Howard Dean: An Expiration Date On Safety

[madfloridian]

http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_13319.shtml

On Monday, Sept.13, the law banning the manufacture of semiautomatic assault weapons for private sale in the United States expired.

SNIP..."Before you read further I should tell you that my father was an avid hunter. I grew up with guns in the house, and although I do not hunt, I own an over-and-under shotgun. While running for office in Vermont, I won eight straight elections with the endorsement of the National Rifle Association. As Governor, I conserved hundreds of thousands of acres of habitat by partnering with the NRA to fight off the right-wing property rights advocates who opposed government land acquisition. I believed Vermont's outdoors should be the way it has been for generations, and now it will be.

However, I have never met a hunter who thought owning an assault weapon was necessary to shoot a deer or a bear. I have met a lot of law enforcement officers who think that the federal assault weapons ban saved a lot of their colleagues' lives. I have met parents whose kids were killed by assault weapons years ago and are bracing for more of the same.

Where I come from, chief executives are supposed to lead. Where I come from, when the chief says he supports something and his party controls the House and the Senate, what the chief really wants, he gets.

I would have more respect for President Bush if he had come out and said "I changed my mind, and I'm not supporting the reauthorization of the assault weapons ban." But, he did not do that. America needs a president with the real courage to say what he believes - no matter what the latest poll numbers show.END SNIP

[Ninga]

1. Howard rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MrBenchley]

2. Great statement....

the GOP pandering to the corrupt gun industry shows exactly what a farce their claim to "Keep America safer" is....

[Malva Zebrina]

3. No doubt about where he stands at all--clear and concise no nonsense

Howard Dean is confident and fearless.

[Gin]

4. Howard we love ya!

g

[Pastiche423]

5. As a true leader should be

[madfloridian]

6. "what the chief really wants, he gets."

SNIP..."Where I come from, chief executives are supposed to lead. Where I come from, when the chief says he supports something and his party controls the House and the Senate, what the chief really wants, he gets...."

[shane7726]

7. We need to DROP the AWB issue NOW

Who was the last Presidential candidate to win who proposed stiffer gun legislation?

Does anyone remember what happened in the House and Senate after the passing of the first ban?

THe amount of crimes committed with an "assault weapon" prior to 1993 was less than 2%. During the last 10 years, the amount of crimes committed with an "assault weapon" was less than 2%. There has been aboslutely NO effect on crime with this legislation so why are we pushing it so hard? Any person who researches the subject will find that both the DOJ and the CDC have done extensivle studies that show there was no benefit to having this law in place.

When John Kerry gets on the stump and says that terrorists are going to be arming themselves in America he will be accused of using the same scare tactics that the other side are using. Guess what...terrorists are using planes and truck bombs and strapping dynamite to their chests. They want to kill as many people as possible. They aren't going into gun stores to buy guns they could have bought for the last ten years anyway.

[madfloridian]

8. That is just ridiculous.

I have nothing to say to that.

[shane7726]

9. Perhaps you can say...

in what way I am mistaken?

[madfloridian]

10. This has been in place. Does not need to expire.

It is a wedge issue.

[shane7726]

11. It does need to expire

The whole purpose that a "sunset clause" was written into the law is because the legislature wanted to gauge the ban's effectiveness in reducing crime. After 10 years, it has shown that it had NO effect. Why keep the ban in place if it doesn't do anything to make anyone safer?

[madfloridian]

12. Then why is law enforcement so worried?

They are really concerned. I question you on that. I see no need for removing the ban.

:shrug: