Americans in the crosshairs

On Sept. 13, despite numerous pleas from law enforcement groups and concerned Americans, the U.S. Congress and President Bush allowed the ban on semi-automatic assault weapons (SAWs) to expire. The law, which was signed by President Bill Clinton in 1994 as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, forbid the manufacture, sale and importation of 19 military-style, semiautomatic weapons and ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Assault weapons were responsible for the deaths of 41 police officers between 1998 and 2001, and the TEC-9, a firearm outlawed by the ban, was used in the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School that left 12 students and a teacher dead. Our national leaders owe to it to their constituents and the families of gun victims to renew and strengthen the assault weapons ban.

In his 2000 presidential campaign, George W. Bush, then Governor of Texas, vowed to support the reauthorization of the assault weapons ban—a regulation he deemed "reasonable"—when it came up for a vote in 2004. As commander-in-chief, Bush maintained that he would sign a renewal passed by Congress if it reached his desk. But the president did nothing to ensure the continuance of this life-saving law. Bush didn't lobby a single Congressional leader or deliver one speech backing the SAW ban. All signs point to the uber-political-influence-and-money-wielding National Rifle Association (NRA) as the primary cause of the federal government's inaction.

By allowing the assault weapons ban to expire, Bush—whose re-election campaign has been largely based touting the president's ability to combat terrorism— and Congress chose to make the jobs of terrorists easier. The 9/11 commission report stated that terrorists are encouraged to purchase assault weapons in the United States. As Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said on Sept. 14, "For the first time in 10 years, when a killer walks in a gun shop, when a terrorist goes to a gun show somewhere in America, if they want to purchase an AK-47 or some other military assault weapon, they are going to hear one word—sure."

Several national opinion polls show that a majority of the American public support the renewal of the assault weapons ban. A survey by the Consumer Federation of America found that 74 percent of Americans support the ban's renewal, as do 52 percent of gun owners. Another poll by the University of Pennsylvania's non-partisan Annenberg Public Policy Center in August and early September found that 68 percent of adults want Congress to extend the ban. Fifty-seven percent of people with a gun in their household support the extension and even 32 percent of NRA members support it.

Since the assault weapons ban was passed 10 years ago, the criminal use of SAWs decreased by 66 percent, according to statistics from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The act was effective, but not nearly effective enough. The ban was passed more as a symbolic gun-control gesture than as an actual attempt to keep SAWs off the streets. As its opponents argue, the ban primarily covers cosmetic features of weapons not related to lethality. The law defined assault weapons as semiautomatic firearms that accept a detachable magazine and has at least two military-style features—such as a bayonet mount, flash suppressor or pistol grip. Obviously, this major loophole in the ban opened up many opportunities for gun manufacturers to get around the restrictions.

The recently expired assault weapons ban is not flawless, but an imperfect law is better than nothing. That's precisely why it needs to be strengthened. The Consumer Federation of America poll found that 63 percent of Americans support such an improvement. A new ban that is all-encompassing and outlaws all SAWs across-the board, not just weapons with two or more ornamental features, must be passed.

Congress should still maintain the symbolism of and precedent set by the 10 year-old assault weapons prohibition in the hope that sometime in the future, a more independent and bold group of politicians in the federal legislative branch will be sensible enough to pass a law that truly protects the American people from these deadly weapons designed for mass killings.