Assault Weapons Ban Proposed: New Weapons of Mass Destruction?
A new assault weapons ban could be introduced following the tragic shooting that took place Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
Adam Lanza opened fire with a Bushmaster .223 semi-automatic rifle on Friday, killing 26 people within minutes before turning the gun on himself. The gun is a military-style tactical weapon that is capable of holding a 30-round magazine. Reports have confirmed that the shooter had enough ammunition to shoot up the entire school. Lanza was also carrying two handguns.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the question of gun control has been raised yet again. But this time, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein has stated that she is ready to construct a new bill.
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"There will be a bill," Feinstein said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
The intent is to ban assault weapons, which have been deemed as "weapons of mass destruction" by some following the latest school shooting.
"It will ban the sale, the transfer, the importation, and the possession. Not retroactively, but prospectively. It will ban the same for big clips, drums or strips of more than 10 bullets," Feinstein explained.
The bill is a remake of a pre-existing bill that Feinstein helped to pass which also banned assault weapons. It was first championed in 1994 and expired in 2004 without renewal. The new bill will be a more "perfect" version, according to Feinstein.
"We believe we have [perfected it]. We exempt over 900 specific weapons that will not fall under the bill, but the purpose of this bill is to get … 'weapons of war' off the street of our cities," she said.
Feinstein is hoping for a positive reaction to the new proposed legislation, which includes public support.
"We'll be prepared to go, and I hope the nation will really help," Feinstein said.
She has confidence that Obama will also support the bill. In two of his most recent press conferences over the Sandy Hook shooting, Obama has suggested that more action needs to be taken in order to protect the children of the country.
"We're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics," Obama said Saturday during a weekly address.
