textfiles/politics/GUNS/bangunpr.txt

BANNING SEMIAUTO FIREARMS:  PERCEPTION AND REALITY    
     Page 1 of 4    COPYRIGHT - 1989 by F.E.I.

Gun Control: Facts and Fiction
WHAT WE ACTUALLY KNOW ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF GUN CONTROL

  The most scientific and most thorough study in this field, the
Wright-Rossi Report* (1981),  concluded that gun control laws,
individually and cumulatively, have essentially no effect on  the
crime rate.  This report is intrinsically free of pro-firearms
bias, since it was funded  by the anti-gun Carter administration
and directed by James D. Wright and Peter H. Rossi,  who entered
into the study in the belief that gun control was an effective
means of  controlling crime.  Most other studies are too limited in
scope or time frame to be of much  use in analyzing this problem. 

 FOREIGN EXAMPLES

  Japan, often cited as a model for gun control legislation, has an
entirely different culture.   This cultural aspect is so ingrained
that even second or third generation Japanese- Americans have low
rates of violent crime, despite "easy access" to firearms.  On the
other side of the coin, Switzerland requires every adult male to
keep a fully  automatic machine gun with ammunition in the home. 
Crime in Switzerland is practically  nonexistent, despite the fact
that any criminal could steal a machine gun from almost any 
household.  Other examples cited by the gun control advocates are
equally distorted.   THE EXTENT OF THE CURRENT PROBLEM  According
to L.A.P.D., the ordinary handgun is by far the most common weapon
among gangs  and drug dealers.  Last year, over 4,000 firearms were
confiscated, with only about 120  being the type inaccurately
referred to as "assault weapons".  Semiauto firearms have been 
commercially sold since at least 1896, and there are more than an
estimated 20 million  examples in private hands.  Even the "mass
proliferation" touted by the media is only 1/2 of  one percent per
year when compared to the quantity already in existence.  The
changes over  the last decade or two have been related to the
failures of our judicial and penal  institutions, not the
availability of firearms.  Further, since the problems are due to
two  discrete groups, gangs and drug dealers, it is irrational to
legislate against a different  group, the law-abiding firearms
owners.  It is interesting to note that one jurisdiction which
banned semiautos 14 years ago has  recently set several new
assault, robbery, and murder records.  Indeed, the law works so 
well that the mayor was recently forced to declare a state of
emergency.

   THE ULTRA-POWERFUL AK-47 IN PERSPECTIVE

  Despite claims by the media and certain politicians, the AK-47 is
not a magic weapon.  Its  cartridge (7.62 x 39 mm Soviet) has only
1,500 ft-lbs of energy, which puts it in the lowest  1/3 of
commercially available ammunition in the U.S.  It is not nearly as
powerful as some  U.S. calibers which originated in the 1870's, nor
is it even as powerful as Grandfather's  1894 lever action deer
rifle (.30-30).  The AK-47 would need a 90% increase to reach the 
power levels of the .30-06, which is the most common cartridge in
the U.S.   HIGH RATE OF FIRE  Any semiauto firearm ever built (all
the way back to 1896) will fire single shots as fast as  one can
pull the trigger, so this is not a unique capability.  Magazines
can be extended by  anyone with a few minutes of time and a welder. 
Pumps (1880) and lever-actions (1862)  are just as fast for all
practical purposes.

   NEED FOR MORE "TOOLS" TO MAKE ARRESTS

  In spite of John Van De Kamp's abysmal ignorance on this subject,
there are many statutes  which prohibit practically every dangerous
or malicious act with a firearm.  In fact, there  are over 20,000
such laws on the books in the U.S. today.  Even if we find flaws in
these statutes, it is entirely inappropriate to punish law-abiding 
citizens for the crimes of others.  Finally, more "tools" are
irrelevant when the justice system releases felons even before the 
police officers can finish the paperwork relating to the arrest. 
To compound the problem,  there is no prison space even if we can
convict the felons.  The "Catch and Release"  syndrome certainly
causes criminals to lose their respect for the power of the law. 
Let us  tell the politicians to use the tools already at our
disposal before punishing decent citizens  who happen to own
firearms.

