hoping' for it, just anxiously waiting

and if they weren't, they wouldn't have a unified statement issued within 24hrs. they can't wait until the funerals are over, cuz they know this is all about emotion and fear.

[Tesha]

40. There's no need to "hope" for this to happen; it happens all the damned time.

It's America; dumb, not all that mentally stable, and heavily armed.

Tesha

[gorfle]

48. It hardly ever happens.

There's no need to "hope" for this to happen; it happens all the damned time.

Actually, homicides with any rifle, let alone assault rifles, are quite rare, and account for less than 3% of annual homicides. This is roughly half as many as are attributed to hands and feet.

[tangent90]

3. We should emulate Germany. Draconian gun laws, nobody ever gets shot there.

oh, wait...

[gratuitous]

10. Germany has Draconian gun laws?

I find it strange, then, that the father of the shooter owned 16 guns and couldn't account for them. But maybe there are other definitions of draconian of which I am unaware. Sixteen firearms would seem to be enough for most folks, and the ones that do own that many are apparently not all that careful about keeping track of them.

Oh, wait...

[tangent90]

14. Okay how about "strict"?

Does that work better for you?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/11/germany-school-shooting-laws

[Selatius]

20. Switzerland has model gun control laws, and murder rates with firearms is way lower.

By law, firearm owners are required to store their guns separately from their ammunition, and both must be under lock and key. Those who are on active duty in the civilian militia store their assault rifles in their homes under lock and key, separate from their ammunition as well, and must submit to random inspections from time to time to see if they are compliant.

[greenkal]

21. I read here that Switzerland is improving their laws

and outlawing the dangerous assault rifles from homes. That country is soon to become a much safer place to live.

[Selatius]

23. Regardless, it was already way safer than the US.

As far as the assault rifle issue in Switzerland, the issue is still being debated, and as far as crime statistics go, more people were assaulted with bladed weapons than with any firearms, assault weapons or not, as far as that goes. If the US wants to emulate anyone's current gun laws, Switzerland would be the candidate.

[derby378]

46. Funny that you call it "improvement"

Every nation that has tightened its gun-control laws in recent years has either experienced rising crime waves and/or slouched towards greater restrictions on individual freedom.

[benEzra]

52. The guns they're talking about restricting have been restricted for 75 years here

and unauthorized possession HERE is a 10-year Federal felony. (Currently, Swiss active duty military keep their full auto military rifles at home.)

Guns that ARE readily available to ordinary citizens in the USA (e.g., non-automatic civilian guns) are not the ones they're talking about restricting in Switzerland.

[RaleighNCDUer]

11. Yeah, it's great to see that where gun laws are least restrictive,

EVERYBODY having guns keeps this from happening.

oh, wait...

[tangent90]

16. There are places where EVERYBODY has guns?

Where be they?

[RaleighNCDUer]

17. ...sigh...

[benEzra]

53. You appear to be confusing Alabama with "least restrictive gun laws."

The Brady Campaign rates Alabama's gun control laws as 19th strictest in the nation, out of 50.

I am a North Carolinian, but I lived right next to LA (Lower Alabama) for more than a decade, and became quite familiar with their gun laws. They are not as restrictive as some states, but are more restrictive than many (probably a legacy of the Jim Crow era). Firearm-in-the-vehicle restrictions were very onerous, and CHL licenses were discretionary and somewhat arbitrary.

[bluestateguy]

4. Shameless ambulance chasers

They were probably high-fiving each other as this massacre happened in Alabama: an opportunity for them to chase the ambulance and demand more harassment of law abiding citizens.

I'm sure this asshole in Alabama would have been deferred from doing what he did if we had just made him fill out more forms and obtain more permits. :eyes: :sarcasm:

[FLAprogressive]

12. that's basically what they are. they revel at every shooting in their crusade for feel-good gun laws

[billyoc]

5. They're ecstatic over the fundraising boon this tragedy is going to be for them.

Fucking ghouls.

[Egalitariat]

6. These gun control organizations are to gun manufacturers what

the FBI was to Dr. Dre and Eazy-E. The best marketing they could ever hope for.

