November
24, 2004---In the aftermath of the shooting of eight hunters in
Wisconsin, law enforcement officials are still trying to figure
out what drove Chai Vang to kill six people and wound two others.
Before the sixth victim was even pronounced
dead, though, anti-gun groups and politicians were quick to call
for new restrictions on guns. The Violence Policy Center (VPC),
the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort (WAVE), and a member of the
Wisconsin state assembly all called for bans on so-called "assault
rifles."
The problem is, the rifle that Vang used
is not an "assault rifle," an "assault weapon,"
or even an SKS, as first reported in the press. The rifle is a
Saiga 7.62x39, a relatively inexpensive import that is widely
used in hunting in a number of states.
What's more, the problem isn't even whether
Vang used an "assault rifle" or a conventional, wooden-stocked
rifle. After all, a rifle's appearance doesn't make it any more
or less deadly. The problem is what causes people like Vang to
murder others.
The text of the VPC and WAVE's press releases
are reprinted below.
***********
The VPC:
"Armed hunters were no match for one person firing an SKS
assault rifle," said Kristen Rand, VPC legislative director.
"This sad incident illustrates why the SKS is also a leading
cop-killing rifle in America today."
Rand pointed out that the SKS assault rifle was not covered by
the recently expired 1994 federal assault weapons ban. The VPC
criticized the 1994 law as inadequate and favors enactment of
a tougher version of the law that would ban the SKS and many other
assault weapons that easily slipped through the old law's loopholes.
"Even though the 1994 law was easily circumvented by the
gun industry, Congress has failed to move on a strong replacement
law. President Bush could, with the stroke of a pen, tighten the
import ban and stop the import of all foreign-made assault rifles,"
Rand said.
She noted that both the President's father,
former-President George H.W. Bush, and former-President William
J. Clinton stopped the import of hundreds of thousands of assault
weapons by using their executive authority under firearms import
and trade laws. Under the current Bush Administration, specific
foreign-made assault rifles, including some SKSs, have returned
to the marketplace.
*********
Gunshopfinder.com:
Not to be outdone when it comes to extremist
rhetoric--not to mention trampling the graves of victims--the
Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort weighed in with its own press release:
***********
WAVE:
"The Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort
extends their deepest sympathy to the families and victims of
the horrifying and deadly shooting in Sawyer County, where a man
used an SKS semi-automatic assault rifle to gun down five hunters
and wound three others. This tragedy demonstrates the urgent need
for an effective federal ban on military style assault weapons.
But since President Bush and Congress allowed the federal assault
weapons ban to expire in September of this year and seem disinterested
in passing a new law, Wisconsin lawmakers should, in the meantime,
pass a comprehensive statewide assault weapons ban. Reports suggested
that the shooting occurred after an argument escalated when hunters
found 36-year-old Chai Soua Vang using a tree stand belonging
to someone else.
SKS military style, semi-automatic assault
rifles, like the one used in yesterday's tragic shooting, are
the most common assault rifles used to kill law enforcement offices
in the United States, according to the Violence Policy Center,
a Washington, D.C. based think tank. In 2004, six law enforcement
officers in the United States have been gunned down by shooters
using SKS assault rifles.**
"Over the years, we have seen that these military-style,
semi-automatic assault rifles are the guns of choice for cop-killers
and mass murderers," said Jeri Bonavia, Executive Director
of the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort. "There is no good
reason for hunting with a spray-fire gun, capable of 'hosing down'
a target area. Military-style guns, such as the SKS, do not belong
on our streets or in our fields and woods."
The Bush Administration has specifically authorized the importation
of some SKS assault rifles. The Bush Administration's regulatory
power over firearm imports means the President has the power and
should ban the import of all foreign-made assault rifles. Such
an action would not require Congressional approval. President
Bush's predecessors, former-President George H. W. Bush and former-President
William J. Clinton, stopped the import of hundreds of thousands
of assault weapons by using their executive authority under firearms
import and trade laws.
"Since President Bush and members of Congress refused to
protect Americans by banning assault weapons, it is urgent that
Wisconsin lawmakers take action now," Bonavia added.
In September, Assemblywoman Christine
Sinicki (20th District) announced she would introduce statewide
legislation to ban assault weapons in Wisconsin in the wake of
the expiration of the federal ban. "After this horrendous
shooting, it is more clear than ever that the Wisconsin State
Legislature must act now to ban assault weapons," Sinicki
said.
**********
Gunshopfinder.com:
What is fascinating about the above diatribes
is that the Saiga 7.62x39 is not a real "assault rifle,"
which the US Department of Defense defines as a medium-cartridge,
shoulder-fired selective-fire weapon capable of both full-auto
and semi-auto fire.
Even more ironic is that the Saiga 7.62x39
doesn't even meet the criteria for an "assault weapon"
under the now-sunsetted 1994 cosmetic ban: it does not have a
pistol grip, flash suppressor, bayonet lug, or any other features
that make it look like a "real" military rifle.
Moreover, the above press releases demonstrate
the anti-gun forces willingness to play fast and loose with numbers.
In 2003, 52 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of
duty. (Our most sincere condolences go out to those brave officers'
families).
According to the FBI, 34% were killed
with handguns, and 10% with rifles. How does WAVE arrive at the
rate of 20% of law enforcement officers killed with "SKS-style
rifles?" Do the math. The anti-gunners are--to be generous--lying.
There's no doubt that every law-abiding
gun owner has the victims and their families in their hearts and
prayers. Those of us in Wisconsin will remember the victims and
their families long after the national press has had their day
with the story.
Those of us who own and use guns responsibly
will look to see what, if anything, we can do to prevent further
tragedies such as this.
Once again, though, the anti-gun forces
have shown what they truly are: headline-grabbing ghouls, fast
on the trigger to fire press releases and slow to recognize the
targets we face.
**Footnote: If, in 2003, 10% of all law
enforcement officers killed in the line of duty were shot with
rifles of any brand or configuration, does the claim
by WAVE that roughly 20% of all law enforcement officers killed
in the line of duty in 2004 were killed by "SKS-style"
rifles make sense, or are they just once again cooking the numbers?
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