K1052
Elite Member
- Aug 21, 2003
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Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: rchiu
Originally posted by: LegendKiller
Where did criminals get them? Legally or Illegally?
I am sure after Bush and Repub. let the Federal Assault Weapons Ban expires in 2004, it's easier for criminals to get them legally.
Even the CDC came to the conclusion that the AWB had no measurable effect on gun crime.
It was a totally useless piece of feel good legislation.
Kind of like the ban on magazines larger than 10 rounds? It expired a few years ago, but I remember thinking that it really wouldn't matter much to me if someone shot me 10 times or 17 times, I'd still probably be pretty dead.
I think bans on specific weapons are pretty silly, and as you said, more about having a feel good solution rather than a real one. The problem isn't that criminals are illegally getting the "wrong" weapons, it's that they are illegally getting weapons at all. Somehow I don't think some gang banger is going to get his AR-15 (or whatever) at the local gun store, even if it IS legal for him to do so. Legislation that attacks the illegal methods by which guns are obtained seems much more valuable to me. In particular, I like the customer limits some states have on gun purchases. I think my state, Maryland, might take it to the extreme...but overall I can't think of much reason beyond illegal resale that a person would have to buy several guns every month.
Well speaking as a collector I would often purchase several guns a month (at a time even) if the items I wanted happen to pop up.
I think it would be a lot more effective to address the causes of violence rather than the tools used to commit it. Granted that is a harder task than Congress or the people at large seem to want to take on.