I went to a gun show in Lakeland last weekend and .223 ammo was sailing for $450/case (1000 rounds) and they were sold out shortly after lunch. You can't buy ammo hardly anywhere right now. The retail price of "assault weapons" has more than doubled in the last 18 months as well.

Business couldn't be better.

[paulsby]

7. misleading

"America's leading national gun violence prevention organization"

the brady center is a lot of things but it is definitely not what is claimed above.

[guitar man]

8. Do they wan to ban 'em for the cops too?

That would include ATF, FBI, DEA....all of them. If we can't have them, neither can they.

[cliffordu]

9. The powers that be have outlawed drugs for years...

and we can see how that's worked out...

The war on guns will have the same effect that the war on drugs has had....

The necrophiliacs in that shithead organization would do better to pay attention to the number of people who die on the streets from alcoholism.....

But there are no salacious details or press conferences in that..

[Selatius]

13. This issue may end up alienating many voters if another AWB passes.

And I dunno if Democrats in Congress are willing to take on a potential loser of an issue.

[aikoaiko]

15. I really don't think there would have been much of a difference in these tragedies

if the shooters used low-cap 10-round magazines or the standard magazines (so called hi-cap mags).

[guitar man]

19. yep

could have killed as many with a 12 gage pump shotgun.

[cliffordu]

43. With a 12 guage pump my cat could get that many

[FudaFuda]

33. Japanese janitor killed 8, injured many more with a knife in Osaka, 2001.

A determined maniac with any kind of weapon ... gun, knife, baseball bat, frying pan, ballpoint pen ... can kill a whole lot of people before the police arrive. No law's gonna change that.

[TheMightyFavog]

18. No, No, No, No No.

Did we not learn anything from 1994?

Passing an AWB will do nothing but give a fractured GOP a cause to rally around in 2010 and 2012, resulting in major losses in the House and Senate.

Politically, it's a very, very, bad idea.

[-..__...]

22. Bring it on.

We (I),vastly out number them.

For every $1.00 they receive, our side will receive $10.00.

Any politician/legislator that sides with them and votes in favor of an AWB, will see a backlash of epic consequences.

We (I), will work day and night to defeat the reelection and/or nomination of any person or persons that supports an AWB.

Any legislation that manages to pass, will be challenged before the SCOTUS before the ink is dry on any bill.

Anyone wants to see a political battle with repercussions like you've never seen before; then by all means... pass an AWB.

The Brady Campaign/VPC/MMM can all go take a flying fuck and choke on their own shit as far as I'm concerned.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[-..__...]

32. And here's the kicker...

It's frighteningly real and the truth.

Now... imagine if that sort of drive, ambition and determination were applied by other politically motivated groups to achieve and further their cause/interests? Would you be so inclined to respond with "cowardly and ridiculous"?

I can assure you (and other like minded gun-grabbers), there's no room for sugar coating, pulling punches, backing off or playing nice.

You can also add to that list no compromising, no deal making, no negotiations, no acceptable bans and/or restrictions.

My battle lines (as well as others), were drawn long ago.

So, by all means, let the Bradys and their ilk make their move.

[FudaFuda]

34. Bravo!

:yourock:


If we don't ensure the preservation of our rights, we don't deserve to keep them. Instead of attacking the 2nd Am., we should be a motivated force for the rehabilitation of the 4th. The 'war on drugs' has killed it. Ever hear of the 'plain smell' doctrine?

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[AtheistCrusader]

44. There's a couple problems with this.

Least of all, it will lend political power to the far right.

Fortunately, our current leadership appears smart enough to avoid this land mine, and just keep on, on the social problems that we can actually do something constructive about.

[-..__...]

45. Any potential problems...

would go away if the issue was dropped and ignored (as it should be).

Unfortunately... there's a few dinosaurs, artifacts, and shit-stirrers in Congress that won't let it go.

They just need to be persuaded to STFU and sit down or lose control of the legislative branch.

[Tejas]

57. guess McCarthy et al didn't get the memo

Leadership? Surely you jest!

I mean, COME ON, she represents Union Seamstresss etc in Long Island, NY but wants to dictate firearms laws across the entire country.

