Pennsylvanians! Rendell's assault on our gun rights began TODAY!

[Louis of PA]

As expected, once they lost the Supreme Court case, I predicted they'd attack around our flanks.

I believe the Messiah and his henchmen have come up with this idea of encouraging the individual states to go after gun owners, one state at a time. They probably believe they can pick off one state at a time.

Regards, and BECOME ACTIVE!
Louis of PA




Mayor, chief: Ban assault weapons

Pittsburgh slayings prompt renewed call

Intelligencer Journal
Published: Apr 16, 2009

By BRETT HAMBRIGHT, Staff Writer

Mayor Rick Gray and police Chief Keith Sadler joined Gov. Ed Rendell on Wednesday in a plea to Congress to reinstate a ban on assault weapons like the one used recently to kill three Pittsburgh police officers.


The Lancaster city officials and nearly a dozen other Pennsylvania mayors and public safety officials called for a re-enactment of an expired law designed to prevent individuals like Richard Poplawski from buying the high-powered weapons.


On April 4, Poplawski, armed with an AK-47 assault rifle and other weapons, allegedly ambushed Pittsburgh policemen responding to a domestic call at his home. Poplawski is accused of killing three officers and wounding a fourth.

Rendell used the tragedy as an example of why such high-powered, rapid-fire weapons should be banned — as they were from 1994 to 2004. Such weapons can give criminals an upper hand over police, the governor said.


Following the news conference in Harrisburg, Gray and Sadler echoed the governor's belief that assault weapons have no place here — or anywhere.

"If we are going to send (police officers) out and ask them to protect us, we have an obligation to put them in the best possible position we can," Gray said Wednesday night.

Arguments that the weapons are used by sportsmen and hunters is "fallacious," Gray said.


"Nobody assaults as a sport," Gray said. "The very name of the weapon indicates it has no place in a civilized society."


Sadler and Gray dismissed arguments that assault weapons are valuable for home protection and should be available to hunters.


Assault weapons fired inside a home pose more of a threat to the occupants than any invader because they are hard to handle and even harder to aim, Sadler said.

"What you may do is miss the bad guy and (the bullet) goes through a wall and hits one of your loved ones," he said.


Sadler and 10 Lancaster city officers attended the funerals in Pittsburgh last week. Wednesday afternoon, Sadler stood with Pittsburgh's police chief and other police officials during the governor's plea.

A collection of confiscated assault weapons was displayed on a table in front of the governor.

Sadler said such firearms are "weapons of choice" for drug pushers and gangbangers. Lancaster city, and local suburbs are not immune from criminals armed with the weapons, the chief said.

"They're in our midst, that's for sure. Over the years, there has been confiscation of these weapons" in Lancaster city, Sadler said. "It's obvious that these weapons are available."


Rendell, who fought crime as Philadelphia's district attorney and mayor, reeled off a list of government statistics that he said underscored the effectiveness of the former ban on assault weapons.


"People who say these laws don't matter, they're dead wrong," he said.

In 1994, Congress approved a 10-year federal ban on the sale of assault weapons and let it expire in 2004. Prospects for a re-enactment are not bright.

Last month, 65 House Democrats — including five from Pennsylvania — wrote to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to say they would oppose re-enacting the law. Such heavy Democratic opposition probably would doom any legislative drive.

"It depends on whether the general assembly has a spine or not," Gray said.


Authorities say Poplawski used an AK-47 assault rifle and other weapons when he allegedly gunned down the Pittsburgh officers earlier this month. Officers Eric Kelly, Stephen Mayhle and Paul Sciullo arrived at Poplawski's home early on April 4 after Poplawski's mother called 911 to report that they were arguing and she needed police assistance.


"These (officers) were answering some innocuous call on a Saturday morning, and walk into a guy with an AK-47 and a bulletproof vest on," Gray said.

Sadler said, "Somebody with a weapon of carnage like that can really do a lot of damage, inflict a lot of pain in a short amount of time," Sadler said. "You just hold the trigger and bullets come flying out."


Also Wednesday, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Pittsburgh police Chief Nate Harper Jr. expressed disbelief that the officers' deaths would not change minds on Capitol Hill.


"How much blood has to be spilled on the streets of America?" Harper asked.

Speaking later, Ravenstahl said, "If the events of the last Saturday in Pittsburgh don't change your mind, I don't know what will."


The Associated Press contributed to this report.
E-mail: bhambright@lnpnews.com

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[ibmcarbine]

Sandler thinks that the AK47 you can purchase in the United States is a fully automatic firearm. I don't think so but as far as I am concerned, the only qualification for an assault weapon is fully automatic operation.

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

Rendell and his cohorts are perfect examples of the south end of their party symbol and what comes out of their mouths is roughly the same as what comes out of the back end of that symbol

[George Sr.]

Rendell has been an anti gun person since his days as an assistaint DA in the 1970's nothing new here. He has also had zero sucess in passing any legislation in pA>

[kaotic01]

I can only say one thing about this, I DID NOT VOTE FOR THE MAN!! and having said that anyone who did and is crying about the ban should shut there mouths. I don't believe this ban will ever be passed. PA is still a fairly liberal gun state and I hope it stays that way. I would like to see my children be able to enjoy the things I currently am doing and if any law like that is passed it will not only infringe on my rights but the rights of our children.

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

I love that bit about A-salt weapons not being useful for home defence because they are "hard to handle" and "hard to aim".
Haven't the liberals constantly been telling us that A-salt weapons are so simple that small children could use them?

[TomSudz]

When are they going to ban assault dispatchers? Maybe if the dispatcher told the responding officers that the man was wearing body armor, had weapons and a large quantity of ammunition on him (information the dispatcher had), they would have done things differently. Those cops didn't have to die and I'd like to see the dispatcher stand trial as an accessory!

[Ken C.]

When are they going to ban assault dispatchers? Maybe if the dispatcher told the responding officers that the man was wearing body armor, had weapons and a large quantity of ammunition on him (information the dispatcher had), they would have done things differently. Those cops didn't have to die and I'd like to see the dispatcher stand trial as an accessory!

Tom,. unless you had access to the telephone and radio communications, do not be too quick to condemn the dispatcher. I spent considerable time investigating complaints against communications operators as well as defending myself against stories that in most public venues could be described as slander and libel,and I know firsthand that 99 % of them are a mixture of idle speculation, resentment, misinterpretation of what was heard, and lack of understanding of just what was involved.
In other words, those who dont like the message have a strong tendency to blame the messenger. I agree that if there was malfeasance, then there should be appropriate punishment. In my experience, that is seldom the case however, and those who brought the (In most cases) frivolous charges didnt even bother to apologize, even when shown they were talking through their anus.