Editor’s note: This is a response to a Feb. 28 letter, “We must move forward on responsible gun rights.”
As a responsible firearms owner, I take exception to April Hurst’s letter saying, “An overwhelming majority of all Americans want a ban on military assault weapons, and so do a majority of responsible gun owners.”
You’re saying I’m irresponsible in owning a muzzle loading rifle, you do not understand the advancement of firearms history because of military influences. The muzzle loader an improvement over the bow and arrow, the single shot rifle an improvement over a muzzle loader, a lever action an improvement over a single shot, a bolt action an improvement over lever action, a semi auto an improvement over bolt action.
All hunting and sporting rifles over the years have their roots from military firearms. You want what has been improved in firearms over centuries banned because those designs were incorporated into our sporting and hunting firearms from military firearms. This doesn’t make them an assault rifle.
Addressing your terminology, you’re using the English translation of the German word Sturmgewehr, translation – assault rifle. It’s a selective-fire firearm that can be used as full auto or single shot auto rifle. Only semi-auto firearms can be sold in USA. June 26, 1934 the Congress passed IRC.ch.53 a tax on full auto/assault rifles which requires background checks, then apply for a tax stamp. Having a full auto/assault rifle without the proper paperwork, is a crime. NO semi-automatic rifle is an assault rifle. You just want to ban all legal semi-autos, by branding them as an assault rifle because that definition fits your agenda.
Your figures, “98 percent of people also want much stronger background checks in all weapon purchases.” I’m a Range Safety Office and Firearms Instructor I know for a fact from contact with legal firearm owners your figure is grossly exaggerated.
Knifes, baseball bats, cars, trucks, air planes (the twin towers) or whatever. All used in violent assaults.
Laws are already on the books, but not followed or enforced. The FBI and Sheriff’s departments were called in Florida, they did nothing about Cruz.
I grew up when there was respect for laws. We took our firearms to school, to go hunting after school. In pickups and cars, in gun racks in the windows, no problem. We respected the laws, sure we did a little drag racing, when caught paid the ticket.
Take Chicago, with the most restrictive gun laws in the nation. 400 killings as of February 26, 2018. Just got that information from a CPD LT. It’s the murder capital of the nation, followed by Washington DC, with same restive gun laws. Truth is criminals are using illegal firearms to commit crimes/kill. You want to disarm, we the lawful citizens, making us a target rich environment for criminals. All the laws that are on the books now and still criminals have firearms. Increase the punishment times five for crimes committed with a firearm with no plea deal. Hard time for “armed crime!”
Robert Meneghini
Enumclaw
