CeaseFire MD Forms State-Wide Coalition to Pass Assault Weapons Ban

[gun-fucious]

CeaseFire MD Forms State-Wide Coalition to Pass Assault Weapons Ban
10/21/2003

Press Release
CeaseFire Maryland
The Mill Center
3000 Chestnut Avenue, Ste 203
Baltimore, MD 21211
www.hgabuse.org
Contact:
Leah Barrett
Phone: 410-889-1477

Baltimore, MD - CeaseFire Maryland announced the formation of a state-wide coalition to enact a Maryland ban on military-style assault weapons at a seminar at Johns Hopkins University on Saturday. The broad-based coalition comprises such groups as the Maryland League of Women Voters, the Maryland Chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition, Physicians for Social Responsibility, the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence, the Maryland Million Mom March, local law enforcement and members of the Maryland interfaith community. The seminar was co-sponsored by the Consumer Federation of America, Physicians for Social Responsibility, the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition and the Abell Foundation.

Leah Barrett, Executive Director of CeaseFire Maryland, said: "The Coalition will work to achieve a Maryland assault weapons ban in the 2004 General Assembly to expand the 1994 Maryland ban on assault pistols. Assault weapons are the guns of choice for criminals and were used to kill one in five law enforcement officers slain during the line of duty between 1998 and 2001, according to FBI data. One of these deaths occurred in Maryland in 2000."

The Bushmaster, a civilian version of the military M-16 and the weapon used by the DC-area snipers, would be banned under legislation being drafted by Senator Rob Garagiola (District 15) and Delegate Neil Quinter (District 13).

A key incentive to pass a Maryland state ban is that the 1994 federal assault weapons ban expires on September 13th, 2004, unless renewed and strengthened by Congress.

Senator Garagiola commented: "It is unlikely that this Congress will do the right thing and reauthorize the federal ban. As a result, you will be able to purchase AK-47s, Uzis and Street Sweepers at your local gun shops in less than a year. These weapons do not belong on our streets."

Delegate Quinter remarked, "Prince George's County Police records show they are not seizing assault pistols from criminals anymore because they have been banned in Maryland for nearly ten years - the supply has dried up. But they are continuing to seize assault rifles. Our bill would help shut off the supply of these deadly weapons of war to criminals in Maryland."

Chief Edwin Day of the Baltimore City Police Department's Detective division said, "Just the other night, an AR-15 assault rifle killed a young man in Baltimore. These guns can fire off 25-30 rounds of ammunition in a few seconds. Assault weapons are designed to instill fear and their lethality has held Kevlar-vested police at bay. Do we want the guardians of society to be outgunned by the bad guys?"

There is no danger sportsmen would be denied their firearms. The federal law provides specific protection to 670 types of hunting rifles and shotguns currently being manufactured. The gun industry admits that assault weapons have limited sporting use.
Nearly two-thirds of Marylanders support banning these weapons of war from our streets. Maryland would be following other states that have chosen to ban these guns, including Massachusetts, California, New Jersey, Connecticut and Hawaii.

Date of Release: October 21, 2003
http://www.jointogether.org/gv/news/alerts/reader/0,2061,567298,00.html

 

[RKCheung]

Do we want the guardians of society to be outgunned by the bad guys?

Umm... the guardians of society (the gun-owning public) WILL be outgunned by the bad guys if this passes. Numbnuts.

 

[JeepDriver]

Senator Garagiola commented: "It is unlikely that this Congress will do the right thing and reauthorize the federal ban. As a result, you will be able to purchase AK-47s, Uzis and Street Sweepers at your local gun shops in less than a year. These weapons do not belong on our streets."

Do these idiots really belive that murders and thugs go to a gun shop fill out the paper work and wait the 7 days for their weapons?

I wonder if any of these people have been in a gun store

 

[chaim]

MD is anti gun enough anyway (esp. the legislature) and with all the publicity over last year's DC sniper attacks (which really did scare the heck out of the area- you'd have to have been here to understand, people driving to PA from DC to get gas, my aunt drove from work to home only and nearly paniced when she finally had to get gas, restaraunts were pretty much empty, many retail stores were nearly empty, some people actually called in to work- it wasn't pretty) due to the anniversary and trial...I really expect this to pass. We are likely to see something at least as bad as CA and maybe worse. I wouldn't even be surprised if the legislature could get enough votes to override Ehrlich's veto.

Because of this, I will probably not buy what I want to right now, but rather hold onto my gun money, save another month or two, and finally get an AR or M1A. Heck, if I can't save that much I'll at least pick up an M1Carbine or Mini-14. Hmm, I'll have to look at the bills more closely. Anyone know if any of the current proposals would ban Garands too? If so that will have to be my next gun.

 

[Kharn]

Chaim: Get a stripped AR15 lower (costs about $150) if the ban looks like a new ban is going to pass and you dont have a lot of cash saved up, then add the rest of the parts over time as you can afford them. There's lots of sites with instructions on how to put it together on the web (a small hammer, two screw drivers and a razor blade are all I need to put a lower together, the upper comes assembled if you buy a kit).

Kharn

 

[Brian Dale]

Note to lurkers: what Kharn suggests above is legal, moral and ethical.

Separate point:

Senator Garagiola commented: "It is unlikely that this Congress will do the right thing and reauthorize the federal ban. As a result, you will be able to purchase AK-47s, Uzis and Street Sweepers at your local gun shops in less than a year. These weapons do not belong on our streets."

Good heavens, no. Don't leave them lying out in the rain and snow. They belong in the homes of good people everywhere.

