Orlando Sentinal thinks a new AWB is long overdue

[ericire12]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-ed03109feb03,0,1980888.story

We think: A renewed federal assault- weapons ban is long overdue

    February 3, 2009

An erstwhile federal ban on assault weapons made lots of sense. Allowing it to lapse, as Congress did in 2004, didn't. How much longer will it take to correct that mindless mistake? There's no need for ordinary citizens to be armed with such lethal firepower. Hunters don't need them. Gun-toting urbanites don't need them, either. Those who say that outlawing these lethal rifles will only mean that criminals will have access to them are flat wrong. All that legalization does is make it easier for crooks to get them, and make it necessary for police to play catch-up in a costly city-street arms race. It's happening right here in Central Florida. Only six years ago, officers in Orlando and Orange County seized 15 high-powered AK-47s and AR-15s. Four years later, that number grew to 79, a jump of more than 400 percent. These guns are not in the hands of good people trying to protect themselves. No one is trying to trample on Second Amendment rights. But there do not seem to be many examples where honest citizens stopped a crime, or caught a criminal, by brandishing an AK-47 or some similar brand of assault rifle. However, there are too many examples of the opposite -- criminals using these weapons to kill people or law-enforcement officers. The latest one occurred in Miami last week, when an unknown assailant fired an AK-47 into a crowd of teenagers, murdering two youths and wounding seven others. Sound familiar? Last October, two killers fired 58 rounds from two AK-47s during a gunfight in Pine Hills that left two men dead. Orlando Police Chief Val Demings has seen enough. Getting guns off the streets is one of her top priorities. The same holds true for Jerry Demings, recently elected sheriff in Orange County. Their challenge is daunting: Almost 10 illegal guns a day are seized in this community. The lines between a legal and an illegal gun are blurry. In Florida, guns are readily available to anyone without a criminal record. But guns routinely end up in the hands of criminals. All it takes is a "straw purchase," when a friend or relative buys a gun for a criminal. It's time to make some of that more-potent firepower illegal -- period. After the latest incident in Miami, Police Chief John Timoney said that the percentage of homicides involving assault weapons jumped to 29 percent of all shooting fatalities in 2008. Mr. Timoney implored Congress to reinstate the ban. Mr. Timoney and other advocates for outlawing assault weapons are right. Bringing back the ban is long overdue, and Congress ought to place the ban on its "to-do" list immediately. Yes, lawmakers on Capitol Hill have plenty of other business in front of them. But an assault-weapons ban shouldn't take much debate. this one's a no-brainer. The ban was once on the books; all that Congress has to do is write it back into U.S. law. Oh, yes, with one exception. Don't write in a sunset provision this time.

Tom, get your typing finger ready......

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/about/orl-feedback-2,0,4041118.customform

[twyacht]

There's a "Public Safety Officer" R. Parker here in South Fl. after the" AK Ambush " as the MSM calls it, stated Joe Biden, (the one who wrote the original AWB), will be,....wait for it,....

BRINGING IT BACK!

The anti's are getting louder, now that BHO's in, I hope the NRA, and others, become equally as vocal.

[fullautovalmet76]

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[tombogan03884]

I am a Marine Corps Veteran, a National Guard Veteran, and the owner of an AK 47 style semi auto rifle.
I resent your specious comments which are obviously fueled by ignorance of your subject.
Your claims that you are worried about "crime" are a lie, if you were truly concerned with violent crime you would be railing against violent criminals and the Judges who let them out to re offend. Instead you rant about an inanimate object, and try to penalize and stigmatize law abiding citizens.
The 7.62 x 39 cartridge fired by the AK style rifle is at most of MEDIUM power.
There is no such thing as an "assault weapon" this is an intentionally misleading phrase developed by the PR guru's of the anti gun rights lobby to cause confusion in the minds of non shooters, who are lead to think it refers to fully automatic weapons, (which have been federally regulated since the 1930's)when in fact it is a reference to a mid powered SEMI automatic (Pull the trigger once for one shot, if you want another shot you must pull the trigger again) rifle that LOOKS like a military design, despite the lies of the Brady groups the internal mechanism is significantly different between the two.
There is ample evidence that criminals are not deterred by anti gun laws, any one with common sense would notice that in their job description "law BREAKERS" . As for your comments insinuating that I and the thousands of other Americans who own these weapons are "crooks". If you used this type of language on any other group in America you would be pilloried for what the SCOTUS called "hate speech", Ask Don Imus about that.
I have read the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Federalist Papers many times and have never found reference that limited the 2nd Amendment to the arms that YOU approve of.
In future , if you wish to avoid appearing ignorant, please read the facts about firearms and their ownership at www. gunfacts.info This is NOT NRA related, and does not reference NRA statistics, It uses statistics from groups like the DOJ and CDC.
 I will point out that every LEGAL AK owner is an FBI certified good citizen, as the 2nd Amendment is the only one that requires individual govt. permission to exercise it. If that were true for the first amendment , would YOU pass ?
There are only 2 reasons a person would support any type of fire arms ban, either they are ignorant, or they are trying to provide a safe work environment for murderers, robbers, and rapists.