Harry Tuttle
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Assault Weapons Set to Flood US Market
9/13/2004
Press Release
CeaseFire Maryland
3000 Chestnut Avenue, Suite 203
Baltimore, MD 21211
www.ceasefiremd.org
Contact:
Leah Barrett
Phone: 240-535-5083
CeaseFire MD asks: Are Assault Weapons part of Bush's promise of a "Safer World'?
Baltimore, MD - In press conferences today in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, CeaseFire Maryland blamed Bush for failing to deliver on his promise to renew the 1994 federal assault weapons ban that expires at midnight. Leah Barrett, Executive Director, said: "Candidate Bush promised to be a compassionate conservative and most recently promised to create a safer world. Well, Mr. President, there's nothing compassionate or safe about an AK-47. At a time when homeland security should be paramount, letting the ban lapse is a profound failure of leadership." She was joined by Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Attorney General Joe Curran, Vicki Buchanan Snider and Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger, all who roundly condemned the demise of the ten-year-old ban. Barrett said: "Despite its flaws, the 1994 law was the deathblow to some popular assault weapons like the Calico (100 round magazine) and the Tech 9 by Intratec. Now, thanks to Bush, Calico's and Tech 9's will be back on the market."
"The Assault Weapons Ban is not a partisan issue; it's a public safety issue," stated Senator Rob Garagiola (D-Montgomery), Senate sponsor of the Maryland Assault Weapons Ban Act during the 2004 General Assembly session. "I support hunting, but you do not need an Uzi to hunt. These weapons are the civilian versions of military weapons designed to kill people. They do not belong on our streets."
Barrett said that deer in Maryland will be better protected than people on September 14th since firearms used for deer hunting may not have an ammunition clip loaded with more than 8 cartridges or bullets. "Assault weapons accept high capacity clips of anywhere from 10 to 100 rounds and can fire off hundreds of rounds per minute. Imported clips of more than ten rounds have always been available but tomorrow, domestically produced ones also will be."
That's why law enforcement is solidly behind the ban. Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger said, "My greatest fear is that the minute the ban expires, the bad guys will start re-arming themselves."
Barrett predicted there will be a huge gun buying frenzy on Tuesday for two reasons: "Gun owners who fear a Kerry victory or who have always wanted a 'real' pre-ban assault gun will flood stores before a Kerry Administration could enact a tougher law. Also, autumn is the start of the gun-buying season and gun-makers, distributors and dealers will offer bargains to push the guns through the commerce chain."
Delegate Neil Quinter (D-Dist 13), the lead House sponsor of the Maryland Assault Weapons Act in the 2004 General Assembly said: "The Republican Congress' refusal to even allow a vote on the expiring assault weapons ban, in the face of President Bush's stated and supposed support for the ban, is criminal. Study after study has proven that the assault weapons ban has been effective in reducing gun murders and saving lives, especially those of police officers. With the federal assault weapons ban expiring, it's more important than ever that we get a state assault weapons ban in place here in Maryland, so that our police, children, and communities don't have to face a flood of AK-47s and Streetsweepers coming from our own local gunshops."
Date of Release: September 13, 2004
This article is online at http://www.jointogether.org/z/0,2522,574591,00.html
9/13/2004
Press Release
CeaseFire Maryland
3000 Chestnut Avenue, Suite 203
Baltimore, MD 21211
www.ceasefiremd.org
Contact:
Leah Barrett
Phone: 240-535-5083
CeaseFire MD asks: Are Assault Weapons part of Bush's promise of a "Safer World'?
Baltimore, MD - In press conferences today in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, CeaseFire Maryland blamed Bush for failing to deliver on his promise to renew the 1994 federal assault weapons ban that expires at midnight. Leah Barrett, Executive Director, said: "Candidate Bush promised to be a compassionate conservative and most recently promised to create a safer world. Well, Mr. President, there's nothing compassionate or safe about an AK-47. At a time when homeland security should be paramount, letting the ban lapse is a profound failure of leadership." She was joined by Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Attorney General Joe Curran, Vicki Buchanan Snider and Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger, all who roundly condemned the demise of the ten-year-old ban. Barrett said: "Despite its flaws, the 1994 law was the deathblow to some popular assault weapons like the Calico (100 round magazine) and the Tech 9 by Intratec. Now, thanks to Bush, Calico's and Tech 9's will be back on the market."
"The Assault Weapons Ban is not a partisan issue; it's a public safety issue," stated Senator Rob Garagiola (D-Montgomery), Senate sponsor of the Maryland Assault Weapons Ban Act during the 2004 General Assembly session. "I support hunting, but you do not need an Uzi to hunt. These weapons are the civilian versions of military weapons designed to kill people. They do not belong on our streets."
Barrett said that deer in Maryland will be better protected than people on September 14th since firearms used for deer hunting may not have an ammunition clip loaded with more than 8 cartridges or bullets. "Assault weapons accept high capacity clips of anywhere from 10 to 100 rounds and can fire off hundreds of rounds per minute. Imported clips of more than ten rounds have always been available but tomorrow, domestically produced ones also will be."
That's why law enforcement is solidly behind the ban. Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger said, "My greatest fear is that the minute the ban expires, the bad guys will start re-arming themselves."
Barrett predicted there will be a huge gun buying frenzy on Tuesday for two reasons: "Gun owners who fear a Kerry victory or who have always wanted a 'real' pre-ban assault gun will flood stores before a Kerry Administration could enact a tougher law. Also, autumn is the start of the gun-buying season and gun-makers, distributors and dealers will offer bargains to push the guns through the commerce chain."
Delegate Neil Quinter (D-Dist 13), the lead House sponsor of the Maryland Assault Weapons Act in the 2004 General Assembly said: "The Republican Congress' refusal to even allow a vote on the expiring assault weapons ban, in the face of President Bush's stated and supposed support for the ban, is criminal. Study after study has proven that the assault weapons ban has been effective in reducing gun murders and saving lives, especially those of police officers. With the federal assault weapons ban expiring, it's more important than ever that we get a state assault weapons ban in place here in Maryland, so that our police, children, and communities don't have to face a flood of AK-47s and Streetsweepers coming from our own local gunshops."
Date of Release: September 13, 2004
This article is online at http://www.jointogether.org/z/0,2522,574591,00.html