Gun Control - It's What You Do...

...when you don't have the intestinal fortitude or intelligence to face the issue of violence head on.  Feinstein announced the submittal of her latest and greatest Assault Weapons Ban today in a presser that has made all the news.  So far as I can tell, the actual text of the bill is not yet available for us common folk to read, all I can find is the bill summery on her website.

Basically the bill bans 157 firearms by name (these must be the especially evil Evil Black Rifles), and many others based upon what she considers a "military feature".  All AR's, all AK's and all Thompsons are banned by name.  She left off KRISS, but gets them with the 'military feature' ban.

What are these military features?

All semiautomatic rifles that can accept a detachable magazine and have at least one military feature: pistol grip; forward grip; folding, telescoping, or detachable stock; grenade launcher or rocket launcher; barrel shroud; or threaded barrel.

All semiautomatic pistols that can accept a detachable magazine and have at least one military feature: threaded barrel; second pistol grip; barrel shroud; capacity to accept a detachable magazine at some location outside of the pistol grip; or semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm.

All semiautomatic rifles and handguns that have a fixed magazine with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds.

All semiautomatic shotguns that have a folding, telescoping, or detachable stock; pistol grip; fixed magazine with the capacity to accept more than 5 rounds; ability to accept a detachable magazine; forward grip; grenade launcher or rocket launcher; or shotgun with a revolving cylinder.

Plus "All ammunition feeding devices (magazines, strips, and drums) capable of accepting more than 10 rounds.

There is absolutely nothing on this list that does anything to address violent crime.  There is nothing on this list that will make a bit of difference to a goblin that wants to shoot up a school, or an ultra violent criminal who uses violence as a means increasing his power and supplementing his income.  If you want to stop violent crime, you need to stop the violent criminal.   

Senator Feinstein represents California.  We have a lot to thank California for when it comes to violent crime. The Los Angles area is the birthplace of many of our ultra violent street gangs. The Crips, the Bloods, SUR 13 and many others come from this area.  This gang culture has spread to every major city in the country along with most smaller ones.  So what has California done to stop this spread of violence?  Why they have gang summits, they start after school programs, they talk about this and they talk about that.  The prisons have a rotating door for even the most violent and the inner city schools are nothing more than gang recruiting depots.  This AWB that Diane Feinstein has introduced does nothing to address the gang issue, or the violent criminal issue.  Diane Feinstein refuses to address the root causes of our violent crime and refuses to do what is necessary to put a stop to violent criminals.  Instead takes what she believes is the easy path, the path that will accomplish nothing.  

I see legislation like this even locally.  We have an increase in the number of stolen cars.  Instead of finding and shutting down the chop shop or the gang that is running these cars down to Mexico, the city passed a law outlawing warming up your car in the morning or leaving it running to keep the AC on while grabbing a quick something at the store.  Yes, leaving your car running is stupid, but until lately not criminal.  It is easier for the police to ticket us than it is to stop the criminal.  Another example is graffiti.  the homeowner can receive a larger fine for not promptly removing graffiti than the juvenile graffiti "artist" may receive for painting it in the first place.  Again, it is just easier to punish us than stop crime.  

There is another thing that really irks me about this bill.  Some folks are exempt.   Listed in the exemptions is "...and retired law enforcement"  Why?  So even retired LEO's are better than us common Citizens?  Yes, I know, this exemption was put in to appease the Law Enforcement Associations that came out in support of this bill. They are not affected by it, even after retirement. 

If this bill is passed, and the ultra violent remain ultra violent and the criminals keep on keeping on, what's next?  The obvious answer is more bills, more restrictions on law abiding gun owners until there are no longer any more gun owners who can call themselves law abiding.  

One last thing.  They keep saying this is not confiscation.  The bill summery indicates that magazines with a capacity of over ten rounds will not be transferable.  If you can't legally transfer them, then the .gov will end up with them.  Sounds a whole lot like confiscation to me.