Reinstate Assault Rifle Ban

We have already tried this . . . and it worked! In 1994, Congress passed an assault weapons ban; unfortunately, that bill included a 10-year “sunset” clause, meaning the law automatically expired in 2004, when Congress failed to renew it. Speaking to the nation this week, President Biden stated:

When we passed that assault rifle ban, mass shootings went down. When the law expired, mass shootings tripled.

PolitiFact checked out the veracity of this statement and ruled it “Mostly True.” While there was no hard data (which would be hard to come by) there was a statistical correlation, adding “new research suggests that limits on large-capacity magazines play a key role.”

Fine with me, ban it all. That’s what all the sane, modern countries like Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway did, and it worked (NYT). I don’t want to hear about funding for programs or research into why people kill (money down a rathole) or hardening our elementary schools into maximum security prisons. Just ban the military assault rifles and the large-capacity magazines.

I am happy to report that the Rhode Island Congressional delegation is onboard with this. WPRI covered yesterday’s press conference.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, and Reps. Jim Langevin and David Cicilline joined Reed to support passing an assault weapons ban and a “red flag” proposal. They also called for strengthening background checks and repealing a law that gives gun manufacturers immunity in the event of a lawsuit.

Reed, who cited his military experience, said assault weapons should be banned because they are designed to kill people.

For those new to the state, Representative Langevin has been in a wheelchair since his teens, the result an improperly handled firearm:

At the age of 16, Langevin was injured while working with the Warwick, Rhode Island Police Department in the Boy Scout Explorer program. A gun accidentally discharged and a bullet struck Langevin, leaving him paralyzed.

Those standing behind the congressmen, wearing red T-shirts, represent Moms Demand Action, a grassroots advocacy group.

Behind the group is a pillar erected by Providence artist Boris Bally in 2001. From AtlasObscura:

Dubbed the “Gun Totem” by its artist, Boris Bally, the imposing obelisk was constructed in 2001 with guns from a firearm buy-back program in Pittsburgh. Altogether, more than 1,000 guns went into the construction of the pillar, which was commissioned by the Providence Parks Department. All of the guns included in the project were disabled and fossilized beneath concrete, and bits of the pillar were chipped away so people could see the deadly layer beneath the its exterior.

We last wrote about Bally’s Totem in 2018 when legislation on banning assault weapons had been introduced. For updates on state efforts to regulate guns go to Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence.