Assault Weapons Ban Battle Heats Up; With 200 Days Left, Advocates Kick off Fight to Save Ban

releases.usnewswire.com ^

[Rocky Mountain High]

This is probably splitting hairs, but I'd bet a cold beer that they weren't actual AK-47's. They were probably AKM, AK-74, or Type 56 variations.
But hey, what do I know? Regardless, the cops brought 9mm's to a rifle fight.

[Ichneumon]

Full auto AK's are not part of the assault weapons ban. They are covered by the statute passed in 1933 regulating machine guns.

Correct, except that it was 1934 (signed into law on June 26).

[El Gato]

Tom Delay has already stated that its not going to be voted upon.

I'm sick to death of hearing that. Delay can control wether a bill gets voted on, in the sense wether or not it gets put on the calender. He cannot control amendments offered after the bill comes out of committee or get put on the Senate. The ban extension will not come, if it comes at all, as a stand alone bill. It will come as a amendment to some other bill, most likely one from the Senate, or like the frivolous lawsuit protection bill, as an amendment added in the Senate to a bill already passed in the House.

[Monty22]

I've written to my critters, and I hope everyone else will too. We have to do whatever we can on this one.

[El Gato]

Any R who votes for this abomination should face well financed primary challenges.

The primaries will be over by the time this turkey passes, if it does. We'll have to wait 2,4, or 6 years to present the "lesson", and by then the law will have been permanent for a bit over 1,3, or 5 years. The chances of getting it repealed will be slim to none, and the Supreme Court will once again deny cert to any challenge to the law.

[DMZFrank]

Gun grabbers are increasingly trying to separate the right to keep and bear arms from its constitutional underpinnings. To everyone but many liberals and gun grabbers the word militia implies a body organized for military use. The Supreme Court Miller decision of 1939 held that the militia was 'A body of citizens enrolled for military discipline.' And further that ordinarily when called for service these men were expected to appear bearing arms supplied by themselves and of the kind in common use at the time."

To begin with, only the national government was represented at the trial. With nobody arguing to the contrary, the court followed standard court procedure and assumed that the law was constitutional until proven otherwise. If both sides were present, the outcome may have been much different.

However, since only one party showed up, the case will stand in the court records as is. As to the militia, Mr. Justice McReynolds related the beliefs of the Founding Fathers when commenting historically about the Second Amendment. He stated that, ". . .The common view was that adequate defense of country and laws could be secured through the militia- civilians primarily, soldiers on occasion.

"The significance attributed to the term Militia appears from the debates in the Convention, the history and legislation of Colonies and States, and the writings of approved commentators. These show plainly enough that the Militia comprised all males physically capable of acting in concert for the common defense.

It is clear that the firearms that are most suited for modern-day militia use are those semi automatic military pattern weapons that the yellow press calls "assault weapons". Since nations such as the Swiss trust their citizenry with true selective fire assault rifles, it seems to me that this country ought to be at least able to trust its law-abiding citizenry with the semi automatic version.

Self-defense is a vital corollary benefit of the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. But its primary constitutional reason for being is for service in the well-regulated militia which is necessary to the security of a free state. Don't let the gun grabbers and their politician allies separate us from the constitutional reason for the right to keep and bear arms.

PostScript: In the vernacular of the founders well-regulated meant well drilled and organized.

[Darnright]

Heads up, people!!! Do me and this country a favor, and help me get this word out, ASAP!! Here's an email I got from a Virginia 2nd amendment lobby group: When I said urgent in my previous message on the "assault weapon ban" I meant it. Today, Wednesday, the Senate is planning on taking up the gun manufacturer's protection bill that is the target of Feinstein's/Warner's assault weapon ban amendment! If you have not contacted Senators Warner and Allen yet, you must do so NOW. There is no time to waste! Tell them that any assault weapon ban bill or any assault weapon ban amendment to another bill is to be opposed! Here is their contact information again: Senator John Warner, 202-224-2023, web form: Senator George Allen, 202-224-4024, web form: __ Here in Virginia several gun bills are going to be heard in the Senate Courts of Justice committee starting at 2 PM today (Wednesday). I plan on being there to speak on them. Keep your emails on good bills coming to this committee. I will advise what happens tomorrow night. I should also have news on the gun manufacturer's protection bill and any AWB amendments in Congress. Cross your fingers - lot's of important things going on today!

