AK- 47 Anyone?
Reported by Eleanor - September 10, 2004 -
On The Big Story with Andrew Napolitano (Sept. 10, 5:00 p.m.), Peter Hamm of the Brady Campaign was interviewed about the expiration of the ban on assault weapons coming up on Monday. The headline was that this group is using Osama bin Laden as a poster boy to keep the ban, and the terrorists of 9/11 can't wait for the ban to expire.
Napolitano asked Hamm, "Why Osama bin Laden - so Fox would get angry and put you on the air? Why on the anniversary of 9/11?" Hamm replied that keeping the ban is for the families who lost loved ones where assault weapons were involved. The ban has been talked about for years, but more since 9/11. Weakness in the gun laws is a benefit to terrorist groups. Gun show purchases are unregulated.
Napolitano asked if they don't hurt their cause with the ad showing bin Laden, and saying that the timing is the tasteless part. Hamm responded that the group "put out a report two and one-half years ago. Terrorists use gun shows and gun law weaknesses to arm themselves. They are being asked to prepare themselves for Jihad by going to the U.S. and buying assault weapons."
Napolitano asked if people should be able to defend themselves when the government can't to it. Hamm replied that this is not a wide-ranging gun ban. People don't use an AK-47 as the weapon of choice to defend themselves. An AK-47 is used to kill as many people as possible in the shortest time.
Comment: The Congress appears to have a majority republican vote to let the ban expire, and Bush is not intervening to stop it. Another hard won protection bites the dust in favor of a powerful contributor - the NRA.