 

[greyhound]

"It is unlikely that this Congress will do the right thing

Well, normally I'd agree with him, but in the ban gets repealed I'll make an exeption...

Our bill would help shut off the supply of these deadly weapons of war to criminals in Maryland."

Umm, nope, sorry Bub - what your bill would do would be to prevent law-abiding, non-felons from exercising their 2A rights. But, since there is nothing you can actually do to keep guns out of the hands of the criminals, you can use that to trumpet "guns off the streets" and the sheep will feel better.

Nearly two-thirds of Marylanders support banning these weapons of war from our streets.

Unfortunately I think he's probably right about the 2/3. I don't think Chaim is too far off here. Hey, I've written my letters to my state Senators and Delegates, please do too if you are a Marylander and don't want to give up! Remember, if they win this they are liable to go after most of the handguns next (see New Jersey).

 

[gun-fucious]

Chaim,
We elected Bob Ehrlich not Kathleen KENNEDY Townsend.

KKT attempted to smear Bobby via the MMM website Ehrlichandguns.com

KKT lost

The State Police's opinion in Annapolis last year for Quinter & Company
was despite the "Snipers" an AWB would accomplish nothing
as the rifle in question was stolen from a store on the opposite side of the country

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=167842

and 'sides that
they don't have good old chief Moose to trot out this year!

Come on out to the March gun day in Annapolis and voice your opinion at the legis-crats

Wear a Casper the ghost pin

 

[2dogs]

Why is it I get the feeling that those who scream loudest (or in the case of these folks, whine the loudest) are going to win on this issue?

 

[TheEgg]

"Just the other night, an AR-15 assault rifle killed a young man in Baltimore.

Then arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate the damned thing!

 

[Leatherneck]

they don't have good old chief Moose to trot out this year!

D'ya think so? My bet is that about the only job Da Moose will be able to get will be as a poster child for the lefties. The media still adore him.

TC
TFL Survivor

 

[StLGlocker]

Boy, this article is the poster-child for stupid anti tricks, isn't it?

Assault weapons are the guns of choice for criminals and were used to kill one in five law enforcement officers slain during the line of duty between 1998 and 2001, according to FBI data.

I guess that depends on how loosely you define an "assault weapon". Real assault weapons are select-fire and fully automatic. Blanket-labeling every black or eeeeeeeevil looking gun an "assault weapon" doesn't make it so. The Bushmaster used by the DC "snipers" is functionally the same (and actually less powerful) than most hunting rifles. You know, the ones anti-gunners are so quick to say they -don't- want to ban.

you will be able to purchase AK-47s, Uzis and Street Sweepers at your local gun shops in less than a year. These weapons do not belong on our streets.

Because so many criminals visit the local gun shop, submit to the background check, and endure the waiting period when they want a gun. Right? Bueller? Bueller?

By the way, what the hell is an assault pistol?

Just the other night, an AR-15 assault rifle killed a young man in Baltimore.

Better get a priest to excorcize it pronto! It's obviously possessed if it can go floating around by itself looking for kids to shoot.

These guns can fire off 25-30 rounds of ammunition in a few seconds.

First, that statement implies automatic fire, and AR-15's lack that capability. And, even if someone were good enough to shoot a semi-auto that fast AND expect to hit anything, it's still fuctionally no different than other non-black, non-military-looking semiautos.

After all this, they've got the nerve to say there's no danger of sportsmen being denied their firearms. Right. What happens when these morons who are absolutely CLUELESS on the subject of firearms find out that .308 is a bigger caliber than .223? Your deer rifle will be the next target of the "it holds Kevlar-vested police at bay, shivering with fear" BS.

:banghead:

 

[gun-fucious]

kinda of a familiar song huh?

http://www.logicsouth.com/~lcoble/2ndamend/hci_args.txt
Other Pressing Points:

Military Assault Weapons: The confusion by the general public
between semi-automatic weapons can work in our favor.
Constantly dropping the words - submachine gun, fully
automatic, machine gun, military weapon, high tech killing
machine are good debater's tricks to instill a sense of dread
over these weapons. Ultimately people will learn to dread
these weapons just like chemical warfare weapons and toxic
waste dumps.

Semi-Automatic Weapons: Remember that there is no place for
any kind of semi-auto weapon in a safe society regardless of
how it looks, since many so called sport rifles can be
easily converted to a military configuration. Thus all
semi-automatic weapons are capable of being called assault
weapons . Never let up on this fact.


Assault Weapons - the Choice of Criminals: Assault weapons
are the weapons of choice for gangs, mentally deficient
individuals, and criminals across the board. The Gun Lobby
argues that anyone at anytime should have the right to buy
and own these weapons of mass destruction.

 

[Nightfall]

Senator Garagiola commented: "It is unlikely that this Congress will do the right thing and reauthorize the federal ban. As a result, you will be able to purchase AK-47s, Uzis and Street Sweepers at your local gun shops in less than a year. These weapons do not belong on our streets."

Help get guns off the streets! Give an 'assault weapon' a home!

 

[earl_simmons]

Senator Garagiola commented: "It is unlikely that this Congress will do the right thing and reauthorize the federal ban. As a result, you will be able to purchase AK-47s, Uzis and Street Sweepers at your local gun shops in less than a year. These weapons do not belong on our streets."

I hope the good senator stays away from Select Fire and the local gunshows - one certainly does not need to wait until next year to purchase virtually all the deadly, full-auto weaponry he can afford.

 

[Brian Dale]

Oh, and StLGlocker, "assault pistols," if I've read their drivel correctly, are any pistols that are capable of accepting magazines which can hold more than 10 rounds. Yes, it's another term they've invented for their own purposes. They're telegraphing their intentions again.