Sestak calls for new ban on assault weapons and I was going to vote for him

[larrymeyer]

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2...c312110150.txt

Sestak calls for new ban on assault weapons
Published: Sunday, August 9, 2009

By ALEX ROSE
arose@delcotimes.com

Two days after announcing his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, U.S. Rep. Joseph Sestak, D-7, of Edgmont, urged his colleagues in the Legislature to reinstate an assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.

In a release Thursday, Sestak pointed to an Aug. 4 shooting in Allegheny County, where George Sodini, 48, of Scott Township, used two 9 mm semi-automatics and a .45-caliber revolver to kill three women and wound nine others in an aerobics class before taking his own life.

“As we continue to see the effects of the violence in our state and nation, we must enact legislation banning assault weapons with the necessary sense of urgency,” said Sestak. “The senseless shootings of so many innocent victims during an aerobics class in Allegheny County, and of the three police officers in Pittsburgh this past April, are heartbreaking reminders that we must immediately address the loss of the common-sense ban earlier this decade.”

Police investigating the Collier Township shooting said Sodini bought his weapons legally from TGSCOM Inc., of Green Bay, Wis., the same dealer who sold a 22-caliber handgun to Virginia Tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho.

Typically, gun control is seen as a radioactive issue during statewide elections in Pennsylvania, which has a large contingent of hunters and gun owners on both sides of the aisle.

Sestak said he is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and believes in an individual’s right to bear arms, but statistics following the 1994 implementation of the first assault weapons ban showed drastic reductions in police officer murders from assault weapons and an overall drop in such weapons being traced to a crime.

“With regard to politics, I believe that what is most needed and valued by Pennsylvanians in their future leaders in Washington D.C., is placing principle above politics,” said Sestak. “I believe this is the right thing to do for the safety of our citizens, particularly law enforcement officers, while protecting legal citizens’ rights for protecting their homes, and for hunting and other recreational purposes.”

Sestak is therefore reviving a bill that died in committee last session, which he and 67 other House Democrats had co-sponsored.

That bill would revise the definition of a “semi-automatic assault weapon” to include any semiautomatic rifle or pistol that has specific characteristics, such as a telescoping stock, and can accept a detachable magazine.

The bill also would prohibit the importation of any such weapon; “conversion kits” to turn weapons into semi-automatics; and the transfer of any assault weapon with a large-capacity ammunition-feeding device.

Semi-automatic shotguns, pistols and rifles like the AK-47, the SKS, the UZI and the Bushmaster XM15 would fall under the ban, according to the release.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., Sestak’s opponent in the 2010 Senatorial primary election, said a hearing on the merits of such legislation should be held prior to any legislative action.

Specter pointed to studies performed by the Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control, which have brought into question the effectiveness of banning assault weapons, and said in his experience as the former District Attorney of Philadelphia that long jail terms were traditionally the best way to deal with gun violence.

“The study commissioned by DOJ found that although there was a decline in gun crimes involving assault weapons during the ban, a renewal of the ban would have a small effect on gun violence, perhaps too small for reliable measurement since assault weapons are rarely used in gun crimes,” said Specter.

Former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey, a Republican Senatorial candidate, also weighed in on Sestak’s call to reinstate the ban.

“Whenever there’s an outrageous criminal use of guns, liberals like Joe Sestak always try to penalize law-abiding gun-owners rather than holding the criminals responsible,” said Toomey in a statement. “Sestak is wrong. We should punish criminals and protect gun ownership rights.”

“As someone who served in the military for 31 years, I’ve spent most of my life around weapons,” said Sestak, a retired Navy vice admiral. “I support the legitimate right to bear arms and respect the many, many responsible gun owners of our state and the nation. However, there are those who are committing egregious acts of violence and their reprehensible actions on innocent victims and brave law enforcement officers must be stopped.”

[unloved]

Joe Sestak: common-sense ban

I call for a ban on the use of the words 'common sense' and 'ban' in the same sentence. Or, how about banning asshat politicians?

.45 caliber revolvers are 'assault weapons' now?

[7998]

I guess he really doesn't want the job.
Or he's really a republican try to sabotage the dems.

[PocketProtector]

Time to find a new candidate

[God's Country]

Specter pointed to studies performed by the Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control, which have brought into question the effectiveness of banning assault weapons, and said in his experience as the former District Attorney of Philadelphia that long jail terms were traditionally the best way to deal with gun violence.

“The study commissioned by DOJ found that although there was a decline in gun crimes involving assault weapons during the ban, a renewal of the ban would have a small effect on gun violence, perhaps too small for reliable measurement since assault weapons are rarely used in gun crimes,” said Specter.

Sestak is such an idiot he can even make Specter seem reasonable. Not an easy task.
Na Specter didn't have anything to do with that first pesky ban

[dc dalton]

UGH, when the hell will these * cough cough * politicians stop trying to jump on bandwagons at the expense of a tragedy? You really have to wonder lately ... it's like every one of them is just sitting watching the news every night just looking for something they think they can twist into a public witch hunt to get them attention and potential votes.

Really makes you sick how much most politicians have become nothing more than leeches.

[cgbudde]

Between this jackass and watching the Brady campaign spokesperson this morning calling for a ban on online gun sales because he was stating that the buyer is never seen just makes me want to move to an island and forget about people.

[billffn7]

Here we go again........

[larrymeyer]

I was going to vote for this ass hat over Specter I liked his policies. But when you say your for the 2nd and also for a weapons ban. Thats like saying I like Wendy's lets go to Micky Dee's. Just stupid and you can't fix stupid

[PocketProtector]

They simply have no respect for the Constitution, their oath of office or Americans.