Enemy action 
Posted on 12/22/2006 10:15:46 AM PST by neverdem
It is long past time for the state Legislature and Congress to enact more effective bans on high-powered, military-style assault weapons.
New Bedford police were overpowered and outgunned when they went to the Foxy Lady strip club last week to respond to a domestic violence incident that turned into a deadly and frightening rampage.
The gunman, Scott Medeiros of Freetown, had obtained a Class A license more than a decade ago that allowed him to purchase any legal gun in the state, including the AR-15, a military-style semiautomatic assault rifle that is banned in California.
It is true that without the AR-15 rifle, Mr. Medeiros still might have used deadly force to kill the two Foxy Lady employees he apparently intended to murder. But he would not have overpowered police on patrol. And as one letter writer pointed out this week, "He definitely would not have been able to accomplish the life-threatening terror that took place outside the club."
We applaud New Bedford Mayor Scott W. Lang for urging legislators from SouthCoast to push for a more effective assault weapons ban in the state, and we urge him to use his influence with our congressional delegation to revisit the federal assault weapons ban that was allowed to lapse in 2004 under the Republican-controlled Congress.
Massachusetts is such a small state and so near states with much weaker gun laws that a stronger federal policy on assault weapons is necessary to protect the Bay State.
The 10-year federal ban halted the manufacture of 19 of the most deadly military-style assault weapons and banned their sale across the nation. Critics say there were significant loopholes in that ban. For example, the weapon used by Mr. Medeiros was banned only when it included certain components, such as a bayonet, flash suppressor and other devices, according to Freetown Police Chief Carlton Abbott. The basic weapon designed to replicate the military M-16 was still for sale across much of the nation.
Chief Abbott agrees with Mayor Lang that it is time to revisit regulations on assault weapons. He also suggests that the state re-examine classifications of gun licenses. Under current law, anyone with a Class A or Class B license can purchase a military-style assault weapon.
Weapons bans open up a raging debate about the meaning of the Second Amendment "right to bear arms." But this debate should not keep us from looking at the disturbing reality that it is too easy for civilians to purchase and use weapons designed only to kill and terrorize people, weapons that provide a civilian with more firepower than local city and town police. We must then enact sensible regulations to protect all law-abiding citizens, whether or not they choose to own a gun.
The 2nd Amendment says that people have a right to own guns.
The 9th Amendment says that if there is any part of the Constitution that is fuzzy, then the issue is settled in favor of the people.
Sorry you hate that - but it's the law and have a nice day. :)
Ignorance never stopped their pontificating.
The good mayor and his state rep buddy from Cambridge have been on the radio daily since the shooting talking about these evil high power killing machines. What a load of crap. On WRKO yesterday AM a fair number of callers took the rep to task for having not a clue of what an AR-15 really is.
Enemy action
I suppose an "assault weapon" would be anything these gun grabbers decide it should be.
Cordially,
The power to decide what guns we get to own does not belong in politician hands.
Gun Control. It isn't about guns. It's about control.
The MSM is again intentionally trying to confuse semi auto with machine gun.
Is the Class A license the same license that allows the purchase of full auto machine guns?
Arbitrary classification. Describes a certain subset of features that not only can be used to scare the sheep, but to demonize an entire class of sporting arms. These features have no bearing on the lethality of the weapon.
"Any law enforcement officer, found in posession of a weapon not allowed the general public, shall be imprisoned for ten years."
This country is being overrun by invaders.
The government, unable and unwilling to defend its borders, is attempting to remove the last line of defense.
If you're feeling lucky, try to get mine.
IMHO, assault is an ACTION.....a weapon is a DEVICE.
This crap won't stop until those citizens take the rep to the town square for a "liberal" application of tar and feathers.
Is there another type of weapon than an 'assault' weapon?
Is there another purpos for weapons than 'assault'?
What a load of tripe!!!
That didn't stop any of the LEO's *from all across the nation* illegally seizing legally owned firearms from people in New Orleans, did it? The lawmakers and the law enforcers don't care a da*n about the Constitution.
"I propose a law -
"Any law enforcement officer, found in posession of a weapon not allowed the general public, shall be imprisoned for ten years."
"Any Government Employee of The United States, State, or Local Governments, found in possession of a weapon not allowed the general public, shall be imprisoned for the rest of his or her natural life."
I like mine better, but yours is a good start.
I just responded on another thread with a more direct reference about this... banning of the AR-15 specifically because the bad guy had one, and the cops didn't. But, this is reading like some sort of idiotic Science Fiction Book, where "military are trained" but then they come back to civilization, and society seeks to imprison them all because they are "trained killers and society is too meek to deal with them". Lemme see.. done to death on Star Trek (the original series) and if I recall correctly it was also reprised on Star Trek the Next Generation... and at least a couple of stupid movies (Sly Stallion vs. Wesley Snipes in Demolition Man). Oh well, anyway, if things keep going this way... then SF will, indeed, come true
Whats that saying? "When Guns are outlawed...Only Liberals will have power"
The correct usage is any hand carried military weapon that fires multiple times from one pull of the trigger(automatic)and used to assault fixed positions.
