So much for Obama not banning guns...

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2004
So much for Obama not banning guns...
73
Thu, 02-26-2009 - 11:55pm
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=6960824&page=1

Obama to Seek New Assault Weapons Ban
The Ban Expired in 2004 During the Bush Administration.
By JASON RYAN
WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2009

The Obama administration will seek to reinstate the assault weapons
ban that expired in 2004 during the Bush administration, Attorney
General Eric Holder said today.

Wednesday Attorney General Eric Holder said that the Obama
administration will seek to reinstitute the assault weapons ban which
expired in 2004 during the Bush administration.
(AP Photos/ABC News Graphic )

"As President Obama indicated during the campaign, there are just a
few gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them
would be to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons,"
Holder told reporters.

Holder said that putting the ban back in place would not only be a
positive move by the United States, it would help cut down on the flow
of guns going across the border into Mexico, which is struggling with
heavy violence among drug cartels along the border.

"I think that will have a positive impact in Mexico, at a minimum."
Holder said at a news conference on the arrest of more than 700 people
in a drug enforcement crackdown on Mexican drug cartels operating in
the U.S. Mexican government officials have complained that the
availability of sophisticated guns from the United States have
emboldened drug traffickers to fight over access routes into the U.S.

A State Department travel warning issued Feb. 20, 2009, reflected
government concerns about the violence.

"Some recent Mexican army and police confrontations with drug cartels
have resembled small-unit combat, with cartels employing automatic
weapons and grenades," the warning said. "Large firefights have taken
place in many towns and cities across Mexico, but most recently in
northern Mexico, including Tijuana, Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez."


At the news conference today, Holder described his discussions with
his Mexican counterpart about the recent spike in violence.

"I met yesterday with Attorney General Medina Mora of Mexico, and we
discussed the unprecedented levels of violence his country is facing
because of their enforcement efforts," he said.

Holder declined to offer any time frame for the reimplementation of
the assault weapons ban, however.

"It's something, as I said, that the president talked about during the
campaign," he said. "There are obviously a number of things that are -
- that have been taking up a substantial amount of his time, and so,
I'm not sure exactly what the sequencing will be."

In a brief interview with ABC News, Wayne LaPierre, president of the
National Rifle Association, said, "I think there are a lot of
Democrats on Capitol Hill cringing at Eric Holder's comments right
now."

During his confirmation hearing, Holder told the Senate Judiciary
Committee about other gun control measures the Obama administration
may consider.

"I think closing the gun show loophole, the banning of cop-killer
bullets and I also think that making the assault weapons ban
permanent, would be something that would be permitted under Heller,"
Holder said, referring to the Supreme Court ruling in Washington, D.C.
v. Heller, which asserted the Second Amendment as an individual's
right to own a weapon.


The Assault Weapons Ban signed into law by President Clinton in 1994
banned 19 types of semi-automatic military-style guns and ammunition
clips with more than 10 rounds.

"A semi-automatic is a quintessential self-defense firearm owned by
American citizens in this country," LaPierre said. "I think it is
clearly covered under Heller and it's clearly, I think, protected by
the Constitution."

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martinisnsushi - living the good life since 1963

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martinisnsushi - the two most important food groups!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-11-2009
Thu, 03-05-2009 - 5:07am
Unless you are in the military or in law enforcement, there ZERO reasons why you should own ASSAULT WEAPONS!
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-25-2008
Thu, 03-05-2009 - 6:38am

Actually, we've already named some of the reasons.

 


"      

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2004
Thu, 03-05-2009 - 10:54am
Unless you are in the military or in law enforcement, there ZERO reasons why you should own ASSAULT WEAPONS!



A few questions:


1) Do you know what an "assault weapon" is?


2) Why do you think the 2nd amendment was included in the Bill of Rights?


3)Do you apply the same limit to other constitutional and civil rights? Are there books ordinary citizens shouldn't read?


4) Do you know how many gun owners there are in the US? How does this number compare to the number of gun crimes?


5) What percentage of crimes in the US involve weapons banned by the AWB?


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martinisnsushi - the two most important food groups!

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