Further Thoughts on the Assault Weapons Ban
I'm sticking to my position that the defeat of gun manufacturer immunity in exchange for non-renewal of the Assault Weapons Ban is a victory for Democrats and gun control proponents. Though the liability issue has been less salient with a Republican administration in office (and thus no federal support for lawsuits against gun manufacturers), in the long run I think it is an issue that really scares the makers of firearms. That's why the Republicans were pushing it so hard, and why they'll continue to do so.
On the other hand, the Assaults Weapon Ban has always been little more than a cosmetic canard that does little to prevent gun crime. It does not even really do much to ban the very weapons people think it bans. Today, with your credit card, you can buy a near replica of the Army's excellent M-4 rifle. I know, because I owned one last year before deciding it was too much money to have invested in a single firearm. The only differences? There's no flash suppressor, there must be a pistol grip, and the buttstock is not collapsible. Real effective, huh?
Not at all. And that is why, though an excellent public relations tool for Democrats (black guns are scary), it was never of much functional value and will not be much missed if it expires. On the contrary, it is the perfect gun control poster issue for Democrats, not entirely unlike the partial-birth abortion ban for Republicans. Just as even many pro-choice voters are uncomfortable with these late term abortion procedures, so are many hunters and handgun owners uncomfortable with military-style weaponry in the hands of private citizens.
And yet both laws cover such a small number of cases, they serve better as PR vehicles than as actual legislation. If the AWB expires in September, expect to hear about it in closely contested races come November. I think the Democrats are better off letting the gun issue die a quiet death, but if they choose to continue to fight, this is the best terrain they're going to get. Unfortunately for Democrats, the vote came in such a convoluted and confusing manner (heck, most Democrats and most Republicans voted against the bill) that it may not be an easy sell.
In addition, Bush may have bought himself some cover with his continued public support of the AWB, and I've suggested before that he may have done so knowing full well that congressional Republicans would never let it pass, thus keeping the NRA heat off his back. Looks like that strategy has worked pretty well, but we won't know for sure until September.
