Assault weapons ban

[Billsotx]

They are at it again...

http://www.govtrack.us/data/us/bills.text/110/h/h1022.pdf

I almost NEVER send anything like this out. However, it would probably be wise to contact your congressman and tell him/her you expect them to vote against this bill. Even if you don't own or shoot these type rifles, every one of the shooter who do, will without fail back your right to own and shoot the guns YOU enjoy.

Also, letters work much better than emails.

[whinewine]

When I see stuff like this, I immediately get very suspicious. I would rather check it out than do a knee-jerk reaction, so I did check it out. Under a google search for HR 1022, I found some interesting discrepancies...

I found several entries:

www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/64xx/doc6408

www.space-frontier.org/projects/thewatch

and, most interestingly,

www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-1022 which ONLY refers to The George E. Brown Jr. Near Earth Object Survey Act. In all three, there is NOTHING about banning weapons. All 3 references to HR 1022 concern tracking asteroids which will pass near enough to the earth to cause concern, and says NOTHING about weapons bans.

However, under another google reference

www.babytrollblog.com (listed as 'daily ass and sass') it lists this as the assault weapons item forementioned. This babytrollblog appears to be nothing more than a conspiracy theory website ranting/raving craziness, foaming at its collective mouth. It looks as though it has changed a bit of the address to redirect it (and the unwary) to its own scamming site, much as ebay & paypal addresses are ever so slightly changed and redirected to try to steal your financial information: they LOOK legitimate, but are anything but...

When I worked in the State Department of Corrections, I would constantly get crazy emails like this, sent to me by my fellow employees sooo concerned that our freedoms are being taken away and sooo willing to accept this craziness without making the effort to check on the legitimacy of these things. (And, btw, these things are not put out by inmates, but are put out by crazies with their own agendas, such as are spewed out on www.babytrollblog.com.)

Bill, I don't mean to be hard on you, or direct this diatribe at you, but I just don't like to see good, honest people be manipulated by dirtbags. I don't mean to offend you, and I apologize if you take offense, but truly, none is meant.

Edited February 20, 2007 by whinewine

[Billsotx]

Whinewine, thanks for researching it. I appreciate you giving us feedback. It may indeed be a hoax. When I searched for HR1022 which took me to a site GovTrack.US and I found that Rep. Carolyn McCarthy is sponsoring the bill. It does not appear to have no co-sponsors, so it may indeed be false. Here's a little of what I found.

Statement from Rep. Carolyn McCarthy on the Shootings in PA and UT

Tuesday February 13, 2007

Yesterday we learned of more unnecessary deaths from gun violence in Philadelphia, PA and Salt Lake City, UT. I am saddened to hear of these events and have introduced legislation that if enacted will prevent further violence.

In Philadelphia, a gunman opened fire on his colleagues using an AK-47 assault rifle he legally purchased. These dangerous weapons, which are intended to hit multiple targets in a short period of time, were allowed back on our streets when the federal ban on assault weapons expired in 2004. The deaths in Philadelphia could have been prevented if Congress had done its job of protecting the homeland and renewed the assault weapons ban.

I have again introduced legislation to permanently ban assault weapons. These weapons have no practical use. They are not used by hunters for sport or by individuals for self-defense. They are intended to kill as many individuals as possible in a short amount of time and have no place on our streets. The unfortunate situation in Philadelphia could have been avoided if Congress stood up to the gun lobby in 2004.

In Salt Lake City, a young man opened fire in a crowded mall, killing more than 10 individuals. It appears the shooter was not mentally stable and police are still investigating how he obtained the weapons.

It is vital that the background check records are current and comprehensive. I have introduced HR 297, the NICS Improvement Act that would strengthen the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. These records let gun dealers know when an individual should not be allowed to purchase a firearm. Improving the quality of these records will keep guns out of the wrong hands and make our country safer.

I am deeply saddened by yesterday’s events. I remain committed to passing common sense legislation to prevent further acts of gun violence.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1022

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-1022

[whinewine]

Bill: yet if you do a google search for HR 1022, you will come up with the references I came up with. A difference is listed as (=h110-1022) as in the http you have listed, vs the http that is listed under my google search(=h109-1022) for HR 1022.

Ok, I rechecked: my reference for HR 1022 was done in the 109th congress (2006); it had 2 co-sponsors, it quietly died & never became law. Your reference was proposed in the 110th congress (2007), it has no co-sponsors & has probably the same chance of becoming law (none). Many of these proposals are done with knee-jerk reactions to events that people tend to forget rather quickly, and they likewise tend to die in comittee equally as quickly. Example: both Mother Theresa and Princess Diana died at about the same time, but the Dead Diana saga goes on and on and on, while Mother Theresa was quickly forgotten. I think the Anna Nicole Smith saga will be remembered long after the memories fade of a very disturbed individual shooting innocent people in a salt lake city mall, or of drug dealers/gang members killing innocents in Philly. (And I think Philly has a very restrictive gun law which even prevents the sale of black powder weapons.)

Anyway, I don't think you'll need to hide your weapons in an undisclosed underground bunker yet.

And we are now both aware.

Knowledge IS Power

And yes, I do stand corrected. Mea Culpa! My mistake!

[tlowry]

Billsotx, don't let your guard down, they are going to try to bring back the assault weapon ban, if not before Nov. '08 for sure after that. Just pick up any gun magazine. My only hope is that some of the newly elected dems from some of the more gun friendly states remember that it probably cost Gore the election. Not sure some of them want to go on record as supporting some anti-gun legislation, even assault weapons are dangerous territory for them. Look what happened to the writer or commentator for one of the gun mags, Zumbo I believe and the comments he made about prairie dog hunting with an AR-15. It cost him his job and his employer a lot of large advertisers. Whether you like the NRA or not, its the best thig we have going for us.