Posted on 09/19/2007 11:49:54 AM PDT by nin_kasi
Miami-Dade Officer Jose Somohano was shot and killed with a Mak-90 assault rifle three years to the day after the federal law prohibiting the sale of such weapons expired.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police issued a report at noon Wednesday calling for, among other things, a renewal of the ban, arguing that it helps keep police officers safe by reducing the ``firepower available to criminals.''
The report hits home for South Florida law enforcement officers, who have been facing an increasing number of these guns on the street since the ban expired. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez, a former police officer and police director, can't hide his anger when he talks about the fact that lawmakers let the ban expire.
''While I feel very strongly about the Second Amendment, I don't think that our founding fathers had AK-47s in mind,'' he said. ``There's absolutely no reason I can see having these weapons out on the street.''
His voice rising, he brings up Shawn LaBeet, the man who killed Somohano: ``This guy just went to a gun store with a fake ID and bought one.''
LaBeet bought nine guns in the past year, including the semiautomatic Mak-90, which is similar to an AK-47. The gun was covered under the assault weapons ban and was illegal to sell for 10 years until September 2004.
''It's one thing to talk philosophically about the right to bear arms and it's another to see what these assault rifles can do,'' Alvarez said.
Local police say the numbers of murders committed with assault weapons has been steadily rising since the ban expired on Sept. 13, 2004.
In the city of Miami, 20 percent of murders this year were committed with assault weapons, up from 4 percent in 2004.
Local law enforcement say there is little they can do besides ramp up their own arsenals. They're looking to Congress for an answer.
''This is not a local issue. It has local implications, obviously. A police officer was just killed here,'' said Miami Police Chief John Timoney, an ardent gun control advocate. ``The resolution of this is in the nation's capital. But there's no appetite to address that.''
Timoney recently decided to allow his officers to carry assault rifles. Miami-Dade police have plans to do the same, Alvarez said. And last year, the Broward Sheriff's Office allowed deputies to carry them.
''I would think that for all the departments to start changing their viewpoints on allowing officers to carry assault weapons tells you there are more of those out there,'' said Dick Brickman, president of the Broward Police Benevolent Association. ``What's the purpose of assault rifles? As far as we're concerned, an assault rifle is only going to hurt people.''
U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, said he supports a new assault weapon ban and thinks there is pretty widespread support in Congress on the issue.
''It should be renewed. I think the majority of members of Congress would support it,'' he said. ``The president, in a very lukewarm way, has indicated that he would sign it but I'm not sure he really would.''
Klein said he thinks the tide is changing in public opinion, too.
''It doesn't take another law enforcement officer to be killed by assault weapons to persuade people that banning them is just common sense,'' he said.
A bill to renew the ban was introduced in Congress this year, but has not made it out of committee yet.
Here we go again.
Late-model military rifles were precisely what they had in mind.
It's the Moose Limbs St--id !
I posted a story in chat yesterday about an armless man who head butted another man to death. Why don’t these maroons go ahead and ban heads too?
Actually it's exactly what they had in mind.
Klein said he thinks the tide is changing in public opinion, too.
Forgot all about 1994 have you?
L
Democrats banished them from their party years ago.
You're right. If that weapon had existed then, that's exactly what they would have meant.
Why wasn't this person prosecuted for purchasing a weapon illegally?
They didn’t know what an AK-47 was, they had in mind “firearms just like the military uses”. In my mind that means I ought to able to have anything the military has. Period. No, I don’t want a nuke. Wouldn’t do me a lot of good... unless this were planet of the apes or something (/grin)
These guys probably shouldn’t ask me whether I’d rather live without the second amendment or without cops; they probably wouldn’t like the answer...
Police chiefs are almost always anti-gun. They’re politicians, not street cops. There was some harelip chief named McCarthy or something who was always used by the anti-gunners as a spokesman some years back. Now he has some other govt job, and I still see his rodent face on TV, but he’s wearing a suit instead of a uniform.
They are outlaws! You can pass every law and regulation in the world and the outlaws will just laugh about them. Meanwhile the beat goes on. The assault weapons ban won't even slow the bad guys down.
DC Sniper must not have happened. He was using an AR-15 in 2003, which was banned for sale by the AWB.
Q: Why don’t these maroons go ahead and ban heads too?
A: Democrats banished them from their party years ago.
Wrong! Only the contents.
Mr. Mayor, what is an assault rifle?
Citizens: replace LEO that believe the answer to their problems is more gun control
I stand corrected. John Kerry has one of the biggest heads I’ve ever seen; and the most perpetually vacant.
The police have been doing this way before assault weapons were even an issue.