  PUBLIC OPINION, INFORMED AND UNINFORMED

  Yes, some polls indicate that a majority of people want to ban
"assault weapons", but none  of those polled can even define what
an "assault weapon" is.  Even B.A.T.F. has admitted, in 
Congressional hearings, that there is no legally acceptable way to
distinguish between  "assault" and "any other" form of semiauto. 
Since the media have presented only one side of  this controversy,
it is inevitable that uninformed people will reiterate the ideas
and words  to which they have been exposed.  More knowledgeable
people are less likely to favor a ban.   

POLICE OPINION

  Several police chiefs have publicly supported these bills, but
they refuse to let their line  officers speak out.  In Riverside,
California, a poll taken within the Officers' Association 
indicated that over 70% opposed the bans.  Other unofficial polls
have indicated 70-90%  opposition to the bans.  Despite the
muzzling, several officers have publicly opposed the  bans,
possibly endangering their careers.  The officers generally
recognize the absurdity of bills which harass or punish law-abiding 
citizens.  Instead, the officers usually propose alternatives, such
as AB 800 (which sets up  a computerized, cross-indexed background
check tied into the upcoming Federal computer  background check),
or more prison space so that criminals will serve their allotted
time  rather than being released early to the streets.

   BALANCING OF RIGHTS

  Some people say, "There is no right to own guns, if I don't have
a right to a safe  neighborhood."  Unfortunately, even after you
ban semiautos, you still won't have safe  neighborhoods because you
haven't addressed the issue of crime.  Conversely, if you address 
the crime issue, there is no need to harass law-abiding citizens. 

NOBODY NEEDS A WEAPON DESIGNED ONLY TO KILL

  Obviously, all firearms are potentially lethal.  However,
law-abiding people have owned and  used over 20 million semiautos
since their debut in 1896.  It is mathematically certain that 
almost all of these semiautos have been used for legitimate
purposes, including defense,  hunting, and target shooting. 
Relatively speaking, most law-abiding citizens have exercised 
their rights in a responsible manner, so it is ridiculous to
require them to justify their  actions, or prove that they "need"
their Second Amendment rights.  The real question is:  Will this
ban reduce crime?  As demonstrated by Wright-Rossi, Kates,  Kleck,
and others, such a ban will have essentially no effect on crime.  

THE REASONABLE COMPROMISE THEORY

  Some claim that these bills represent a reasonable compromise
between the rights of  firearms owners and the necessity of
ensuring public safety.  However, the scientific  evidence tells us
that these bills do nothing to enhance public safety.  There is
nothing  reasonable about laws which do nothing for one group while
simultaneously restricting the  rights of another group.  Truly
reasonable laws (those which focus on criminals) have always been
supported by  firearms owners and the NRA.

   WHAT SHOULD BE DONE

  First, defeat these bans.  If these bans pass, the politicians
will pat themselves on the back  and tell the public that "We are
getting tough on crime."  Once the pressure is no longer on  the
politicians, they will take all the credit and pass all the
responsibilities on to the  police, who will still be forced to
"Catch and Release", since the real problems have not  been
addressed.  The police will be the scapegoats when the crime rate
keeps rising.  Alternatively, if the bans are defeated, the
momentum and interest can be applied toward  the goal of real
criminal justice reform.  If the public is made to focus on the
real issues,  there is a good possibility of meaningful and
effective reform.  All law enforcement  personnel and law-abiding
citizens will benefit.    For more information, contact the
Firearms Education Institute  at (213) 322-7244. * Weapons, Crime,
and Violence in America  by James D. Wright and Peter H. Rossi,
published by the U.S. Government Printing Office.      Also
available in a commercial edition, Under the Gun, ISBN
0-202-30305-5.