Panel kills bill on assault weapons - N.O. lawmaker sought to ban them

The Times-Picayune ^ | May 22, 2008 | Ed Anderson

[neverdem]

BATON ROUGE -- A pro-gun rights House committee Wednesday shot down, 12-1, a bill to impose a statewide ban on assault weapons starting Jan. 1.

House Bill 68 by Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, is dead for the session unless he can amend it onto another bill. The only member of the House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice who voted against killing the bill was Rep. Roy Burrell, D-Shreveport.

Richmond was joined in his presentation by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and ranking members of the New Orleans Police Department, who brought confiscated assault weapons and ammunition to the hearing. Nagin said that since Hurricane Katrina, the department has seized more than 600 illegal assault weapons in the city, many used by drug dealers.

Richmond's bill would have required all assault weapons to be turned over to State Police by Jan. 1. It also would have required owners to register their weapons with State Troopers and pass a criminal background check.

Owners who qualify could pay a license fee and get an annual permit. Assault weapons would be confiscated from those who fail the background check. The bill called for a penalty of as long as six months in jail, a fine of as much as $500, or both for having an expired assault weapon permit. Individuals who did not have a permit could be fined as much as $2,000 and face as long as two years in jail, or both.

"There is no sport about these guns," Richmond said. "These guns are made for killing."

Rep. Elbert Guillory, D-Opelousas, said that in his rural district, citizens need weapons to match the firepower of criminals because they are at least 10 minutes away from police help. "They are responsible for their own safety," he said...

[Gilbo_3]

“I must study Politicks and War that my sons may have liberty to study Mathematicks and Philosophy. “

great ending to a great post...

while I agree that joining the enemy is WRONG and that doing nothing is WRONG, I cant for the life of me envision when, how, or where we, as a people make a stand...[divided we fall...]

We dont have the luxury of an ocean and logistics [except for sheer numbers] to make a start...

Matt's fictional delivery was/is the only way I can see things changing, but Ive dont have the tools/skillset and am at odds on 'when' it would actually be morally acceptable...

Hell these days I wonder if this post wouldnt make 'the list' and invite an 'informant' driven inspection...

I'm also so ??? at the state of 'politics'...IF a decent candidate steps forward to SERVE...without knowing the guy personally and having a real trust in their conviction, I honestly wouldnt invite them into my home and expose my kids to them, anymore than a common criminal from the street...

Kinda hard to vote FOR someone when Ive become that cynical...

all I can honestly DO at this point is follow my tag, trying to hear that still, small voice...and prepare for the worst...

L F O D ...

[BBell]

I'm not sure of Bobby Jindal’s stand but I do know He's got an A+ rating from the NRA.

[ZULU]

Good enough for me. Maybe McCain should pick him.

[Eva]

It sounds as though if Nagin got rid of the drug dealers, he wouldn’t have to worry about the assault weapons.

[TalonDJ]

IIRC, it was a semi-auto ban.

Semi-auto AND pump action. This would have banned most shotsguns and huge numbers of rifles.

[beltfed308]

Good posts!

Molon Labe!

[NFHale]

“Hell these days I wonder if this post wouldnt make ‘the list’ and invite an ‘informant’ driven inspection...”

My friend, the first time you bought a firearm “on paper” you “made the list”. The time you sent fingers to keyboard and typed up a blog of protest, you made the “list”.

We’re ALL on the “list” out here.

But be of good cheer...”THEY” are on OUR list as well. And there are MILLIONS of us.

Live Freed or Die, indeed...

“I was born an American. I live as an American; I shall die an American; and I intend to perform the duties incumbent upon me in that character to the end of my career. I mean to do this with absolute disregard to personal consequences. What are the personal consequences?

What is the individual man with all the good or evil that may betide him, in comparison with the good and evil which may befall a great country, and in the midst of great transactions which concern that country’s fate? Let the consequences be what they will, I am careless, No man can suffer too much, and no man can fall too soon, if he suffer or if he fall, in the defense of the liberties and Constitution of his country.”

...Daniel Webster

[NFHale]

"Beltfed308"...Hmmm....sounds like an M60 or M240 to me... Like it...every home should one. Molon Labe indeed, brother.

[TXnMA]

Richmond was joined in his presentation by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and ranking members of the New Orleans Police Department, who brought confiscated assault weapons and ammunition to the hearing.

[hiredhand]

And there are MILLIONS of us.

This brings to mind an "interesting" discussion I had with a neighbor of mine some weeks ago. We agreed that there were many of us willing to send forth issuance of "deadly force" in the direction of doors splintering inward at 0200 in the morning. It's fairly agreed that there's no shortage of people with this attitude, especially in more rural places.

But that's not the question. What divides us is the moral question as to whether or not we're willing to fire on a group who is kicking in the door of the neighbor's house at 0200...whether they be common criminals, or the "sanctioned" variety. THIS is where my neighbor faltered.

Sure. Everybody is willing to fight and die at home, for what we want to keep, and for those living in our homes. But too few are willing to fight and potentially loose it all for another man just two doors down.

This is what will be our downfall. The numbers of people who are willing are too few.

