Update, Aug. 16 1:30 p.m.: The California Assembly's Public Safety Committee approved Feuer's resolution, calling on President Obama to reinstate the federal ban on assault weapons, with a 4-2 vote.
“The recent tragedy in Aurora underscores—as have so many previous tragedies--the need for a national assault weapons ban," Feuer said in a statement Thursday. "How many more Americans must die in mass shootings before we take this obvious, common-sense step? Here in California we’ve outlawed these deadly, military-grade weapons. But that’s not enough. I urge the federal government to re-authorize the ban.”
The measure, a joint resolution, must be approved by the state legislature and can then be passed on to California's congressional representatives without the signature of the governor.
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Congress needs to reinstate the federal ban on assault weapons, according to local elected and police officials who participated in a .
Assemblyman Mike Feuer organized the discussion in response to recent gun violence in Colorado and Wisconsin. About 150 people attended the event held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
"No matter how you feel about the Second Amendment, no one likes gun violence," said Feuer, who represents the 42nd Assembly District, including Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Westwood, Brentwood, Sherman Oaks, Studio City and North Hollywood.
Feuer announced that he has introduced a resolution in Sacramento calling on Congress and the president to reauthorize the federal assault weapons ban which lapsed in 2004. Feuer cited statistics saying that 750 people have been shot by assault weapons since the ban expired, 350 of them killed.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca reported that since that ban lapsed, a large influx of assault weapons, primarily from Russia and China, have come into the U.S. for consumer purchase.
"Do we really need military weapons to protect ourselves in this country?" asked Baca.
"[The United States] is no place for weapons designed as weapons of war," said Los Angeles Police Department Assistant Chief Michel Moore.
"What law-abiding citizen needs assault weapons?" asked Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Kortez, who represents the 5th District.
State has tough gun laws
California’s rate of gun-related deaths is lower than in other states, both in terms of homicides and suicides, Feuer said. He credited the city’s and the state’s strict gun laws, calling them the "toughest in the nation."
Moore gave the state of California, the city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County a grade of "A" on gun control laws. Moore also gave the United States a grade of "F," citing the federal assault weapons ban not being renewed as a primary reason.
Koretz said the Second Amendment may guarantee the right to bear arms but it doesn’t prevent government from placing restrictions on guns.
Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge agreed, saying he believed that people would eventually come to accept restrictions on guns. He pointed out that people were initially resistant to smoking bans and drunken driving laws, but they been proven to work.
Guns vs. People
The age-old question of whether guns or people are the problem was raised.
"People kill people with guns," Moore said, adding that you can also kill with an ax handle but can’t walk into a movie theater and kill many people with that ax handle.
Baca, a former member of the National Rifle Association, said be believed that most Americans were afraid of guns but felt that they needed a gun to be safe and to protect their home.
Koretz said that when he served on the West Hollywood City Council, the city passed one of the nation’s first bans on assault weapons, which eventually led to the state ban. Later, West Hollywood passed one of the nation’s first bans on guns known as "Saturday Night Specials."
Koretz noted that the NRA routinely opposes any type of gun control law, even one as seemingly benign as registering bullets to the people who buy them. He said the nation needs a strong gun-control organization to counter the NRA.
Background checks
An audience member said guns were not the problem, that stronger background checks were needed before a person could buy guns or ammunition. That remark brought strong applause from the audience as well as a few boos.
Koretz responded that background checks do not prevent access to guns. Baca said background checks can only go so far because they merely provide a snapshot of an individual at a particular time.
Baca called for restrictions on how much ammunition a person should be able to buy in a week or a month’s time.
Baca also questioned the need for people to own 30, 40, 50 or more weapons, pointing out that a person would have to hire people to shoot all those weapons at the same time.
Feuer, who will be termed out of the Assembly at the end of this year, is running for Los Angeles City Attorney in 2013. Koretz and LaBonge have endorsed him.
What do you think of about banning assault weapons? Tell us in the comments below.
