Pennsylvania residents might find the following of interest

[alan]

I got the following through one of the "movers" at Allegheny Cty. Sportsmans League, and for your interest, am passing it on.

While there might not be, yet, a specific proposal offered, Frankel who is from Pittsnburgh has supported other anti-gun foolishness befgore, like the Pennsylvania Smart Gun Legislation, that so far, has gone nowhere.

Obviously, Frankel and people like him don't know what they are talking about, but they can still be dangerous. Consider the following carefully, and get on to your own legislators.

COMMITTEES
APPROPRIATIONS, MINORITY SECRETARY INSURANCE

JUDICIARY POLICY

SUBCOMMITTEE ON CRIMES & CORRECTIONS TASK FORCE ON BUSINESS & CORPORATION LAW

CAUCUSES

ARTHRITIS & OSTEOPOR0SIS CAUCUS AUTISM CAUCUS

CHILDREN'S CAUCUS

COMMONSENSE FIREARMS SAFETY CAUCUS, CO-CHAIR

PA LEGISLATIVE COAL CAUCUS

PA FIREFIGHTERS & EMERGENCY SERVICE RENEWABLE ENERGY CAUCUS

STEEL CAUCUS



MEMORANDUM


TO: All House Members







FROM: Repres



DATE: December 8, 2003



SUBJECT: Proposed Legislation-Assault Weapons Ban



In the near future, I intend to introduce legislation to address loopholes in the 1994 federal Assault Weapons Ban to prohibit the manufacture, possession, purchase, sale, or transfer of all assault weapons or assault weapon conversion kits in Pennsylvania.



As you are aware, the availability of military-style assault weapons poses a genuine threat to the health and safety of the citizens of Pennsylvania. They are designed to quickly kill large numbers of people because a shooter can simply point - as opposed to carefully aim - the weapon and quickly spray. a wide area with a hail of bullets. Assault weapons have been used in America's most notable killings, including the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School (TEC_DC9 assault pistol and Hi-Point Carbine) and the 2002 Washington, DC-area sniper shootings (Bushmaster XM15 assault rifle). Also, according to FBI data, between 1998 and 2001, one in five law enforcement officers slain in the line of duty was killed with an assault weapon.



However, because the federal act did not ban all assault weapons, but rather only a specific list of weapons, gun manufacturers have been able to circumvent the law. To do so, they have simply given new names to both copied assault weapons originally made by other manufacturers and "new" assault weapons with minor and inconsequential design changes. This legislation seeks to thwart such practices by further defining assault weapons.

If you would like to co-sponsor this legislation, please contact my office at 705-1875 or by email to [email protected].

 

[Beren]

Oh, boy. Where do I even begin? Time to send off a few e-mails, followed up by written letters.

 

[Standing Wolf]

As you are aware, the availability of military-style assault weapons poses a genuine threat to the health and safety of the citizens of Pennsylvania.

As this fool obviously isn't aware, any weapon in criminal hands poses a genuine threat to the health and safety of the citizens of the nation. What's he done about criminals?

 

[Frohickey]

Its funny how this dolt uses the JohnAMuhammad/LeeMalvo shootings, when the manner in which they did the murders could have been done with a single shot!

 

[Harry Tuttle]

Looks like someone is using the Brady boilerplate

 

[alan]

In case any readers has forgotten, particularly readers/voters from Pittsburgh, Frankel was amongst the several sponsors of H.B. 1730, which so far as I know is "in Judiciary Ccommittee" where it looks dead, but beware. 1730, as written would have become Pennsylvania's version of Smart-Gun legislation, with some extra intreresting hookers added. I had earlier, a couple of times, posted the names of the other sponsors.

As for this particular business, mentioned in my origonal posting, Frankel is talking about a bill he will/might introduce in the near future. He seems to be way out in left field somewhere, BUT even such hairbrained proposals bear watching.

A word to the wise will hopefully be sufficient. Thanks for your attention.

 

[alan]

Beren asked:

Oh, boy. Where do I even begin? Time to send off a few e-mails, followed up by written letters.

As to where to start, may I suggest trying the beginning. Anytime is a "good time" to contact our elected things, though the impetus might be greated some of the time.

 

[carpettbaggerr]

a shooter can simply point - as opposed to carefully aim - the weapon and quickly spray. a wide area with a hail of bullets

Gotta get me one of them.

Assault weapons have been used in America's most notable killings, including the ....Hi-Point Carbine

Dang, are some of the members here gonna be happy. People make fun of 'em but their Hi Points are genuwine assault weapons.

 

[RAY WOODROW 3RD]

From one who lives behind the "iron curtain"......