I've pondered the fact that there are millions of armed Americans. But survey those who own guns and take a poll as to who has more than a "couple of boxes" of ammo. Only the "fringe" is keeping enough for an actual encounter, and fewer than that are operating effectively with regards to good logistics practices. Fewer than that know anything about CQB or squad tactics, or are only "moderately" proficient with their weapon of choice. A small 7 man ATF or LEO team which is trained and equipped is beyond the ability of the vast majority of the millions of American gun owners to handle in any way, shape or form. My neighbor spoke indignantly when he told me he'd shoot anybody that came to break his door down in the wee hours of the morning. I smiled and told him that he probably wouldn't make it out of bed...much less to the dark closet without lights (they'll cut the power), to locate his weapon and defend the place. The "intruders" will have done proper intel and surveillance and will have the whole operation all mapped out and everybody will be on the floor in tie-straps, and half naked within about 4 minutes IF that. He looked at me angrily and said, "Oh yeah!? We'll I'll get one of them!" I told him that he probably wouldn't, even though it might make him feel better to fire blindly in the dark before one of the operators fired a burst at his muzzle flash.

I saw my neighbor react to the truth, which is that most American gun owners are really rather helpless attempting to fight this system individually and by the "rules"....which as we all know, only apply to the peasant citizenry.

The bottom line is this. We're faced with tyranny in our lifetimes. The nature of it is aggressive and eventually, we'll all be effected by it to one degree or another. But eventually, unless "some" of those millions of gun owners join in a manner which shows that they're an actual force to be reckoned with, and not some useless statistic as oft quoted by the NRA, then they'll be "handled" house by house by the likes of SRTs and "operators" in the employment of our various and illustrious "alphabet agencies".

Somebody is sure to tell me to speak for myself (as if I can do anything else!). But down inside, everybody knows that these things I write are true. Everybody's willing to fight their own little civil war on their own property, and in their own houses... but not two doors down.

It doesn't have to be that people are willing to start by firing on purveyors of tyranny who are attempting to hurt a neighbor. People need to start by simply CARING about that neighbor! But we as Americans are too fat, lazy, and materialistic to give a damn about neighbors anymore. That's the most definite impression that I get with the vast majority of people who live in populated places.

I don't have a lot of hope for the situation personally. I base this on the mindless masses who live in population centers and subscribe to leftist ideas about the very tenants of human nature, and how to deal with it effectively. They've got it all wrong, and they continue to handle it wrongly (to OUR detriment!), in spite of historical evidence. They're either stupid, sick, retarded, or a combination thereof.

Until these attitudes and philosophies shift gentlemen, we will remain a very small, and relatively powerless minority with a very big problem on our hands.

[Gilbo_3]

Wow hh, you had me glued to the monitor, your 'truths' are a very realistic scenario...I figure when push comes to shove, in my own house, I may get lucky and drop a couple, but I know when they come...I'm DEAD...

I pray that my family will be spared, and that in the above scenario its not Mrs. G or baby Victoria that get dead while Im out some night...God would need to have mercy of the INDIVIDUAL thugs, cause I would make it my purpose in life to send em to hell...

They're either stupid, sick, retarded, or a combination thereof.

then I almost spewed coffee cross the keyboard...

But we as Americans are too fat, lazy, and materialistic [ie SPOILEDBRATS] to give a damn about neighbors anymore. That's the most definite impression that I get with the vast majority of people who live in populated places.

since moving to the 'sticks' [and trying to listen to the Lord Jesus ] Ive gotten much better about looking beyond my own fenceline for trouble...itd be nice if more would do the same...

Hope the sun is shinin on the 'compound'...gonna be a remarkable 3 day weekend of weather here...

[hiredhand]

So I made you spew your coffee eh?! Mission accomplished! :-)

I should have added that (as you well know), I'm with you. I'm well past trusting the gov't anymore, along with everybody else in my house, and my close circle of extended family. I pay them what I must in various forms, but decided when tyranny became overly obvious that I would trust in the Lord and leave them to Him...for the "most" part. I'm like you though, and there are a lot of us who pray that God will keep us and our families safe because if/when these things come to us, there will be no "returning" from what we'll do in response. I suppose God could change our hearts and send our feet in a different direction, but right now when I look inside and do the ole "if/then" logic "thing", I know what I'd do.

In all honesty, I'm just glad to be able to stay small and quiet at this point.

[wastedyears]

They want your guns? Give them to ‘em.

Ammunition first

:)

[MD_Willington_1976]

No kidding...

[NFHale]

Not to veer too far off point, but check out a book called “The Day The American Revolution Began”, by William H. Hallahan. Read that first, then read “1776” by David McCullough. They were incredibly organized, as primitive as things were back in the day. Amazing reads.

As for the “truths”, well, yes indeed - they’ve proven themselves quite capable and adept at acting like the Gestapo, Sicherheitsdeinst, or KGB. Especially when Dems are in control and will back up/cover up every transgression.

[wastedyears]

Who says it has to be room-to-room? We’d have the advantage outside of 50 yards.

[wastedyears]

I finished Unintended Consequences a few weeks ago.

[hiredhand]

Because SRTs don't usually engage at 50 yards. They break down doors, toss "flash bangs" through windows, and then rush in and do business at room-sized distances.

[wastedyears]

Which is why an AR-15 with ACOG is better than a suppressed H&K MP-5 for that reason.

[hiredhand]

Er...well...I can't speak for all of them. I work for a large state “agency” and have some overlap with LEOs. A good many of the SRTs here either use M-4 (clones), or the H&K UMP chambered for the .45ACP. The H&Ks are suppressed. I haven't seen a suppressed M-4 yet, but that doesn't mean they don't have them in the inventory. They tend to like the Eotech sights. They're half the price of ACOGS.