Bush Honors 9/11 by Putting Assault Weapons Back on American Streets,
and into Terrorist Hands
Commentary ~ September 14, 2004: Going against
the wishes of 70 percent of the American public, Bush allowed –
indeed encouraged – a 10-year federal ban on assault weapons
to expire this week, allowing Americans and resident terrorists
to purchase AK-47s and Uzis at their local gun stores. The move
also coincides with the third anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on
America.
In so doing, Bush effectively overturned the cornerstone of the
US gun-control movement, the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban that was signed
by President Bill Clinton after a series of shootings in US schools
and fast food restaurants.
The move added to the mountain of evidence that Bush is out of
touch with the American public, and out of touch with reality. The
only thing he evidently is in touch with are his rich friends at
the National Rifle Association (NRA) who are bankrolling his campaign.
As expected, John Kerry, with newfound cojones, slammed Bush for
letting the ban expire. Kerry said Bush had chosen "his powerful
and well-connected friends" in a secret deal with the gun lobby
over the police officers and families he promised to protect.
"Ten years ago today, with the leadership of police officers
all over the country, we passed a tough crime bill to protect America,"
the Massachusetts senator said.
"We made sure, in a tough fight, that criminals couldn't
get their hands on military assault weapons, and we put 100,000
cops into our nation's communities where they could make an impact
and stop crimes," he said.
Citing the 9/11 commission and other reports, Kerry said that al
Qaeda had issued a manual that urged followers to "come to
America and buy assault weapons."
Kerry also criticized Bush for proposing cuts to the Community
Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, program that the senator helped
pass 10 years ago. The program provides grants to state and local
agencies to hire police officers. Bush proposed cutting it from
$482 million to $97 million next year.
"When his powerful and well-connected friends asked for a
massive tax cut, he said 'sure' and he's paid for it by gutting
the COPS program, slashing gang prevention and cutting enforcement
programs that keep drugs like meth off the streets," Reuters
quoted Kerry as saying.
"Why is George Bush making the job of terrorists easier and
making the job for America's police officers harder?" he asked
in a separate written statement.
Under a 10-year prohibition enacted in 1994, certain powerful military-style
assault weapons were outlawed, as were high-capacity ammunition
magazines holding more than 10 rounds. The law expired at 12:01
a.m. on Monday.
Sarah Brady, a gun control activist whose husband, Jim Brady, was
badly wounded in the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan
in 1981 said Mr Bush had shown "absolutely no leadership"
on the issue, adding that allowing the ban to lapse was "purely
political.”
Reuters
said the expiration of the ban was a victory for the politically
powerful NRA gun lobby, which had made it a top priority.
Despite the fact that opinion polls show 70 percent of Americans
favor renewing the ban on assault weapons, many lawmakers were afraid
to cross the NRA weeks before congressional elections, according
to the article.
Reuters
said the expiration of the ban was a victory for the politically
powerful NRA gun lobby, which had made it a top priority. 