Guns don't kill people, bullets kill people.
Since I no longer wish to rely upon name calling and finger pointing, I have taken it upon myself to share my political beliefs in a blog. This is part three in a series of such entries.
ASSAULT WEAPONS -
The assault weapons ban will expire in September 2004 unless President George W. Bush and Congress renew it. That means that UZIs, AK-47s and other semiautomatic assault weapons could begin flooding our streets again as the weapons of choice for gang members, drug dealers and other dangerous criminals.
BALLISTIC FINGERPRINTS -
When a gun is fired, identifying marks are made on the bullets and cartridge casings. Those marks, called ballistic fingerprints, are as unique as human fingerprints - no two firearms leave the same marks. The marks are also reproducible - every time a gun is fired it leaves identical marks. The uniqueness and reproducible qualities of ballistic fingerprints can provide a critical tool to law enforcement for solving gun crimes by rapidly identifying the specific weapon that was used in a crime.
CONCEALED WEAPONS -
Most people who have permits to carry concealed weapons, people who are not law enforcement officers, have limited training and undergo less testing than even a novice police recruit. There should be strict limits on public carrying of concealed handguns. If permits are going to be issues, law enforcement should have broad discretion to issue or deny permits based on what is best for public safety.
GUN INDUSTRY -
The gun industry manufactures and markets the only widely available consumer products designed to kill. Unfortunately, thanks to the power of the gun lobby, the gun industry also manufactures and markets the only widely available product for which there are no consumer product safety standards.
GUN SHOWS -
Federal law concerning gun sales and ownership is a crazy-quilt of legislation; because of the efforts of the gun lobby to prevent sensible gun laws at the national level, what little law there is tends to cover few areas comprehensively. Due to the poorly-written laws on the books, a category known as "private sellers" exists, where anyone who wants to sell guns from his or her "private collection" need not conduct background checks, keep any records or find out if the buyer is qualified or knowledgeable about firearms in any way.
HIGH POWERED MILITARY WEAPONS -
While there is no evidence that the .50 caliber sniper rifle was designed for recreational use, its manufacturers have often labeled it as a sporting rifle to legitimize their sale of this deadly weapon to the public. Unfortunately, along with everyday citizens, potential terrorists, militia members and other violent individuals also have easy access to both the armor piercing ammunition and the sniper rifles at gun stores, over the internet, at gun shows and through person to person sales.
WAITING PERIODS AND BACKGROUND CHECKS -
In the first six years after the passage of the Brady Law, background checks helped to stop more than 600,000 prohibited purchasers - felons, juveniles and those convicted of domestic violence - from buying firearms. But the sunset of the Brady waiting period removed a safeguard that must be restored.
Source: Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
ASSAULT WEAPONS -
The assault weapons ban will expire in September 2004 unless President George W. Bush and Congress renew it. That means that UZIs, AK-47s and other semiautomatic assault weapons could begin flooding our streets again as the weapons of choice for gang members, drug dealers and other dangerous criminals.
BALLISTIC FINGERPRINTS -
When a gun is fired, identifying marks are made on the bullets and cartridge casings. Those marks, called ballistic fingerprints, are as unique as human fingerprints - no two firearms leave the same marks. The marks are also reproducible - every time a gun is fired it leaves identical marks. The uniqueness and reproducible qualities of ballistic fingerprints can provide a critical tool to law enforcement for solving gun crimes by rapidly identifying the specific weapon that was used in a crime.
CONCEALED WEAPONS -
Most people who have permits to carry concealed weapons, people who are not law enforcement officers, have limited training and undergo less testing than even a novice police recruit. There should be strict limits on public carrying of concealed handguns. If permits are going to be issues, law enforcement should have broad discretion to issue or deny permits based on what is best for public safety.
GUN INDUSTRY -
The gun industry manufactures and markets the only widely available consumer products designed to kill. Unfortunately, thanks to the power of the gun lobby, the gun industry also manufactures and markets the only widely available product for which there are no consumer product safety standards.
GUN SHOWS -
Federal law concerning gun sales and ownership is a crazy-quilt of legislation; because of the efforts of the gun lobby to prevent sensible gun laws at the national level, what little law there is tends to cover few areas comprehensively. Due to the poorly-written laws on the books, a category known as "private sellers" exists, where anyone who wants to sell guns from his or her "private collection" need not conduct background checks, keep any records or find out if the buyer is qualified or knowledgeable about firearms in any way.
HIGH POWERED MILITARY WEAPONS -
While there is no evidence that the .50 caliber sniper rifle was designed for recreational use, its manufacturers have often labeled it as a sporting rifle to legitimize their sale of this deadly weapon to the public. Unfortunately, along with everyday citizens, potential terrorists, militia members and other violent individuals also have easy access to both the armor piercing ammunition and the sniper rifles at gun stores, over the internet, at gun shows and through person to person sales.
WAITING PERIODS AND BACKGROUND CHECKS -
In the first six years after the passage of the Brady Law, background checks helped to stop more than 600,000 prohibited purchasers - felons, juveniles and those convicted of domestic violence - from buying firearms. But the sunset of the Brady waiting period removed a safeguard that must be restored.
Source: Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
posted by PMC 3 at 2:51 PM
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