Feinstein ignores gun stats, announces bill to ban guns

by CalWatchdog Staff | December 31, 2012 9:55 am

Dec. 31, 2012

By Katy Grimes

[1]

Despite a recent report by the  Federal Bureau of Investigation[2] which found that violent crime decreased in 2011, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein released a summary[3] of her legislation to ban assault weapons.

Yet Feinstein said her goal is to introduce a bill to stop the sale, transfer, importation and manufacturing of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition feeding devises. “Military style” merely means scary looking guns.

Gun sales up, injuries down

The FBI[4]’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which records each time someone buys a gun, showed that background checks hit a record high of 16.5 million in 2011. Gun sales have been steadily on the rise.

A recent report from the California Attorney General [5]found that the more guns that have been sold in California, the fewer gun deaths and injuries there have been.  According to figures compiled by department officials[6], gun dealers sold nearly 600,000 guns last year, almost double the 350,000 sold in 2002.

And gun-related injuries and deaths have gone down.

According to hospital records collected by the California Department of Public Health,[7] the number of California hospitalizations due to gun injuries fell by nearly 4,000 a year to approximately 2,900, a drop of about 25 percent, the Sacramento Bee reported.[8]

The attorney general’s office reported[9] that the number of deaths from firearms fell from 3,200 a year to about 2,800, an 11 percent decline, according to California health department figures.

“Most of the drop in firearm-related injuries and deaths can be explained by a well-documented, nationwide drop in violent crime,” the Bee reported.

Despite this data, Feinstein still plans to introduce stricter gun ownership legislation.

Here is the Summary [10]from Feinstein’s website. Read it carefully, and notice the much broader definition of “assault weapons”:

Summary of 2013 Feinstein Assault Weapons Legislation

Bans the sale, transfer, importation, or manufacturing of:

• 120 specifically-named firearms
• Certain other semiautomatic rifles, handguns, and shotguns that can accept a detachable magazine and have one military characteristic
• Semiautomatic rifles and handguns with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds

Strengthens the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban and various state bans by:

• Moving from a 2-characteristic test to a 1-characteristic test
• Eliminating the easy-to-remove bayonet mounts and flash suppressors from the characteristics test
• Banning firearms with “thumbhole stocks” and “bullet buttons” to address attempts to “work around” prior bans

Bans large-capacity ammunition feeding devices capable of accepting more than 10 rounds.

Protects legitimate hunters and the rights of existing gun owners by:

• Grandfathering weapons legally possessed on the date of enactment
• Exempting over 900 specifically-named weapons used for hunting or sporting purposes
• Exempting antique, manually-operated, and permanently disabled weapons

Requires that grandfathered weapons be registered under the National Firearms Act, to include:

• Background check of owner and any transferee
• Type and serial number of the firearm
• Positive identification, including photograph and fingerprint
• Certification from local law enforcement of identity and that possession would not violate State or local law
• Dedicated funding for ATF to implement registration

 

Source URL: https://calwatchdog.com/2012/12/31/feinstein-ignores-gun-stats-announces-bill-to-ban-guns/

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