Assault Weapons Ban to Safeguard 2,200 Guns; Critics Cite 'Ignorance' in Legislation
The latest attempt at an assault weapons ban introduced to Congress in January would allegedly safeguard the public from 2,200 different guns.
The recent piece of legislation was authored by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. and would ban a host of weapons that also includes some pistols and shotguns, according to The International Business Times.
Lawmakers are looking to try and curb the spread of mass shootings in the U.S. that seem to have risen in recent years.
The bill adds on to the list of 600 weapons that were banned in the 1994 assault weapons ban that was also created by Sen. Feinstein. The latest legislation defines an assault weapon as a semi-automatic firearm with a detachable magazine that has one of several military characteristics such as a pistol grip and forward grip for stabilized shooting.
The legislation has received criticism from various parts of the public along with the gun manufacturing industry and the National Rifle Association.
Gun manufacturer Lawrence Keane, senior vice president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, was quoted by The Associated Press about the lack of understanding that the bill has with the weapons listed.
"The bill demonstrates a shocking ignorance of the product they are purporting to regulate," said Keane. "I have no idea how they arrived at this list. It would seem to be random, bordering on throwing darts at a dart board."
The proposed ban is currently backed by the support of President Barack Obama who stepped up his drive to safeguard assault weapons.
The president urged Congress to review the proposed legislation in order to make the streets a safer place for the public.
"We should restore the ban on military style assault weapons and a 10-round limit for magazines. And that deserves a vote in Congress, because weapons of war have no place on our streets," Obama stated, according to a Feb. 4 report by Reuters.