I guess I fail to understand why a tactical weapon is more ‘scarey’ than any other. Secondly, if gun control were effective as crime control, than DC and Baltimore should be the safest cities on the planet.
"It's any gun that looks big, black and scary with a lot of knobs and buttons that I don't know what they're for."
‘His voice rising, he brings up Shawn LaBeet, the man who killed Somohano: ``This guy just went to a gun store with a fake ID and bought one.’’ ‘
Its sad he can’t read his own words, and note where the real problem is, don’t you think?
Or hey, how about Samurai swords? That way the cop could have had his arms cut off first and THEN literally cut in half. Yep, Good old Carlos the Mayor certainly would have like that much more than just catching a hit by the medium power 7.62 x 39 round.
So then, it would have been acceptable had he bought something else with his fake ID?
Time once again to arm up and BLOAT. Well, actually, it never really stopped. This is just a good reminder.
And a Department issue Glock 21 is what? A feather duster? What kind of moron put this drivle together?
keep talking guys!
These cowards that htink their fellow citizens are criminals should get the hell out of the US and take up residence with their international brotherhood of tyrants.
Alternate renderings:
Once again, for the clueless liberals out there, a weapon is a tool; the criminal is the perpetrator.
“’While I feel very strongly about the Second Amendment, I don’t think that our founding fathers had AK-47s in mind,’ he said.”
No, they didn’t. I doubt they had any particular model or type weapon in mind, hence no “bear rifles” “bear pistols”, etc.
We don’t need to rid the criminals of their favorite tools, we need to rid the streets of the criminals. You know, LAW ENFORCEMENT, Sparky.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police are a bunch of self serving political hacks that DO NOT speak for the rank and file Law Enforcement Officer
Was this officer killed in a way that was impossible with any other gun?
If so, how?
What makes the weapon so dangerous that it must be banned?
My ‘assault rifles’ have never killed anyone. That may not be the case if someone comes to take them from me.
As a friend said recently, in a world filled with guns, but no people, there would be no violence. However, in a world with no guns and only people, there would still be violence and murders. It’s not the gun, it’s the person using it.
Instead of lobbying congress to take guns from the good guys, lobby your legislature to apply appropriate penalties (revive old sparky) to the bad guys.
I don't think they had high-speed printing presses, radio, television or the Internet in mind either.
“Instead of lobbying congress to take guns from the good guys, lobby your legislature to apply appropriate penalties (revive old sparky) to the bad guys.”
Ahh but the bad guys don’t follow the rules. Its much easier to force the good guys to give up their Constitutional rights.
"The tank, the B-52, the fighter-bomber, the state controlled police and the military are the weapons of dictatorship. The rifle is the weapon of democracy .... If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government - and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws."
“’It’s one thing to talk philosophically about the right to bear arms and it’s another to see what these assault rifles can do,’’ Alvarez said.”
Alternate phrasings:
1. Its one thing to talk about free speech but another to see what it can do.
2. Its one thing to talk about all people being free but another to see what it can do.
3. Its one thing to talk about women being able to vote but another to see what it can do.
4. Its one thing to talk about not forcing homeowners to quarter the military in their homes but another to see what advantages are lost to the Nation.
5. Its one thing to ensure a speedy trial but another to see what people will plead guilty to after they’ve been held for 5 years without charges.
People like this make me sick.
Smells like another propaganda cycle heating up again.
Your assault weapons haven’t killed anyone yet?! Take ‘em back, they must be defective. They are apparently incapable of performing their essential function.
You’re right but only until they try to disarm the wrong good guy. Then they will wish that they were only dealing with street thugs.
They don’t know who their friends are and that makes it hard for us to seem them (the police) as our friends.
IBrp again?
oh yes indeed...batting 1000 so far!
Better yet. Send them to me and I'll dispose of them ;~)
LOL
I have trained them to do what they were created to do when the time comes. They have killed lots of paper and pumpkins.
What is fascinating about miami politicians is how “set aside” intensive they are. Each group pushes their own quota scheme. The irony, for example, is the hispanics who demand hispanic minority set asides in a city where they are dominating.
This happens every election cycle in Miami with “magic” ak-47 turning up.
A LITTLE RESEARCH will reveal that AK-47s “magically” appeared even when there was the assault weapons ban. This is just democrats trying to make headway with the same old playbook.
The MAK-90 was NOT banned...they have thumbhole stocks! Dumb cop.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police issued a report at noon Wednesday calling for, among other things, a renewal of the ban, arguing that it helps keep police officers safe by reducing the “firepower available to criminals.’’
I’d treat this about the same as if the Joint Chiefs of Staff came out advocating a gun ban for the populace.
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