Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Bush reneged on assault-gun pledge
From the RoundTable blog
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Evans lives in Roanoke.
The federal assault weapons ban expired Sept. 13.
In 2000, presidential candidate George W. Bush pledged to renew the ban. Before the expiration, however, he said he would do so only if the Republican-led Senate and House sent him the enabling legislation to prevent AK-47 and Uzi ownership from once again becoming legal.
Not coincidentally, I'm sure, the National Rifle Association had not made its expected announcement of support for President Bush as of Sept. 13.
Although the Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibits the import of guns not specifically designed for sporting purposes, crimes committed with assault weapons were increasing in 1989. President George H.W. Bush took action by banning certain imported assault weapons. That year alone, the number of imported assault weapons traced to crime dropped by 45 percent.
Still, in 1989 an assault rifle with a 75-bullet magazine clip was used to kill five children and wound 29 others at a school in Stockton, Calif. In 1993, two CIA employees were killed and three were wounded in Langley; eight people were killed and six wounded at a San Francisco law firm; and four agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were killed and 16 wounded in Waco, Texas - all by assault weapons.
In 1994, Uzis and AK-47s continued to be manufactured, imported and sold in the United States. Law enforcement officials began calling assault weapons by the name "cop killers."
Assault weapons accounted for 17 percent of the fatal shootings of police officers. Although assault weapons made up only 1 percent of privately owned guns in America, they accounted for more that 8 percent of guns traced to crime from 1988 through 1991.
Enormous public support finally overcame the NRA's opposition, and in 1994, under President Clinton, a crime bill specifically banned the manufacture and import of assault weapons. It also banned the manufacture and import of ammunition magazine clips holding more than 10 bullets.
In 1995, 18 percent fewer assault weapons were traced to crime than in 1994.
Despite the support of the majority of the American people for the ban, the Republican-controlled Congress incredibly voted to repeal it in 1995. The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the revelation of the many militia groups training with assault weapons with the expressed purpose of "protecting themselves" from our government caused a public outcry, and the repeal of the ban was postponed until Sept. 13 of this year.
Well, here we are, back where we began. Earlier this year, U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and John Warner, R-Va., introduced Senate Bill 2109, which would renew the law 10 more years. U.S. Reps. Mike Castle, R-Del., and Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., introduced the same legislation in the House of Representatives. But the Republican leaders of both the House and Senate refused to allow the bills to come to the floor for a vote.
This situation sends cold chills down my spine and should cause us all to be concerned. The Fraternal Order of Police, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and Doctors Against Handgun Injury are among many large organizations concerned. Let's contact our congressmen and our president and let them know our feelings. Let them know that if they won't do something about it, we'll ask President Kerry to take care of it for us.
