Reply #33: From the New York Daily News: [View All]

"House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) wants more Uzis and AK-47s on the streets of America. These murder machines were outlawed by the 1994 assault weapons ban, but the law expires next year. And now, thanks to DeLay, legislation to renew it appears dead in the House.
In 1934, Congress began regulating machine guns with the National Firearms Act. In 1986, it prohibited the sale of automatic weapons to civilians. The 1994 assault weapons ban prohibits semi-automatics (which, although "semi," can still empty a 30-round magazine in five seconds), grenade launchers, bayonet mounts and various nonhunting guns. The National Rifle Association portrays the ban as an attack on hunters. What hunter kills deer or ducks with a grenade launcher? Or an AK-47? These weapons are instruments of war. They are meant to kill people.
Since the ban went into effect, military-style weapons have been harder to obtain. Statistics from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms show that in 1993, assault weapons accounted for 8.2% of guns used in crimes. By the end of 1995, that had fallen to 4.3%. The most recent data available show that by November 1996, the figure was just 3.2%.
The ban is working. Its constitutionality has been upheld in the courts. The U.S. Supreme Court has even refused to hear challenges to it. Gun advocates should stop twisting the meaning of the Second Amendment. "A well-regulated militia" is defined as "a military force." We have a very good one. Its members are entitled to military weapons. Hunters are entitled to hunting weapons. The NRA should stop confusing the two."

http://www.underassault.org/content/press/press_na_nydn_51903.html