Beware of this cancer that is trying to spread across the river...........

I have to laugh at all my "brothers in arms" that have jumped ship here in PRNJ and moved or are in the process of moving across the river to PA.

IT'S COMING FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!

YOU CAN RUN GUYS BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE!!!!!!!!!

THE "BEAST" IS FOLLOWING YOUR RETREAT!!!!!

Fight this PA people or IT WILL become a reality.

 

[SodaPop]

PA is a sleeping giant.


Any more gun laws passed in this State and there will be a lot of people thrown out of office.

 

[alan]

SodaPop offered the following thoughts:

"PA is a sleeping giant."


"Any more gun laws passed in this State and there will be a lot of people throw out of office."

Re the last item, he might be right BUT Pennsylvanians need to consider the following very carefully. When was the last time that ANY anti gun law was repealed? For instance, on the national level, the Democrats lost control of both The House and Senate, they lost the presidency, but have ANY federal anti gun laws been repealed, not that I had noticed. Have I missed something important? Have any of Pennsylvania's anti gun laws been repealed?

The State Police were sued over their maintaining of an illegal registry of firearms. Their claim was that they had been doing it for 70 years. It is my understanding that they lost the suit. Have they dismanteled the ILLEGAL REGISTRY that they were keeping. Did the previous governor instruct them to so do? It isn't likely that Rendell will.

On the national level, the assault weapons ban, so-called, is scheduled to "sun set" mid September 2004, that's true. Will the sun set is another question. On that score, have you all been "leaning" on your federal elected things? If not, why? If you don't, who will?

Think about the following too, if you will. How much easier to avoid damage, before it is done, than to repair the damage, once done?

 

[alan]

Re the Frankel memo, readers might consider the following points worthy of bringing to the attention of their elected things.


1. While by this time, any interested parties should be aware of the proper definition for ASSAULT RIFLE: Selective fire weapon, chambered for intermediate power cartridge, curiously, Mr. Frankel doesn't define ASSAULT WEAPON, a term he uses with some frequency. By the way, the Bushmaster, XM15, used by the "D.C. Sniper" does not have selective fire capability, it being simply a gas operated, semi-automatic rifle, exactly similar in function to a myriad of other gas operated, semi-automatic rifles that have been available for years.

2. He also makes mention of something he calls "assault weapon conversion kits", leaving one wondering as to exactly what such beasts might be, for once again, he simply throws out undefined terminology. Could it be that he feels that we, The Great Unwashed, are unworthy of the time it might take to explain?

3. As to the danger to law enforcement officers he mentions, from police and FBI figures I've seen, this is information that's part of the public record, most officers killed "in the line of duty" are shot with their own sidearms. What does that tell the curious? Additionally, there has been very limited, almost no use of so-called "assault weapons" in police shootings, this information coming from police agencies themselves.

4. Rep. Frankel then goes on to find fault with existing federal law. Since he is a state representative, how does he propose to work changes in federal law, other than perhaps by running for the U.S. Senate, or House of Representatives?

5. Frankel mentions that manufacturers got around the ban on so-called "assault weapons", still undefined, by making "minor inconsequential design changes". Giving the his devil due, he did get one thing right, but only partially, due to the fact that re the existing federal law, scheduled to "sun set" mid September, 2004, he didn't come anywhere close to telling the whole story, and as has been noted, "the devil is in the details".

The existing federal law, that being part of the 1994 Crime Bill, otherwise known as the Crime of 1994, dealt with COSMETIC, NON- FUNCTIONAL FEATURES of imported semi-automatic rifles. Flash suppressers, "prominently protruding pistol grips", bayonet lugs, grenade launchers, folding stocks and such. Fair enough, some manufactures opted to make "minor inconsequential design changes" to their products, removing some or all of the offending COSMETIC FEATURES. There were absolutely NO FUNCTIONAL CHANGES MADE, for the 1994 legislation did not address function. It dealt with COSMETIC FEATURES, so manufacturers wishing to continue to supply the U.S. Market, made the COSMETIC CHANGES needed to satisfy the law, law that neither then nor now makes any sense whatever.

6. As to school violence, it's already against the law to shoot others, and it matters not what sort of firearm might be used. Perhaps Mr. Frankel, in his rush to legislate, has forgotten that minor point. Perhaps the voters will prove less forgetful, stranger things have happened.

 

[alan]

replying to myself

In one of my earlier posts, this particular discussion, I mentioned a state bill, calling it H.B. 1730. I got the number wrong. It should have been H.B. 1791. Text can be found at the following link.

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/BT/2003/0/HB1791P2321.HTM

Sorry for any confusion I might have caused. Seems that we all spill our milk now and then.