Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Sometimes Democrats do the Right Thing

I am encouraged that 65 House Democrats have sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder opposing any attempts to re-institute the (misnamed) "assault weapons" ban that expired in 2004. These include my Congressman, Martin Heinrich, as well as Harry Teague from the south part of our state.

The letter can be be seen in its entirety here. As the owner of at least three of the weapons on the Attorney General's proposed "hit list" I am well aware that these firearms have been mis-characterized and demonized by the gun control crowd. Mine haven't been shooting up schools and shopping malls so they must be defective. It is a good thing that I keep them in a safe! Just the other day I sent a letter to the editor to the Wall Street Journal objecting to a poorly reported article, stating:

The so-called assault weapons that were subject to the 1994 Clinton ban as well as President Obama’s recent attention do not “fire rounds more quickly than standard weapons” as stated in your article. Weapons that “fire rounds more quickly” are machine guns, which are already heavily regulated under the National Firearms Act of 1934 and subsequent laws. The weapons that have received recent scrutiny are distinguished from “standard weapons” only by cosmetic features that do not make them any more lethal or dangerous. The centerpiece of the assault weapons ban is the AR15 platform which has recently proven to be the most popular firearm for sportsmen and target shooters as well as by those who wish to defend their lives and property.

The fact that there are deranged individuals who misuse firearms, and other tools, should not negate the need for law abiding citizens to possess modern firearms for self-defense. As has been recently demonstrated in several horrific incidents, “when seconds count, the police are only minutes away”.



I am glad that the signers of this letter made several of the same points. It is good that they "get it". My thanks to all who signed this letter.

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