By TTAG reader JR:
So Diane Fienstein is going to try to re-institute the “Assault Weapons Ban.” This infuriates me. But probably not for the reason you think. Let me explain . . .
For those of you who support this legislation, please enlighten me as to how it would make a difference. How it would actually protect people and make the country and it’s citizens safer.
There are 310 million guns in America, so they aren’t going anywhere. There are always going to be guns. Legal and illegal. Period.
Due to our current laws, the sick individual who killed a bunch of innocent kids and adults last week was denied the purchase of a gun prior to his rampage. So like the criminal he was, he stole the guns he used. And ignored the fact that schools are gun free zones. Because he was a psychotic murder. Why does anyone think a new law would have changed his mind?
If Diane really wanted to make a difference, she would get serious about states reporting mental illness events/diagnoses to the FBI to be included in NICS background checks. Because right now, the states don’t and the Federal government, who requires this information, doesn’t punish them for withholding it. How about withholding a little federal money from the states until they comply? Let’s see how quick that information starts flowing in.
Or equally important, help fund a trained, armed police officer in every public school. Most high schools have them, why not expand this to all public schools? And don’t tell me we don’t have the money for it. Call it “stimulus” for safety.
Take the money the federal government spent sending F-16’s, fixing religious buildings, etc. in Egypt over the last year alone and reinvest it here. That’s over one billion dollars of “foreign aid” by the way. That would cover just over 20% of public schools with one officer (based on a 50k salary, and 98k public schools). One year of foreign aid to one country so cover 20% of public schools.
Those two actions alone would make a tremendous difference. But instead, we are going to argue about trying to get rid of “scary” looking guns. Because if you look at the details of what an assault weapons ban actually restricts, you might not find it so impressive after all. It’s mostly a bunch of cosmetic features. And if you still think it will make a difference, look at the AWB that California has and the guns you can still buy and be in compliance with the law.
And I forgot to mention — Connecticut already has an assault weapons ban. Just saying.
And above all else, please pray for the families who have lost a loved one. I think of the children of that age that I know, and the educators I know, and my heart breaks for their community. I know, despite my best efforts to show empathy, I will never understand their grief. I am truly sorry for their loss.