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By Jesse Jackson
"We're talking about weapons that are made for war," said
Speaking at a press conference with Rep. John Conyers and myself, Chief Godbee expressed dismay that there has been no action to revive the assault weapons ban that was allowed to expire in 2004 when George W. Bush was president.
In the Aurora, Colo., movie theater slaughter, the number of victims likely would have been much higher -- except James Holmes' assault weapon apparently jammed, limiting his ability to spray the audience with deadly rounds of bullets.
An assault weapon is not useful for hunting game. It isn't easily available, like a handgun, for self-defense. It is designed for one purpose: war. These are weapons for domestic, homegrown terrorism. Aurora is close to Denver International Airport. A gunman at the end of a runway could shoot bullets through an airplane. Bullets were shot from the street into the back porch of the
Leaders calling for a renewed ban are, not surprisingly, those most exposed to them on the streets: America's police chiefs. Many of them are NRA members, but they know assault weapons put the lives of their officers and citizens at risk.
According to
This month,
But politicians are more intimidated by the gun manufacturers, the
Will the laws change now? Speaking on
To change that, Americans must stand up and face down the gun lobby. Police chiefs -- Republicans, Democrats, NRA members -- will help show the way
Ultimately, the national debate is not about the Second Amendment, a gun for housekeeping (the castle doctrine) or guns for hunting. We are talking about guns for terror that threaten national security and aid domestic and foreign terrorists. The writers of the Second Amendment never foresaw the assault weapon -- or the Internet, over which you can purchase over 600 rounds of ammunition.
Let's lift the conversation from gun control to guns out of control, and ban assault weapons to protect national security and domestic tranquility.
Our national security should be a common note for all of us.
© Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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World - Follow Police Chiefs' Guidance on Assault Weapons | News of the World