Sorry  but it was expected    This was from the Editors, not a write in comment

C/P from

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0601260116jan26,0,1714046.story?coll=chi-newsopinion-hed


Ban assault weapons in Illinois

Published January 26, 2006

The federal ban on assault weapons suffered a quiet and unfortunate death in September 2004 as concerns about national safety got swallowed whole by politics.

That's too bad. Statistics suggest the ban on 19 kinds of semiautomatic assault weapons reduced the use of such guns in crimes.

In the five years before the Federal Assault Weapons Act was enacted in 1994, such weapons figured in 4.8 percent of guns used in crimes, as traced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In the years the ban was in effect, assault weapons constituted only 1.6 percent of guns used in crimes. That assessment of ATF figures comes from the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

If the ban had not been passed, the Brady Center estimated, 60,000 more assault weapons would have been used in crimes over the decade.

It's hard to tell whether there's been a surge in the use of assault weapons in crimes since September 2004. But we know they're still around. In Chicago, since the federal ban was lifted, police have seized more than 500 assault weapons.

The worst mass shootings in this country have often involved semiautomatic weapons.

A 1984 McDonald's shooting in San Ysidro, Calif., claimed 21 lives.

A 1989 Stockton, Calif., schoolyard massacre took the lives of five young children and wounded 29 others.

A 1989 workplace shooting in Louisville killed seven.

A 1993 shooting at a San Francisco law office killed eight people.

Those killers were efficient, in part because the weapons they used allowed them to unload their magazines in a hurry, even if they had to pull the trigger for each bullet. That makes attacking a crowd with a spray of bullets that much easier.

Police in San Jose test-fired an Uzi assault weapon in fully automatic and semiautomatic modes. On fully automatic, a 30-round magazine emptied in slightly less than 2 seconds. On semiautomatic, it emptied in 5 seconds. Not much difference.

Last week, Gov. Rod Blagojevich called in his State of the State address for an Illinois ban on assault weapons. Illinois would join seven states, including California and New Jersey, in enacting such a ban. The leadership of Blagoje-vich and Mayor Richard Daley on this is welcome and essential.

A federal ban would have more far-reaching impact than a state law. But even a state law would put a dent in the sale of such weapons.

Passage will be difficult. A vote for gun control is hard for many Downstate lawmakers. What has been frustrating is the number of suburban legislators who resist gun curbs, even when they are popular with most of their constituents. The hope here is that the governor and the mayor will press for a vote in the House and Senate on this. It's an election year--let's put the lawmakers on record and pass an assault weapons ban.

and how many hand gunkillings  in the city  of chicago

"where there is a hand gun ban"where there just last year......??????

this awb tally covers how many years?22????41 people in 22 years



and btw when did the trib go so left?

The libs are pulling out ALL the stops this year to get this AWB passed in Illinois this year. The truth has never mattered to the libs, so make sure you contact your state reps to let them know where you stand on these AWB attempts and bills. While the truth may not matter to the libs, our votes do matter to our reps. Write, fax, and call today.

All the lies printed to fit.

IIRC, They  did one last year too, and the year before that.

We do what we do year in and year out.    Let all keep it up , it's pretty much second nature.

And as always   ... Fuck The Grabbers.  

Crap, my mouse is going TU.     Carry on.

The federal ban on assault weapons suffered a quiet and unfortunate death in September 2004 as concerns about national safety got swallowed whole by politics.  Funny, I thought it wasn't renewed because it didn't work. That's too bad. Statistics suggest the ban on 19 kinds of semiautomatic assault weapons reduced the use of such guns in crimes.  Who's statistics, Brady's?  Did this idiot who wrote this know that many of the weapons weren't banned, and that ar15s and ak-47s were still being sold during the ten years of the "ban"? In the five years before the Federal Assault Weapons Act was enacted in 1994, such weapons figured in 4.8 percent of guns used in crimes, as traced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In the years the ban was in effect, assault weapons constituted only 1.6 percent of guns used in crimes. That assessment of ATF figures comes from the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Funny here too, because the "banned" ar15s starting in 1994 and throughout the ban went on to become more popular than ever, and become one of the best selling semiautomatic rifles of all time.  I guess John Lott's book was right all along;  "More Guns, Less Crime". If the ban had not been passed, the Brady Center estimated, 60,000 more assault weapons would have been used in crimes over the decade.  By whom?  The law-abiding people buying the majority of them?  They haven't used them in crimes in the past.  Why would they change now? It's hard to tell whether there's been a surge in the use of assault weapons in crimes since September 2004.  Finally admitting it's hard to prove something that isn't so! But we know they're still around. In Chicago, since the federal ban was lifted, police have seized more than 500 assault weapons.  Just what does Chicago consider an "assault weapon" anyway? The worst mass shootings in this country have often involved semiautomatic weapons. A 1984 McDonald's shooting in San Ysidro, Calif., claimed 21 lives. A 1989 Stockton, Calif., schoolyard massacre took the lives of five young children and wounded 29 others. A 1989 workplace shooting in Louisville killed seven. A 1993 shooting at a San Francisco law office killed eight people. Forgot the "D.C. snipers".  Can't believe it. Those killers were efficient, in part because the weapons they used allowed them to unload their magazines in a hurry, even if they had to pull the trigger for each bullet. That makes attacking a crowd with a spray of bullets that much easier.  Unloading and reloading a single-shot shotgun with buckshot is pretty quick too.  I wouldn't want to be hit by what comes out of it!  Let's "ban" them too! Police in San Jose test-fired an Uzi assault weapon in fully automatic and semiautomatic modes. On fully automatic, a 30-round magazine emptied in slightly less than 2 seconds. On semiautomatic, it emptied in 5 seconds. Not much difference.  Must have been a guy with an "itchy trigger finger", as I can't do it that fast, as if that even means anything. Last week, Gov. Rod Blagojevich called in his State of the State address for an Illinois ban on assault weapons. Illinois would join seven states, including California and New Jersey, in enacting such a ban. The leadership of Blagoje-vich and Mayor Richard Daley on this is welcome and essential.  Yeah, we want to be like CA and NJ, a couple of really great states. A federal ban would have more far-reaching impact than a state law. But even a state law would put a dent in the sale of such weapons. Passage will be difficult. A vote for gun control is hard for many Downstate lawmakers.  Geez, I wonder why?  Maybe because they have some common sense on this matter and get calls from constituents worried about their constitutional rights being taken away? What has been frustrating is the number of suburban legislators who resist gun curbs, even when they are popular with most of their constituents.  Who says they're popular with most of their constituents?  The Brady Group liars? The hope here is that the governor and the mayor will press for a vote in the House and Senate on this. It's an election year--let's put the lawmakers on record and pass an assault weapons ban.  They've been "on record" in the past as being against this type of legislation, and yet, for some reason, they still get re-elected.

Who in the heck writes this crap?!