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In reply to the discussion: Parents of Sandy Hook victims planning lawsuit against gunmaker Bushmaster [View all]branford
(4,462 posts)I'm a politically active a trial lawyer in NYC.
The SAFE Act is certainly not popular statewide, including in many of the upstate towns and counties, was an issue in many local and Congressional races to the detriment of Democrats, and some sheriffs have vowed to not even enforce the law. Moreover, the courts have already struck down some provisions (e.g., the seven round magazine limitation), and others are still being litigated. The issue is not nearly and black and white as you portray it.
The AR15 is also not a particular gun, but rather a platform, and happens to be the most popular rifle platform in the USA. While you might not want to discuss how manufacturers easily circumvent the features ban of the NY law (similar to the expired federal law), it is easily done, and does not in any way affect the lethality of the new models compared to the old. For instance, Connecticut had a "assault weapons ban" similar to NY prior to Newtown, and the guns Lanza used were fully compliant and evidently lethal.