Military Style Assault Rifles Sold at Gun Show Held on Public Grounds in
Syracuse, NY
Press Release
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence
3 West 29th Street
New York, NY 10001
www.nyagv.org
Contact:
Andy Pelosi:
Phone: (212) 679-2345
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence Call on Local and State Officials to No
Longer Permit Assault Weapons To Be Sold on Public Property
Syracuse, NY - New Yorkers Against Gun Violence (NYAGV), a statewide gun
violence prevention organization, called on local and state officials to
no longer permit the sale of assault weapons on public property. Gun
violence prevention advocates pointed to the availability of military
style assault rifles being sold at the public fair grounds in Syracuse,
New York at one of the state's largest gun shows. Assault weapons pose a
grave risk to law enforcement officials according to a recent study by the
Violence Policy Center, "Officer Down" that found that one in five law
enforcement officers slain in the line of duty between January 1, 1998,
and December 31, 2001, were killed with assault weapons.
"It is outrageous that public property is used to sell military style
semi-automatic assault weapons that are designed to kill as many people as
possible, and outgun law enforcement officers," said Andy Pelosi,
Executive Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence. "We are here today
to call on local and state officials to no longer permit semi-automatic
assault rifles to be sold on public property."
The Federal Assault Weapons Ban will sunset in exactly one year from
today, on September 13th, 2004 unless Congress strengthens and
re-authorizes the ban. Since the passage of the 1994 law, the gun industry
has willfully circumvented the Assault Weapons Ban by making minor
cosmetic changes to assault weapons and have produced a new class of
"post-ban" assault rifles. Although the 1994 ban was a positive step to
banning military style assault rifles, the law clearly needs to be
strengthened to meet the original intent to get assault rifles off the
streets.
"The 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban has been flaunted by the gun
industry as they continue to sell 'after ban' and 'post-ban' assault
weapons. We need a comprehensive approach to dealing with these military
style weapons. Local communities need to prohibit public property being
used to sell assault rifles, and federal law makers need to strengthen the
Assault Weapons Ban," said Bryan Miller, a gun violence prevention
advocate in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Miller spoke about his brother
Mike Miller, a Special Agent with the FBI, who was shot and killed with a
semi-automatic assault pistol at a police station in Washington D.C. in
1994.
A coalition of clergy members, consumer advocates, and gun violence
survivors joined NYAGV to call for an end of military style assault
weapons being sold on public property. The coalition also urged federal
lawmakers to support legislation sponsored by New York Congresswoman
Carolyn McCarthy
(D-4th) and New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg (D) that would strengthen
the assault weapons ban and get these dangerous weapons off the streets.
"We've had ten years experience with the Federal Assault Weapons Ban and
we' ve learned that there are big loopholes that the gun industry has
taken advantage of. That means we need to strengthen the law, not repeal
the Assault Weapons Ban," said Russ Haven, Legislative Counsel for the New
York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG). "The McCarthy-Lautenberg
bill will strengthen the law to protect law enforcement and make our
streets safer."
Date of Release: September 13, 2003
Syracuse, NY
Press Release
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence
3 West 29th Street
New York, NY 10001
www.nyagv.org
Contact:
Andy Pelosi:
Phone: (212) 679-2345
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence Call on Local and State Officials to No
Longer Permit Assault Weapons To Be Sold on Public Property
Syracuse, NY - New Yorkers Against Gun Violence (NYAGV), a statewide gun
violence prevention organization, called on local and state officials to
no longer permit the sale of assault weapons on public property. Gun
violence prevention advocates pointed to the availability of military
style assault rifles being sold at the public fair grounds in Syracuse,
New York at one of the state's largest gun shows. Assault weapons pose a
grave risk to law enforcement officials according to a recent study by the
Violence Policy Center, "Officer Down" that found that one in five law
enforcement officers slain in the line of duty between January 1, 1998,
and December 31, 2001, were killed with assault weapons.
"It is outrageous that public property is used to sell military style
semi-automatic assault weapons that are designed to kill as many people as
possible, and outgun law enforcement officers," said Andy Pelosi,
Executive Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence. "We are here today
to call on local and state officials to no longer permit semi-automatic
assault rifles to be sold on public property."
The Federal Assault Weapons Ban will sunset in exactly one year from
today, on September 13th, 2004 unless Congress strengthens and
re-authorizes the ban. Since the passage of the 1994 law, the gun industry
has willfully circumvented the Assault Weapons Ban by making minor
cosmetic changes to assault weapons and have produced a new class of
"post-ban" assault rifles. Although the 1994 ban was a positive step to
banning military style assault rifles, the law clearly needs to be
strengthened to meet the original intent to get assault rifles off the
streets.
"The 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban has been flaunted by the gun
industry as they continue to sell 'after ban' and 'post-ban' assault
weapons. We need a comprehensive approach to dealing with these military
style weapons. Local communities need to prohibit public property being
used to sell assault rifles, and federal law makers need to strengthen the
Assault Weapons Ban," said Bryan Miller, a gun violence prevention
advocate in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Miller spoke about his brother
Mike Miller, a Special Agent with the FBI, who was shot and killed with a
semi-automatic assault pistol at a police station in Washington D.C. in
1994.
A coalition of clergy members, consumer advocates, and gun violence
survivors joined NYAGV to call for an end of military style assault
weapons being sold on public property. The coalition also urged federal
lawmakers to support legislation sponsored by New York Congresswoman
Carolyn McCarthy
(D-4th) and New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg (D) that would strengthen
the assault weapons ban and get these dangerous weapons off the streets.
"We've had ten years experience with the Federal Assault Weapons Ban and
we' ve learned that there are big loopholes that the gun industry has
taken advantage of. That means we need to strengthen the law, not repeal
the Assault Weapons Ban," said Russ Haven, Legislative Counsel for the New
York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG). "The McCarthy-Lautenberg
bill will strengthen the law to protect law enforcement and make our
streets safer."
Date of Release: September 13, 2003
Or maybe, just maybe, the police realize how effective 'assault weapons' are as defensive tools... hmm...