Tweet
on-high-capacity-magazines/
The office of Carolyn McCarthy, a Democratic congresswoman from New York, confirmed to me today that she will present a bill on Tuesday aiming to limit public purchasing of multi-round ammunition clips of the sort used in the Tucson shooting. Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey will introduce the legislation in the Senate.
The legislation will give everyone a chance to focus on something concrete, rather than the over-heated arguments about over-heated rhetoric that has dominated the airwaves since six people were killed and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and 13 others were injured.
Shams Tarek, McCarthy’s communications director, told me the bill “will apply solely to high capacity magazines for non-law enforcement civilians”. Likely exceptions will include the likes of retired police officers and guards protecting facilities such as nuclear plants.
“We are hopeful it will pass,” said Tarek. “There is precedent for this kind of statute, Congresswoman McCarthy has good relations with both sides of the aisle. We have made an effort to put something together that is realistic.”
A ban on the sale of ammunition clips of more than ten rounds was included in the 1994-2004 assault weapon ban. McCarthy regards reviving that as far too tall an order in the current pro-gun climate and is limiting herself to what she believes is achievable.
In practice, her reform would have meant that the suspect Jared Loughner could have fired half or less than half the 30 rounds he sprayed around to such catastrophic effect on Saturday morning
For advocates of greater gun controls, this may be a small victory, but it would be a victory nonetheless. Congress would not have acted if this had been a “normal” massacre at a some shopping mall, but it may now that one of its own has been nearly killed.
Democrats and liberals who have spent the past few days berating the other side for supposedly inciting violence – and in the process demonstrated how debased the political discourse has become – may perhaps be better served putting their energy behind McCarthy and Lautenberg.
I think this will pass. Buy them up gentlemen.
Comment