Logansdad
10-11-2003, 07:21 AM
By Douglas MacKinnon
September 8, 2003
TO A LARGE EXTENT, hypocrisy is the coin of the realm in politics. "Do what I say and not what I do" is often the thought of the day in our nation's capital, from both sides of the aisle.
With a wink and a nod to special interest groups, some lawmakers and some administrations can betray the trust of the American people. Such betrayals take place because of campaign contributions, out of fear of the special interest group or as a favor to friends. Whatever the reason, the result is detrimental to the vast majority of taxpayers.
As a Republican, I fear some in my party (and some Democrats) may soon betray that trust in a way that could result in the loss of life of law enforcement officers, innocent civilians or even our troops overseas.
This trust will be betrayed if Congress fails to renew the federal ban on semiautomatic assault-style weapons. The ban went into effect in 1994 and made it illegal to manufacture, transfer or possess 19 specific types of semiautomatic weapons. It also banned ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.
If members of Congress don't renew the ban, it will be out of fear and because of the lobbying of the National Rifle Association. The NRA is always worried about sliding down the "slippery slope" of legislation, so its knee-jerk reaction is to fight any ban on any weapon. Even weapons such as these assault weapons, which have absolutely no place in civilized society.
Before I am tarred and feathered, let me be clear about this: I am strongly in favor of Americans having the right to bear arms. I support the Second Amendment. What I don't support, and in fact what I find disgusting, is any attempt to weaken or let expire the ban on these weapons of mass death and mass misery.
Those of us in the GOP rightfully take the moral high ground when we warn that special interest groups such as teachers unions and trial lawyers are, respectively, sabotaging the futures of our young and shutting down viable businesses and creating massive unemployment. We are right to point the finger at certain Democrats and say, "You are doing the bidding of these special interests, and you are wrong."
But when these same Democrats and some in the media point the finger at Republicans and say, "You are doing the bidding of the NRA to keep assault weapons on the street," the hypocrisy can and does flow freely.
Those in either party who defend these weapons of evil, either with their outright support or by omission, should be ashamed of themselves. Make no mistake, these semiautomatic assault weapons were designed to slaughter human beings. They are the weapon of choice of drug cartels, gangs and even terrorists, and for the good of our nation they must be eliminated from the streets.
I find it disturbing that some in the GOP - the party of law and order - would not want to renew the ban on a class of weapons that every major law enforcement organization in our nation wants banned. Do the voices of those brave enough to wear the badge no longer carry weight in the halls of Congress?
The ultimate irony in all of this is that in Washington, members of Congress and their staffs were recently terrorized by the unknown and unseen D.C. sniper, who was calmly killing and maiming innocent men, women and children. If the horrific memory of those days does not make a decision clear on renewing the ban on assault weapons, then sadly nothing will.
As a civilized nation, we must not only renew the ban on these weapons but in fact strengthen it. To knowingly do otherwise would be to knowingly condemn the innocent to death.
Douglas MacKinnon, press secretary to former Sen. Bob Dole, is a former White House and Pentagon official and a novelist.
just givin' y'all a "Heads Up !"
September 8, 2003
TO A LARGE EXTENT, hypocrisy is the coin of the realm in politics. "Do what I say and not what I do" is often the thought of the day in our nation's capital, from both sides of the aisle.
With a wink and a nod to special interest groups, some lawmakers and some administrations can betray the trust of the American people. Such betrayals take place because of campaign contributions, out of fear of the special interest group or as a favor to friends. Whatever the reason, the result is detrimental to the vast majority of taxpayers.
As a Republican, I fear some in my party (and some Democrats) may soon betray that trust in a way that could result in the loss of life of law enforcement officers, innocent civilians or even our troops overseas.
This trust will be betrayed if Congress fails to renew the federal ban on semiautomatic assault-style weapons. The ban went into effect in 1994 and made it illegal to manufacture, transfer or possess 19 specific types of semiautomatic weapons. It also banned ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.
If members of Congress don't renew the ban, it will be out of fear and because of the lobbying of the National Rifle Association. The NRA is always worried about sliding down the "slippery slope" of legislation, so its knee-jerk reaction is to fight any ban on any weapon. Even weapons such as these assault weapons, which have absolutely no place in civilized society.
Before I am tarred and feathered, let me be clear about this: I am strongly in favor of Americans having the right to bear arms. I support the Second Amendment. What I don't support, and in fact what I find disgusting, is any attempt to weaken or let expire the ban on these weapons of mass death and mass misery.
Those of us in the GOP rightfully take the moral high ground when we warn that special interest groups such as teachers unions and trial lawyers are, respectively, sabotaging the futures of our young and shutting down viable businesses and creating massive unemployment. We are right to point the finger at certain Democrats and say, "You are doing the bidding of these special interests, and you are wrong."
But when these same Democrats and some in the media point the finger at Republicans and say, "You are doing the bidding of the NRA to keep assault weapons on the street," the hypocrisy can and does flow freely.
Those in either party who defend these weapons of evil, either with their outright support or by omission, should be ashamed of themselves. Make no mistake, these semiautomatic assault weapons were designed to slaughter human beings. They are the weapon of choice of drug cartels, gangs and even terrorists, and for the good of our nation they must be eliminated from the streets.
I find it disturbing that some in the GOP - the party of law and order - would not want to renew the ban on a class of weapons that every major law enforcement organization in our nation wants banned. Do the voices of those brave enough to wear the badge no longer carry weight in the halls of Congress?
The ultimate irony in all of this is that in Washington, members of Congress and their staffs were recently terrorized by the unknown and unseen D.C. sniper, who was calmly killing and maiming innocent men, women and children. If the horrific memory of those days does not make a decision clear on renewing the ban on assault weapons, then sadly nothing will.
As a civilized nation, we must not only renew the ban on these weapons but in fact strengthen it. To knowingly do otherwise would be to knowingly condemn the innocent to death.
Douglas MacKinnon, press secretary to former Sen. Bob Dole, is a former White House and Pentagon official and a novelist.
just givin' y'all a "Heads Up !"