Following several high-profile mass shootings and attacks on law enforcement involving military-style assault weapons, Congress enacted the federal Assault Weapons Ban in 1994. The ban expired on September 13, 2004 without any consideration or action by Congress, despite the pleas of law enforcement officials across the country. Today, our nation's police find themselves increasingly outgunned by criminals armed with sophisticated firearms and detachable, high-capacity ammuniton magazines (the manufacture of magazines holding more than 10 rounds was prohibited under the federal ban). The following timeline examines law enforcement's experience with assault weapons since the federal ban lapsed:
March 2, 2011—"There is no reason that a peaceful society based on the rule of law needs its citizenry armed with 30-round [ammunition] magazines," states Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck during a news conference." Such magazines transform a gun "into a weapon of mass death rather than a home protection-type device," Beck notes.
February 26, 2011—Referring to increasing seizures of semiautomatic assault weapons that are trafficked in from outside states, Brockton (Massachusetts) Police Department Captain Emanuel Gomes says, "We're literally outgunned. You're talking about the kind of firepower that can go through vehicles, through vests, and that can literally go through a house."
January 16, 2011—After one of his officers is ambushed by a teenager wielding a semiautomatic AR-15 and fired at 26 times, Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty tells The Oklahoman, "There are just more and more assault rifles out there, and it is becoming a bigger threat to law enforcement each day. They are outgunned." Citty states that he sees "no practical reason" why a civilian would need an AR-15 or similiar military-style weapon.
November 21, 2010—Buffalo Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda states,"In my opinion, [AK-47 rifles and other high-powered semiautomatic assault weapons] exist for one purpose and one purpose only and that is to kill."
I am not sure why anyone even reads Freds posts anymore. Everytime I read one of his posts all I can think is I should try to sell this guy ocean front property in Utah. The guy believes anything and apparently does no research.
Funny how they ignore the number of handgun deaths and limit the argument to rifles (and not "other guns")
How many hammers have high-capacity magazines so you can hit 3 or 4 people a second? Why did I single out rifles? Because the current media hysteria is about assault rifles when as a percent of homicides they are not used nearly as often as handguns.
And if hammers are more effective than rifles, why don't we have a National Hammer Association to promote them for self defense?
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
Gee, that's almost as honest as Mitt-Flop/Gov-Etch-a-Sketch/RMoney telling us how all of the Jeep production was "moving to China"...
Since we know these numbers don't include the SIX (6) killed in Arizona when Gabby Giffords was shot (because the Glock is not classified as a "rifle"; I'll ask again... I wonder how many deaths there are if you add the Glocks with 31-round magazines, and the Uzis, and the Mac-9's and Mac-10's, .... How many were slaughtered with semi-automatic/rapid-fire killing machines, Fred? Does that work out to more than "hammers"????
I'm certainly impressed, Fred... Does LOL have to come wipe your nose when you sneeze, and your bottom when you go potty?... Otherwise, I assume nothing you post can be verified.
Your own side confirms my numbers about deaths caused by rifles in 2011. Considering 12000 were killed by drunk drivers usually repeat offenders it looks like the media has shown misplaced priorities if they want to reduce premature deaths in America.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
LadyJazzer wrote: You actually think regurgitating that cherry-picked crap from the gun-nut echo chamber is going to impress anyone?
Jus' keep doin' what yer doin'.....
Yep, I'll keep sending money to the Brady Bunch... I'll stop the slaughter any way I can...
Yes the Obama administration will stop the slaughter. The same administration that armed Mexican drug lords with assualt rifles in Fast and Furious? More incompetence from Team Barack.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
