On Guard, America (AWB)
NY Times
September 11, 2004

As regressive milestones go, few are as frightful in this new era of homeland security as the decision by Congress and the Bush administration to allow the expiration of the 10-year-old law protecting the public from assault rifles and other rapid-fire battlefield weapons. The law - a far from perfect but demonstrably effective restraint on high-tech gunslingers - expires on Monday with not a whimper from the White House.

When George Bush was a candidate four years ago and under campaign pressure from moderates, he announced that he did support the renewal of this highly popular law. It turned out that he was shooting rhetorical blanks; his support depended on the renewal's ever getting through Congress in the first place. As president, Mr. Bush has never once demanded that his G.O.P. leaders cease playing first responder to the demands of the gun lobby and take the initiative on this public safety issue.

A decade's experience with the assault weapons ban showed clearly that the only people who were inconvenienced were the criminals, the gun lobbyists and the least responsible gun dealers. Certainly the Second Amendment rights of responsible hunters were never crimped. Anyone taking to the woods next week with a freshly unfettered AK-47 or Uzi, or a TEC-9 assault pistol, will only make mincemeat of the game and a mockery of sportsmanship.

Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford pleaded with President Bush to do more than give passive lip support to the ban, just as most major law enforcement agencies told him the law was a vital check on gun mayhem across the nation. But rather than protecting the law, the administration invested its single-party control of government on behalf of the National Rifle Association, not the public. Instead of trying to control assault weapons, Republican Congressional leaders tried to outlaw legitimate damage suits by gun victims against irresponsible manufacturers and dealers.

Now the greedier gun dealers are preparing to profit on the law's expiration as if it signaled the arrival of Beaujolais nouveau. The Bush administration has allowed the right to bear arms to degenerate back to the right to brandish battlefield weapons on the home front.

in a few weeks the dumb libs and media will ferget all about it and move on to a new story to bitch n moan about.

the antis will continue to make it an issue and bring it back to congress next year, despite there being no noticable criminal gun change anywhere.

No fool like an old fool.

Quoted: On Guard, America (AWB) NY Times September 11, 2004 As regressive milestones go, few are as frightful in this new era of homeland security as the decision by Congress and the Bush administration to allow the expiration of the 10-year-old law protecting the public from assault rifles and other rapid-fire battlefield weapons. The law - a far from perfect but demonstrably effective restraint on high-tech gunslingers - expires on Monday with not a whimper from the White House. When George Bush was a candidate four years ago and under campaign pressure from moderates, he announced that he did support the renewal of this highly popular law. It turned out that he was shooting rhetorical blanks; his support depended on the renewal's ever getting through Congress in the first place. As president, Mr. Bush has never once demanded that his G.O.P. leaders cease playing first responder to the demands of the gun lobby and take the initiative on this public safety issue. A decade's experience with the assault weapons ban showed clearly that the only people who were inconvenienced were the criminals, the gun lobbyists and the least responsible gun dealers. Certainly the Second Amendment rights of responsible hunters were never crimped. Anyone taking to the woods next week with a freshly unfettered AK-47 or Uzi, or a TEC-9 assault pistol, will only make mincemeat of the game and a mockery of sportsmanship. Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford pleaded with President Bush to do more than give passive lip support to the ban, just as most major law enforcement agencies told him the law was a vital check on gun mayhem across the nation. But rather than protecting the law, the administration invested its single-party control of government on behalf of the National Rifle Association, not the public. Instead of trying to control assault weapons, Republican Congressional leaders tried to outlaw legitimate damage suits by gun victims against irresponsible manufacturers and dealers. Now the greedier gun dealers are preparing to profit on the law's expiration as if it signaled the arrival of Beaujolais nouveau. The Bush administration has allowed the right to bear arms to degenerate back to the right to brandish battlefield weapons on the home front.

I can hardly wait to "unfetter" my guns.

the administration invested its single-party control of government

Couldn't the same be said for the way the ban was passed in the first place?

And look what it got the Democrats.

Someone take up a collection and send the NY Times a block of cheddar to go with all of that whine.

The more I read this crap, the more I say, Joseph Gobbles would be proud of the propaganda the America media can spew with a strait face.

More unfetters per squeeze?

Quoted: The more I read this crap, the more I say, Joseph Gobbles would be proud of the propaganda the America media can spew with a strait face.

Not familiar with any Gobbles (except maybe turkeys).  Are you thinking of Joseph Goebbels ?

Quoted: Quoted: The more I read this crap, the more I say, Joseph Gobbles would be proud of the propaganda the America media can spew with a strait face. Not familiar with any Gobbles (except maybe turkeys).  Are you thinking of Joseph Goebbels ?

That's what I get for posting after being up for almost 20 hrs.

which paper ran the VPC ad with osama holding an AK and saying something like, 'terrorists can't wait for 9/13' or some shit like that?

What an idiotic article.

Quoted: That's what I get for posting after being up for almost 20 hrs.

I know exactly how you feel.  Just can't bring myself to go to bed.

Quoted: On Guard, America (AWB) NY Times September 11, 2004 Now the greedier gun dealers are preparing to profit on the law's expiration as if it signaled the arrival of Beaujolais nouveau. The Bush administration has allowed the right to bear arms to degenerate back to the right to brandish battlefield weapons on the home front.

Hint:  Writer is out of joy juice and angling for a contribution, hopefully before Nov. 15 (no, that's no election date, it's Happy Beaujoloais Day).  Four paragraphs and he's frothing at the mouth.

Can you say OVER THE TOP

Reads like a 2 year old throwing a tantrum.

And worthy of the same attention.