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from the West Provisio Herald
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/cgi-bin/ppo-story/localnews/current/wp/05-14-03-29575.html
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/cgi-bin/ppo-story/localnews/current/wp/05-14-03-29575.html
Durbin cites local shootings in call for weapons ban
The recent machine-gun shooting in Maywood is being used on a national level to lobby lawmakers to continue a ban on assault weapons.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and four other senators introduced legislation Thursday to reauthorize the federal assault-weapons ban that is scheduled to expire Sept. 13, 2004.
The 10-year ban was passed in 1994.
Durbin, who supports gun control, used the shooting of seven Maywood residents as an example of why the ban is needed. An AK-47 type assault rifle is suspected to be the weapon used by the offender, who is still at large.
“To the gun advocates who say assault weapons are not used for crimes, I say ‘Open your eyes, read the newspapers, see the heartbreak on TV every night across America,†Durbin said.
“Just last week, in the town of Maywood, a thug armed with an AK-47 rifle shot down seven people, including a 3-year-old boy,†he continued. “Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident, and we will only see more of these tragic headlines if we allow the current ban on these deadly weapons to expire next year.â€
The legislation is also sponsored by U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, both D-Calif.; Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; and Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I.
“Military-style weapons simply have no place on America’s streets,†said Feinstein, who co-authored the 1994 ban with Schumer.
According to Schumer, the legislation is more needed now than 10 years ago.
“The fact of the matter is that there is no legitimate use for these weapons,†Schumer said. “That was as true in 1994 as it is today. But in a post-9/11 world, the assault-weapons ban carries even greater urgency.â€
The legislation would extend the original ban indefinitely, which prohibits the manufacture and importation of 19 types of military-style assault weapons.
It would also introduce a ban on the importation of high-capacity ammunition magazines. The original ban only prohibited their domestic manufacture.
Since the ban was introduced, officials say, it has dramatically reduced the number of assault weapons-related crimes.
Statistics from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms show that in 1993, assault weapons accounted for 8.2 percent of all guns used in crimes.
The figure dropped to 4.3 percent by the end of 1995 and to 3.2 percent by November 1996.
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