Pro "Assault Rifle" article by a Nashville Democrat

[waynesan]

Here is an opinion piece by Ben West who is a Democtrat from the 60th District. Don't know anything else about him but he does a good job of explaining the stupidity of "assault weapons bans".

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/OPINION01/702270341/1008

Tuesday, 02/27/07

Issue is really about 'assault-style weapons'

By BEN WEST JR.

Recently, I was asked, "How do we get assault weapons off the street?"

As I considered that question, I decided that I should first determine what the problem is before I began to solve it.

OAS_AD('300x250_1'); Are "assault weapons" causing a problem on the street? No. Most experts define an assault weapon as a weapon capable of fully automatic firing. Assault weapons are machine guns and submachine guns. That type of weapon is not what I was being asked to address.

Another use of the term "assault weapons" appeared in the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban where it was used to describe semi-automatic firearms that have mostly cosmetic features normally associated with military firearms. These semi-automatic weapons were called assault weapons because they "looked" bad, not because of what they could do. These semi-automatic firearms are really "assault-styled weapons" but they are not assault weapons. The term "assault-style weapons" is used by public officials, media and gun-control proponents to refer to firearms they consider inappropriate for civilian ownership.

Intended as a wedge issue

The characteristics of "assault-styled weapons" are largely irrelevant to a street crime problem. There is no epidemic of bayonetings or grenadings in Nashville. The pejorative term was likely created specifically to fit in the sentence, "Why would anybody need an assault weapon?" If so, it was intended as a wedge issue to push hunters away from the rest of the firearms community.

So, is the question really, "How do we get semi-automatic firearms that are cosmetically threatening off the streets?"

The first semi-automatic rifle was built in 1885. American gunsmith John Browning introduced semi-automatics to the civilian market as early 1906. The semi-automatic firearm has been in civilian hands in this country longer than the fuel-injected engine, the personal computer, the microwave oven, the credit card, the television and many other common items. Nobody complained until relatively recently.

The 1994 gun ban did not prohibit all semi-automatic firearms but just those that had a military look. But a semi-auto is a semi-auto no matter how mean or scary it may look. The technology is more than a 100 years old. If "assault-style weapons" have no place in society, then it follows that semi-automatics of any kind have no place in society. But our nation has persevered for close to 100 years with these guns in private hands, and there appears to be no sign of fundamental social breakdown as a result or 100-year crime trend because of their existence.

I am not persuaded that military-looking weapons are a problem. People misusing semi-automatic and other firearms are certainly a problem. I believe the solution is that we need to get and keep criminals off the street. Constitutionally, it is better to get the criminals off the streets than to classify a large group of responsible, law-abiding citizens as potential criminals just because of the look of the guns they may own.

[Mike]

Well said!

[Marswolf]

Gee, someone with some sense.

[Guest LiLBucket]

We need more representatives like that in this country! Sounds like he has a strand of COMMON SENSE!

[towerclimber37]

Niiiice!

This guy actually did his homework! I like him!:up:

[Guest Fuel]

A Democrat wrote that? I'm stunned.

[Guest db99wj]

Wow, common sense from a politician. That's rare.

[Guest GlocKingTN]

Gee, someone with some sense.

What he said^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Guest Len]

Ben West is one of my political "heros." A good, solid, Democrat with some sense in regards to gun rights. He has run several bills in the legislature over the years that are considered "pro-gun." Most of them don't see the light of day, but he tries. West is by far the most pro-gun urban legislator in Nashville, of either party.

The column he wrote was part of a 3 column opinion section in the Tennessean on "assault weapons" legislation. All three columns are interesting reading and were informative to me. The Tennessean, in its typically wishy-washy way, came down in the middle of the two sides -not wanting to overly offend either side, they take a position that neither side likes, but one that wont make too many people cancel their subscriptions.

[Guest jackdog]

Elect that guy he's smart and he is one of us.

Jackdog

[Guest GlocKingTN]

A Democrat wrote that? I'm stunned.

Hard for me to believe too!

[JohnC]

Awesome that we have someone in office who has some sense!