Police Officials, Republicans Clash on Assault Weapon Ban
By Heidi Przybyla - Feb 27, 2013 1:31 PM ET
Law enforcement officials and Republican lawmakers clashed over a proposed assault-weapon ban as it was debated in Congress for the first time since the December shootings in Newtown, Connecticut.
The Senate Judiciary Committee today heard from law enforcement officials who spoke in support of restrictions on semi-automatic assault weapons. Also testifying was Neil Heslin, the father of a 6-year-old boy slain at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown on Dec. 14.
“I just can’t believe that that could happen,” Heslin told lawmakers while choking back tears. “Those weapons were used in the battlefields of Vietnam, in the Persian Gulf, in Afghanistan and Iraq. Their sole purpose is to put a lot of lead on the battlefield quickly.”
It’s “false logic” that a ban on assault weapons would strip Americans of their Second Amendment right to bear arms,
said Edward Flynn, chief of the Milwaukee police department. “These weapons are designed for combat” and “to cause lethal wounds to human beings,” not for sporting or self-defense, he said.
“A lot of people make a lot of money selling firearms and ammunition,” Flynn said. “It’s time for Congress to pick a side. This time I hope it’s law enforcement.”
Some Republicans said an assault-weapon ban would be ineffective and would harm gun owners’ rights. Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, emphasized his opposition to new limits, including an assault-weapon ban.
more:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-27/police-officials-republicans-clash-on-assault-weapon-ban.html
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