1ClassyLady 68F
3126 posts
6/20/2016 3:40 am
Vice President talked about banning AK-15 type assault weapons


Vice President Joe Biden sent this message to people who, in the wake of the tragic attack in Orlando, signed a We the People petition calling on the government to ban AR-15-type assault weapons from civilian ownership.

As he says below, "The President and I agree with you. Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines should be banned from civilian ownership."

Over the past few years, we've watched as new horrific shootings have replaced previous ones as the deadliest in our nation's history.

We've waged campaign after campaign to turn our grief into action — each time thinking maybe, just maybe, this will be the one that breaks through. This will be the one that gets through to Congress, which must ultimately act. We've used phrases like Now is the Time. Stop Gun Violence. Enough is Enough.


Folks, enough has been enough for a long time.

You know that. On Monday, in the wake of this latest, deadliest, mass shooting, you started this petition. You worked together, calling on your government to ban AR-15-type weapons from civilian ownership. In the days following, we have seen members of the United States Senate take and hold the floor, refusing to back down, refusing to concede that we might need to wait for an even bigger national tragedy to finally make some changes.

To the creator and signers of this petition, I want to say this as plainly and clearly as possible: The President and I agree with you. Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines should be banned from civilian ownership.

When a lone gunman walked into a Century movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, he carried a Smith & Wesson M&P 15 -- a variation of the AR-15 rifle -- modified to hold as many as 100 bullets. He used it to kill 12 people and injure 70.

And when a lone gunman walked into a classroom at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, he carried a version of the AR-15. He used it -- and several handguns -- to kill 10 of his fellow students and injure nine.

And when a lone gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, he carried a Bushmaster XM 15 -- another version of the AR-15 -- and multiple high-capacity magazines. He used it to kill 20 innocent and six educators with 154 bullets in five minutes.

A single person killed that many people in just a few minutes. Not in a war zone. Here in America -- in a classroom.

These weapons have been used to commit horrific acts. They've been called "the perfect killing machines." They fire bullets at incredible speed that rip through bodies and cause devastating carnage, and can accommodate high-capacity magazines that allow them to effectively shoot up to 45 rounds per minute. We've seen their tragic results play out in our death tolls and in the thousands left wounded, struggling to recover.

As we learned this week from the family of the gun’s inventor, he himself did not intend that this gun be used by civilians, only by our soldiers in combat -- giving them an advantage over the AK-47. He didn’t own one himself. Here is what his family said:

"We think he would have been horrified and sickened as anyone, if not more, by these events."

Right now, these weapons are on the shelves in gun shops around the country, completely legal for civilians to purchase. They can be purchased in a matter of mere minutes. That should not be so.

Here's a start: We should renew the assault weapons ban that Congress passed in 1994 — but which expired ten years later. That ban, which covered 19 specific assault-style weapons, was included in a comprehensive crime bill that folded together three pieces of legislation. I remember it well. I was Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the time. I wrote much of the bill and led it through Congress — with the help of many others, especially Senator Feinstein on the assault weapons ban. I argued strongly in favor of banning these weapons. What's more, 46 House Republicans voted for that ban in 1994. Forty-six.

So what happened to that bill? To use a somewhat wonkish legislative term, it was "sunsetted." That means that this bill came with an expiration date: Ten years after its passage, it would need to be renewed. Under President Bush and a Republican Congress, the bill lapsed. And it hasn't been renewed since.

But renewing the ban on assault weapons isn’t the only thing Congress should do to help prevent the tragedy of gun violence around the country.

It could require that every buyer go through a background check before getting a gun -- to make sure dangerous weapons don’t end up in the hands of criminals or other people who have long been prohibited from possessing them. It could prevent people who are suspected of having terrorist ties and can’t get on a plane from buying weapons of war -- that’s just common sense. It could ensure that domestic abusers can’t go to the store to buy a gun -- filling the kinds of gaps in the law that leave too many innocent victims dead. It could end the freeze on gun violence research, so our public health experts can collect data and facts that would inform strategies to deal with this epidemic. And it could give law enforcement officials the tools and resources the President requested in his budget proposal -- so they can take dangerous criminals off the street and enforce our gun laws. Our Administration has done what it can. So have many cities, counties, and states.

