Maryland Assault Weapons Ban Round Up
First, the bill was introduced last week.
Someone actually corrected an error that I’ve chided the media for making on multiple occasions:
The print version of this week’s editorial contained a factual error in suggesting that the proposed assault weapon ban would regulate fully automatic weapons. Those weapons are already regulated, and the bill now before the assembly looks at semi-automatic weapons. We’ve omitted the erroneous statement here, and will be running a correction in next week’s print edition. The Times regrets the error.
Good for them. However, the correction doesn’t change their asinine opinion. The unsigned (yeah, the media is more credible than blogs) editorial states:
But it’s difficult to make the case that assault weapons _ and that’s what’s at issue here _ fill any reasonable need for the average citizen. It’s easier to make the case that the ban has kept them away from criminals.
There is indeed a line in the sand that law-abiding citizens shouldn’t allow the state to cross when it comes to regulating guns or limiting gun ownership. But extending a ban on these assault weapons falls nowhere near that line.
In the coming debate, we hope members of the legislature put blinders on when it comes to rhetoric from both sides – the CeaseFire Maryland folks who want to ban all guns and those who think any gun ban is an affront to freedom.
There is no need to make a case for needs. We have a bill of rights and not a bill of needs. Also, they chide the rhetoric of pro-gun and ant-gun folks but the really sad thing is that the editorial falls for the lies and rhetoric of the anti-gun side. Take your own blinders off.
This article details some good news about groups opposing the proposed ban:
A group of Cecil County gun owners joined the outcry of opposition to a bill to prohibit assault weapon sales in Maryland at a Senate hearing Tuesday.
Buddy Cather of Rising Sun and Norris McMullen of Port Deposit teach Firearm’s Safety and Hunter Education three times a year at American Legion Post 194 in Rising Sun. They are both gun owners and hunters who each own a gun that would be banned if the bill is passed.
“Almost any hunter has a gun that would be banned by this law,” said McMullen. “The wording of the bill is too broad.”
Of course, that assessment is flawed. The bill is flatly a violation of rights.
Not related to Maryland or assault weapons is news from Virginia that they will not pass a law infringing on the right of citizens to engage in lawful commerce. There is no gun show loophole.