If anti gun nuts refuse to acknowledge their version of help never prevents violence, then any statements, claims, misdirections, and lies are irrelevant to a viable solution. All you have to offer is fear of the innocents, always refusing to blame those actually responsible. You can cry, wail, and bellow all you wish, sane people are onto your the victim act when you never are the victim. You have no credibility, you have no facts, you have nothing to offer. We who have chosen to exercise our rights are sick of your incessant incorrect portrayal of what you unrealistically fear in your obvious demented state.
Barry reminds us of a great quote from Aldous Huxley...The ... propagandist must ... be consistently dogmatic. All his statements are made without qualification, everything is either diabolically black or celestially white ... He must never admit that he might be wrong or that people with a different point of view might be even partially right. Opponents should not be argued with; they should be attacked, shouted down, or ... liquidated.--Aldous Huxley (1894—1963) Barry is indeed the propagandist supreme!
Others have presented many solutions, but since they dont affect the law abiding gun owners, you rant and rave and say that wont work. So lets repeat them. Force the BATF to prosecute more than 1% of those 1.83 mil felons caught by the background check since 1994. Force the BATF allow civilian access to the NICS background check for private sales. Force the medical profession and politicians to establish a valid mental health system. Force the Politicians to fund and resource the mental health reporting function to the NICS. Legalize illicit drugs so that the 30-40% in prison for drug crimes can be replaced by those who should be imprisoned for violent firearms offences. See how simple that is, actually addressing the people responsible for the violence. But no, you wont accept such logical solutions as they dont meet your primal need to tell others what they can or can not do. All your rants and raves are apparently justification that you wish to enable more disarmed victims to be killed, and protection of your criminal brothers as you have admitted you are a draft dodger and since you broke the law then, so we recognize that ingrained habits and chosen lifestyle like yours are hard habits to break.
Israel's government officials have once again demonstrated a better grip on reality than have those in the United States when it comes to self-defense. In the mid-seventies, a terrorist attacked an Israeli school bus, murdering over 30 children. There ensued a national debate, with some Israelis unable to shake their socialist baggage brought from Europe. Namely, they assumed that the government would protect them. A majority of Israelis, however, found a compelling reason for putting guns in schools -- terrorists would get guns whether Jews were armed or not. As a result, schools in border areas, and school buses, were manned with gun-toting teachers or others assigned to be at the ready. As the terror attacks have escalated in Israel, a number of attempts have been thwarted when armed Israeli citizens shot and killed the terrorists. Seeking to have more of a good thing, the Israeli government announced plans to issue 40,000 more gun licenses to civilians according to the London Times. Even better, the government is giving away guns to teachers. If that works why not? and by the way those are REAL ASSAULT RIFLES!!!
Go back to mother Russia Barry, your mission here is a failure. Question though, is there a staute of limitations for being a draft dodger? You being a criminal and all figured you would know that!
The communists sent people for re-education in the past, abused, tortured, starved to death or outright killed, based on barrys wanting to "educate" us, yeah, that sounds just like good old Stalin. You lefties sure are violent bunch when you dont get your way and people in their sanity steadfastly refuse to believe your bloodlust and violent tendencies of immorality appeal to anyone other than a sociopath, just like Stalin! Dasvadnya Komrade Barry, dont let the door hit you in the arse on your way to Siberia for failing your Motherland!
In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. >From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 191 7, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated. China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million. You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information.
Read the facts and stop repeating propaganda... One day you liberals might realize lying, omitting facts, and shouting over your opponents don't make you right. It only serves to bring your ignorance to the spotlight. You are fooling only yourselves.
read the facts...
then remove the locks on your doors from your homes so it will stop burglaries. Don't forget to put the "lock free zone" sign on your front lawn and see how that works for you!
total firearm murders 8,775 handguns 6,009 rifles 358 shotguns 353 other guns 96 firearms, type not stated 1,939 an assault rifle is a rifle but a rifle does not mean its an assault rifle. so out of almost 9,000 people you only care about a SELECT FEW HUNDRED????? So thoughtful of you!