It is always used incorrectly in the MSM to include semiautomatic weapons.
Or would that be Amerikan Idle?
No, that would be a Federal class III license. Class A, B etc is apparently a Mass. state designation for who knows what, prolly anything the libtards don't like on any given day.
I could live with it. ;)
Hmmm...so I guess a BLU-82 is out of the question?
And the definition of high powered in this case - is that the available ammunition is not AP - capable of penetrating ANY body armor.
Gun makers need to call all of their products "non-assault weapons". Then what will be left to ban?
Additionally, more anti gun blather.
"Any law enforcement officer, found in possession of a weapon not allowed the general public, shall be imprisoned for ten years."
I second your proposal.
It's ludicrous to think that disarming the public while leaving the government armed could lead to anything but tyranny - the second amendment is there to secure the power in the hands of the people, not the public servants.
Why does it not surprise me this is happening in Femichusetts?
So the paper alludes to the fact the the "expired" federal ban would not have helped the situation with this nutcase and his AR-15.
So, how many cops were killed? None? So let's hear from the chief how the AR-15 made the situation worse.
Oh yeah, Mass. already has some of the most onerous gun laws in the country. You can keep your hands off mine.
And the government tells me I can't have one except by their leave.
I am but a serf and I don't like it.
Re-name them all "Assault Prevention Weapons". Maybe that'll get it through to the Brady Bunch and Gun Banners in general.
Soccer Moms (and Dads, too, probably) are more easily terrorized by "assault weapons" than by ordinary "weapons".
MRSI gets tough, but it can be done (Multiple rounds simultanious impact) (pronounced Mercy Missions)
"Assault weapons don't belong in civilian hands"
Yes they do.
I think you do. I have a friend that is a civil war buff. One of the kind that goes around redoing the large battles of the Civil war.
He has an actual Civil war era cannon. Says he had to register it with the fed guv in order to keep it.
I haven't actually looked into getting one. I was relying on his experience.
"Any law enforcement officer, found in posession of a weapon not allowed the general public, shall be imprisoned for ten years."
My revision: "If any law enforcement officer is found in possession of a weapon not allowed the general public, the law will be amended to make that weapon legally available to the public!"
An "assault" weapon is a vague term usually used to obfuscate the difference between military looking semi-automatic long arms and various automatic firearms. Wikipedia seem to have a decent discussion, although I didn't read all of it.
Regardless, the 5.56 mm of the M-16 does huge damage. Kills and wounds. As one who has been wounded by an M-16 round, I can testify to the damage that round does to the body.
based on my many years of legal practices I have come up with the following law of nature:
The more restrictive the gun control laws in a political entity, the greater in incidence of political corruption within that entity.
example: Chicago, high political corruption and very restrictive gun control. Same for Washington DC.
MRSI gets tough, but it can be done
What about percussion caps?
Assault rifle, originally from the German WWII "Sturmgewehr", sturm = storm or assault and gewehr = rifle. I may have spelled it wrong, at any rate the idea was to neck down a full power rifle catridge, usually about .30 caliber (German 8mm or 7.92 x 50 something) into an intermediate powered round.
It was decided that full powered rifles were unnecessary, engagenments rarely took place at more than 300 yards, much closer than the 1200 yds a standard battle rifle was capable of.
The old style weapons were more costly to manufacture than the new select fire weapons (today an M1A1 semi-auto M-14 type rifle made the old way goes for about $1400 vs around $400 for a Romanian WASR AK clone) made from simple stampings and welds and a minimum of the precision machinings by skilled craftsmen required in the older weapons.
In addition the new weapons fired lighter ammunition allowing more of it be carried.
Tactics changed as the war went on and the numbers of well trained long service troops declined, the proportion of less well trained troops rose and the general level of marksmanship declined, mass over quality if you like.
It was felt that in close quarters combat the ability to through a lot of bullets would compensate for the decline in other qualities and improve the average soldier's morale enough to make the assault with his fellows close beside him, all spraying and praying, suppressive fire by the individual soldier or squad providing a base of fire to pin or supress the enemy and allowing other elements to manuever against the objective.
Here is an example of the stupidity
Weapon:
"Assault" Weapon:
Same model gun. The first picture is "Stock" minus the bayonet to make it legal for import. The second is filled with after market accessories and addons. Still missing the bayonet but the bi-pod uses the bayonet lug in this case so probably can't have both.
These are not my pictures, just ones I found on the net. I own the same model myself, but not pics sorry. And yes mine is technically "banned" because of my after market stuff, but I don't give a rats ass.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.