mrtgbnkr
Member
Finally, a happy letter from my representative, John Boehner, R-OH.
It almost looks from his response like he's been spending a lot of time here on THR -- wouldn't that be nice!
Dear Mark:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the 1994 semi-
automatic weapons ban. It is good to hear from you.
In 1994, the House of Representatives voted by a slim
margin of 216-214, to ban the manufacture and sale of 19 specific
semi-automatic firearms. The law is due to expire in September of
2004 and there is currently a debate in Washington on whether or
not to renew it. Please be aware that I fought against the ban in
1994 and will once again vote against it should a bill for renewal
come before the House floor.
Violent crime is a serious issue in our nation, and I have
consistently fought for stronger enforcement of federal violent
crime laws and for stronger penalties for violent criminals. I voted
against the 1994 gun ban, however, because I believe that banning
these firearms was more of a symbolic gesture to a particular
constituency than a serious and substantive attack on violent crime.
In addition, I do not believe that it is right to deny the legitimate
rights of Americans who own firearms when it can't be proven that
the ban would substantially and directly reduce crime.
It is important to recognize the facts about semi-automatic
firearms. These guns use the same ammunition as other types of
firearms and are not inherently more powerful or dangerous than
other firearms. By contrast, an automatic weapon, also called a
"machine gun," fires multiple shots rapidly with a single pull of the
trigger. No semi-automatics sold to civilians are readily
convertible to automatic fire. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
and Firearms (BATF) does not approve for sale any firearm that is
easy to convert into a machine gun. It is already a felony to
convert a semi-automatic firearm into a machine gun. In fact, in
the last 50 years, no civilian has ever used a legally owned
machine gun in a violent crime.
The guns banned under the 1994 bill are not the ones most
frequently used in killing people. Despite the political rhetoric,
semi-automatic rifles are rarely used in committing crime.
Criminals nearly always choose handguns because they are more
easily concealed. There is no factual basis for the case that a semi-
automatic firearms ban will stop gun violence or take these guns
out of the hands of criminals. In fact, 97% of police officials
believe that criminals would still be able to obtain illegal weapons
even if a ban on all rifles, shotguns, and handguns were enacted.
Although military-style weapons are given high-profile on
the nightly news, a Justice Department study revealed they are
used in less than 1% of all violent crimes. In fact, banning every
type of semi-automatic firearm will not reduce the crime rate.
Studies have repeatedly shown that states with the most restrictive
gun control laws continue to show the highest rate of homicide per
capita. Conversely, states with the least restrictive gun ownership
laws have the lowest murder rates. Why? Because criminals do
not obey gun laws.
Today, Americans own about 30 million semi-automatic
rifles, pistols and shotguns. Many people in the Eighth District of
Ohio use the guns listed in the ban for a wide range of legitimate
firearms purposes including self-defense, hunting, recreational and
competitive target shooting, and collecting. In the days leading up
to the vote in 1994 on the semi-automatic firearms ban, I received
an overwhelming number of calls and letters from my constituents
who use the banned guns for these purposes. Outlawing semi-
automatic firearms will only restrict the ability of law-abiding
citizens to purchase these guns for their legitimate personal use.
During the debate of this issue in the House of
Representatives, I was reminded of the television scenes from the
Los Angeles riots where Asian store owners were forced to defend
themselves and their property from the crazed mobs bent on
looting their property. Many of the store owners used semi-
automatic weapons. If this ban had been in effect then, these law-
abiding property owners would have been left without protection
to the ravages of the lawless mob. Instead of taking guns out of
the hands of law-abiding Americans, we should get tough on
criminals by enforcing the laws already on the books, including
stiffer penalties for crimes committed with guns.
Thank you again for contacting me regarding this important
issue. Please continue to keep me informed of your concerns.
Sincerely,
John A. Boehner
It almost looks from his response like he's been spending a lot of time here on THR -- wouldn't that be nice!
