Weapons of Mass Destruction

On September 13th, at midnight, the ten-year-old national ban on military-style assault weapons will expire.

This is happening for one main reason: because President Bush is allowing it to happen. The President has publicly stated that he would support an extension of the Assault Weapons Ban IF it reached his desk, but has made no effort to actually have an extension put forward, and killed a bill that he had previously endorsed which would protect gun manufacturers from lawsuits by families of victims of their products, when an extension of the Ban was added to it as an amendment. So when the Ban expires on Monday, President Bush will be able to say to the American people that he was unable to sign the bill because it did not reach his desk, but will also be able to tell the National Rifle Association, who, from 1998 through 2002 gave 80% of their $3 million to Republican candidates, that he did nothing to oppose the expiration of the Ban.

In case you didn't get the point: for the leader of the Federal government to excuse the failure of a bill on the grounds that it didn't reach his desk is akin to a mother excusing the death of her baby from starvation because the kid didn't make it to the dinner table.

The ban on assault weapons will expire because President Bush wants it to expire, because the National Rifle Association, a group of nutjobs who opposes, amongst other things, the banning of armor-piercing ammunition, mandatory waiting periods for gun purchases, the inclusion of trigger locks with gun purchases, and mandatory background checks on individuals purchasing weapons at gun shows, wants it to expire.

FYI, the above information can be found on the NRA's own website decrying Presidential candidate John Kerry for supporting all of the above. But that's another issue.

So, once the Assault Weapons Ban expires, citizens will once again be able to purchase semi-automatic weapons with the following modifications:

• A large-capacity ammunition magazine, enabling the shooter to continuously fire dozens of rounds without reloading

• A folding stock on a rifle or shotgun, which sacrifices accuracy for concealability and for mobility in close combat

• A pistol grip on a rifle or shotgun, which facilitates firing from the hip, allowing the shooter to spray-fire the weapon and making it easier to shoot assault rifles one-handed.

• A barrel shroud, which is designed to cool the barrel so the firearm can shoot many rounds in rapid succession without overheating

• A threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor, which allows the shooter to remain concealed when shooting at night

• A threaded barrel designed to accommodate a silencer

• A barrel mount designed to accommodate a bayonet

If you think that keeping any or all of the above off the streets sounds like a pretty swell idea, then please go sign Moveon.org's petition, and don't forget to vote in November.

More information:
March 2, 2004 White House press briefing on the assault weapon ban
The NRA on John Kerry's voting record
The Brady Campaign FAQ on the Assault Weapons Ban
The Chicago Sun-Times on the Ban