If that isn't handing ammo to the Republicans on a silver platter then apparently I don't have a clue.

[slackmaster]

25. The previous (failed) federal Assault Weapons Ban did nothing to improve public safety

The recent shootings all have a common thread - A mentally ill person behind the trigger.

[cliffordu]

36. Hmm. Maybe we should just ban the mentally illl.....

...And, i case you missed it....

:sarcasm:

[slackmaster]

39. I wish we could do more to help them

I've did some work in that field in the distant past. most people who commit suicide are those who manage to conceal their suicidal thoughts from everyone around them. People who are only moderately suicidal are more likely to tell someone or actively seek help.

[cliffordu]

41. Yeah...people don't realize that LOTS of the seriously

suicidal see the end of life as a GOOD thing, a final act of control in a life they otherwise have lost control over...And an escape from the pain of that loss....

The people I talked to about it said it was the one bright shiny thing in their lives...That ability to take charge....

Others, of course, just want to inflict maximum pain and take as many with them as possible.

[anonymous171]

26. Let's ban the 4th Amendment while we're at it. That should keep us even safer. nt

[midnight]

31. I believe that one is already banned if when driving, the police

suspect you to be ready to commit or are committing a crime.

[Dukkha]

27. Here we go again, like clockwork

one side's meme 'ban all guns!' after every shooting naively thinking it will stop gun violence
the other side's meme 'more guns! more guns!' after every shooting naively thinking it will stop gun violence

nothing is solved and the victims are still dead

[spoony]

28. Instead, let's ban people losing their jobs and watching

their families crumble from financial stress. Oh, nevermind I guess it's easier to ban big magazines than address the root causes of this outbreak.

[Edweird]

37. Gun-control organizations call for gun ban. In other news, water is wet.

Seriously. When is a 'gun control organization' NOT calling for a ban of something?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

38. I believe the Heller decision might have an impact on this.

[benEzra]

42. Considering that a fair number of the victims' families

undoubtedly OWN guns the Bradyites want to ban, ya think this might be a little bit insensitive?

They've been sharpening their knives for a LONG time, but they're just making noise at this point. This is not 1994, and they can't ban the lawful and responsible ownership of the most popular civilian rifles in America.

[gorfle]

47. Of course...

"The guns used in yesterday's rampage shooting across Alabama -- a Bushmaster AR-15-style assault rifle and an SKS assault rifle -- are military-bred firearms developed for the specific purpose of killing human beings quickly and efficiently."

This, of course, makes them precisely the kind of arms our founders were talking about in the second amendment.

If there is any weapon that American's should own in the spirit of the second amendment, it is military-bred firearms developed for the specific purpose of killing human beings quickly and efficiently.

[Hoopla Phil]

49. That didn't take long.

[benEzra]

51. They've been sharpening the long knives for a long time.

They were probably frustrated that so few recent mass shootings involved the rifles they prefer to scaremonger about.

[Xela]

50. Damn...did my SKS's just...

...turn into pistol-grip-fully-automatic-30-round-capacity assault rifles without me noticing?

I gotta go check my closet later tonight to confirm this pleasant surprise.

I bet this also means there's going to be a permit to own them neatly folded on my dinner table for each of them Ruskies.

Xela

[Taitertots]

54. What could have stopped this?

Does anyone believe that any amount of registrations, feature bans, or waiting period would have stopped this?

[TheWraith]

55. If they do, I'd like to see them prove it.

This guy was clearly determined to end his life in a spree of violence. He used a (presumably) legally obtained weapon, and as we've seen in past killings small magazine size doesn't stop a determined shooter. If this guy had had a plain old fashioned looking hunting rifle, he could have gone ahead and done the exact same thing.

[rq4a]

56. VPC Policy Depends on Confusion

The VPCs own website states thier opinion on the subject of public support for gun laws regarding semi-auto guns:

"The weapons' menacing looks, coupled with the public's confusion over fully automatic machine guns versus semi-automatic assault weapons—anything that looks like a machine gun is assumed to be a machine gun—can only increase the chance of public support for restrictions on these weapons."

http://www.vpc.org/studies/awaconc.htm