Now it’s up to Congress to do its job.

They'll have a good opportunity this Monday, when the Senate is set to vote on a number of different gun safety measures -- votes that came about after that 15-hour filibuster, during which a series of Democratic senators refused to cede the floor. The measures they will vote on would address the fact that anyone on a terrorist watch list can still legally purchase guns and explosives. They will address the current background check requirements for prospective gun buyers.

Ahead of those votes, we'd like to invite you to join a call on Monday at 1:00 pm ET for We the People signers with Valerie Jarrett on how we can continue to come together as citizens around this issue. Let us know you'll be joining right here — and ask any questions you've got, or issues you'd like to hear raised on the call.

I encourage you to pay attention to Monday's votes. Make yourselves aware. Use your voice. Make yourselves impossible to ignore.

Because you’re not alone in recognizing the need to act -- to take steps, consistent with the Second Amendment -- that will keep our and communities safe. Here's who else agrees with you: The Department of Justice. Dozens of United States Senators. Faith leaders, law enforcement officials, and responsible businesses. Public health experts. And the vast majority of the American people, including the vast majority of gun owners in the country.

If taking commonsense steps to reduce gun violence had the potential to save even one life, it would be worth doing. But it has the potential to save far more than that.

You know that. And that is why you spoke up. That matters. But the fact is that we have three separate but equal branches of a government for a reason.

And so, to speak directly to those members of Congress who, in the wake of this most recent, most horrific killing of our citizens, might be considering stepping up and getting this done once and for all, I'd like to remind you that this will not stop on its own. It will not stop. In the three and a half years since Newtown, there have been at least 1,002 mass shootings in this country. At least 1,135 people killed, and 3,953 wounded. That includes 49 killed and 53 wounded in Orlando.

You know in your heart that this is the right thing to do. You know that by stepping up, your action has the potential to create a domino effect. Have the courage to do it.

We have done it before. We can do it again.

Finish this.

Joe
Vice President Joseph Biden
The White House



Honesty is the best policy.


1ClassyLady 68F
3289 posts
6/21/2016 9:53 am

Some of the bloggers (such as Bad_Eyez and RYouThe1) are so lunatic in respond to my blogs. Those comments sent chills down my spine. I am very disappointed that we have so many violent and ignorant bloggers here. What stupid comments about MD malpractice kill people more than those killers shooting people with assault weapons, our USA is a tyranny, .... One force me to admit that I am a Chinese. I was born and raised in Taiwan, we didn't have "Cultural Revolution" that killed million intelligent scholars. I am a proud of be aTaiwanese American. I was very fortunate to be born in Taiwan, otherwise, I probably was one of "Red Guards" or never have universities education. MD is a professional occupation to save people lives and a ridiculous guy said MD is to kill people and USA is a tyranny country and people should possess guns (assault weapons) for self-defense purpose.

I am lucky and educated person who has attracted better knowledgeable persons (a banker CEO and a PhD physicist) to communicate with daily. I simply can't talk with those insane people. I have to block them to shut them up. There are too many bloggers I can't communicate with.



Honesty is the best policy.


1ClassyLady 68F
3289 posts
6/21/2016 12:10 am

I was worried before I came to USA 36 yrs ago that Americans have had too much freedom to own guns (not mention assault weapons). The situation has been even worse after the violence of ISIL. ISIL is our enemy that we should bomb them. However, there are so many misconception about 2nd Amendment that we should possess gun (or assault weapons) against our government (tyranny??) and politicians.

We are talking about the psychopaths killed innocent little kids at kindergarten, at college campus, in San Bernadino, Calif and Orlando, Florida gay nightclub, .... or twice killings in France last year. Although there are theory about if we have guns or rifles at the concert at gay club, good people own gun to self-defense to kill the murders - I totally understand the frustration we have had so many massacre happened. We are sad and angry about those violence that we failed to protect ourselves.