[Monty22]

Here we go baby! Let's make sure this does NOT pass!!!!!

[Darnright]

Sorry for the lack of formatting. Let me try again: When I said urgent in my previous message on the "assault weapon ban" I meant it. Today, Wednesday, the Senate is planning on taking up the gun manufacturer's protection bill that is the target of Feinstein's/Warner's assault weapon ban amendment!

If you have not contacted Senators Warner and Allen yet, you must do so NOW. There is no time to waste!

Tell them that any assault weapon ban bill or any assault weapon ban amendment to another bill is to be opposed!

Here is their contact information again:

Senator John Warner, 202-224-2023, web form: http://warner.senate.gov/contact/contactme.htm

Senator George Allen, 202-224-4024, web form: http://allen.senate.gov/index.cfm?c=email&which=Standard

__ Here in Virginia several gun bills are going to be heard in the Senate Courts of Justice committee starting at 2 PM today (Wednesday). I plan on being there to speak on them. Keep your emails on good bills coming to this committee. I will advise what happens tomorrow night. I should also have news on the gun manufacturer's protection bill and any AWB amendments in Congress. Cross your fingers - lot's of important things going on today!

[Darnright]

BUMP!!!

[steve50]

Good luck. My dealings with my reps lead me to believe the only thing they understand is donations and votes. Most responses I get back from them don't even address the issue raised.

[Darnright]

"My dealings with my reps lead me to believe the only thing they understand is donations and votes."

That's true. If these RINO senators and President Bush do not let the AWB sunset in September, do they honestly think the gun owners who put Dubya in office will all let bygones be bygones, and dutifully troop out to vote for them?

You know good and well they'll sit home, and let the chips fall where they may. I don't want Kerry in the White House, but if Bush and these senators sell out their whole base, they're NOT going to stay in power.

[Mudboy Slim]

If you have not contacted Senators Warner and Allen yet, you must do so NOW. There is no time to waste!

Tell them that any assault weapon ban bill or any assault weapon ban amendment to another bill is to be opposed!

Here is their contact information again:

Senator John Warner, 202-224-2023, web form: http://warner.senate.gov/contact/contactme.htm

Senator George Allen, 202-224-4024, web form: http://allen.senate.gov/index.cfm?c=email&which=Standard

Consider it done...MUD

[templar]

If we don't act soon, AK-47s and UZIs will once again be available to cop-killing criminals and terrorists,"...

That implies that they aren't available now. She is wrong. They (semi-auto AK's and UZI's) aren't used in crimes very often because they are not really suited for criminal purposes, not because they aren't easily available.

[templar]

...do they honestly think the gun owners who put Dubya in office will all let bygones be bygones, and dutifully troop out to vote for them?

Yes, absolutely!

It is imperative that we elect Republicans at any cost so that the will remain in control of the Congress and Presidency and ... well..... maybe ... do something conservative some day?

[Darnright]

This is so unnecessary. Can't the GOP understand that the AWB is the very thing that kept Clinton and the Democrats from keeping the Senate and the House, at the very least?

What do they think is going to happen?

The GOP sure can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, can't they?

[Texas Federalist]

Why did Warner switch his stance on the AWB from 10 years ago? I know he cites "evidence that it promoted public safety" which we all know doesn't exist, so what is it?

Eh, he's probably just an a--hole.

[Darnright]

>Eh, he's probably just an a--hole.

He's a country club Republican of the first order. We get stuck with him every election because in Virginia, the candidate can choose a primary as opposed to a mass meeting. We have open Primaries, come one, come all.

Every year the Democrats saddle us with the old f@rt.