In this blog that our V.P. Mr. Biden said "ban assault weapons" to prevent guns fall into killers. However, some people misconstrued that we have "tyranny" government and we need to own guns to self-defense ourselves. I don't believe our U.S. government is a tyranny or we need to own guns for self-defense purpose.

NRA has powerful influence in Republican's congress. NRA sell guns to make fortune. They say "gun don't kill people, people kill people". It is a superficial theory. Too easy to buy guns and even those crazy ISIL followers can get their hands on guns (assault weapons) to kill - massacre. To their theory, everybody need to have assault weapons and carry with them wherever they go to music concert or eat at a restaurant, or a club (a bar), .... just in case of something will happen out of blue. Is our society that horrible??? They can't trust our law enforcement? or they just have excuse to own guns???

In Asia countries, we don't have gun shop stores or department store to sell weapons, or from magazine. There are so murder cases in Asia, but using knife will kill much less people than "assault weapons".

Can we have PEACE ON EARTH? Our lives are less than 100 yrs, why cut short?? Too much freedom for Americans to own guns (assault weapons) in the name of self-defense.

Every time we have "Gun Violence", people talk about it, then they forget the story and the tragedies repeat again and again. When will we stop violence??



Honesty is the best policy.


1ClassyLady 68F
3289 posts
6/20/2016 10:30 pm

Some people have very terrible concept about "assault weapons" are for self-defense and every one should own guns. They said 2nd Amendment should be protected so that we can against "tyranny", against "politicians", .... MD is to kill patients. What a sick man !!

1. USA is a civilized country, NOT a tyranny. Our government is NOT killing our own people. Even I don't like Trump (politician) but I don't go out to buy a gun or "assault weapon" to kill him. I don't own any gun and will NEVER buy gun.
2. The killer in Orlando, Florida killed 49 injured 53. Who are taking care of those 53 who have gun shot wound? MD. MD didn't go out to kill people, MD are treating the gun shot wound and saving lives.
3. RYouThe1 is very crazy, he needs to see a psychiatrist MD.

USA used to be a "Wild Wild West", so we had 2nd Amendment to protect people from animals or Indians. USA has over 200 yrs history, no more danger in animals in wild wild west. Okay, even the people like to hunting as habit, they don't need "assault weapons" to kill a deer or bear.

I have blocked and banned RYouThe1 before, today he posted an absurd comment on this blog, I again blocked him for good.

In his comment today, he said MD malpractice killed patients is 500 times more than killers murdered people with assault weapons in combined. Outrageous ridiculous. MD have to have at least 4 yrs pre-med program, 4 more yrs for doctoral program, 2 or 3 yrs internship, 2 or 3 yrs residency and to pass a license exam to become a MD, He said MD is to kill people 500 times than those violent killers that randomly kill people at elementary school, college campus, gay nightclub, .... in combined. He said the assault weapons should be there for self-defense. How about to prevent guns to fall into the wrong hand people? He is a lunatic. He said our country, USA is a tyranny. People should own guns and shoot our government and politicians. Terrible concept, stupid mind. OMG, he should be locked in a psychiatric hospital.

I am a Calif licensed pharmacist, my ex is a licensed dentist, my daughter will be a MD. We have kind heart to save people's life NOT to kill. RYouThe1 better don't get sick, or he doesn't trust MD, or any healthcare personnel to treat him. He will shoot MD, ... ?? What the world in his mind?? Sickness.



Honesty is the best policy.


1ClassyLady 68F
3289 posts
6/20/2016 7:54 am

    Quoting  :

You are banned from now on to view or comment my blogs. I don't believe in violence. Killing is always wrong.

Maybe we need "metal check gate" at every nightclub, restaurant, school entrance, ... to check if there are anyone carry guns.



Honesty is the best policy.


marrymethisyear 70M
21 posts
6/20/2016 6:32 am

EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!