COMPETING GUN LAWS TO BE INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS

The Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre spawns new gun legislation

The Unconventional Gazette / December 17, 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Flanked by California Senator Dianne Feinstein, NY Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg, gun control advocate Sarah Brady and filmmaker Michael Moore, Minnesota Senator Al Franken announced today that he will introduce sweeping gun control measures in the Senate when Congress reconvenes next year.

Franken said his bill will prohibit the possession of any firearms for everyone except the police and the military. Possession of a firearm would constitute a felony punishable by 2-10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The Democratic senator said that this was the only way to prevent mass shootings like those at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, the Aurora movie theater, and Sandy Hook Elementary School. He added that the prohibition of firearms would also bring about a significant reduction in the country’s murder rate and end the gang wars that have been plaguing cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.

Under Franken’s proposed bill, local police and sheriff departments would stock hunting rifles that would be rented to licensed hunters. The hunters would have to undergo an extensive FBI background check and training program before getting their hunting licenses. The hunting rifles would be rented out each time for a maximum period of 72 hours. Failure to return a rented rifle to the police on time would constitute a misdemeanor punishable by 6-24 months in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Franken said that his bill is in line with the vow President Obama made in Newtown, Conn. at the Sunday night service for the slaughtered children and teachers when the president said, "In the coming weeks I'll use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens, from law enforcement to mental health professionals to parents and educators in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this."

Sarah Brady and Michael Moore both stated that they couldn’t be more pleased by Franken’s bill. Bloomberg said that this kind of gun legislation should have been pushed by President Obama early in his presidency.

Congresswoman McCarthy, whose husband was killed in a 1993 mass shooting on a Long Island Rail Road commuter train, said she would introduce a companion bill in the House of Representatives.

Coincidentally, Arizona’s Senator-elect Jeff Flake, surrounded by Georgia Congressmen Paul Broun and Tom Graves, former Alaska governor and VP candidate Sarah Palin, the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre and movie star/director Clint Eastwood, announced today that he would introduce ‘The Home and Personal Defense Law’ in the Senate when Congress reconvenes next year.

Flake said under his bill every American citizen 18 years and older who is not an ex-convict or mentally ill and who has not been convicted of domestic violence, will be required to own at least one semi-automatic pistol and one semi-automatic ‘assault rifle.’ Failure to comply with this act would constitute a felony punishable by 2-10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The senator-elect was highly critical of the vow Obama made at the Sunday night service in Newtown, saying that the president was politicizing a terrible tragedy and seeking to establish a “gunless and defenseless society.” He said that instead of protecting school children, Obama will endanger them even more.

Flake said that it was high time for Americans to have the ability to defend themselves against criminals and the ever growing threat of terrorists, both foreign and domestic. He noted that Swiss citizens are heavily armed with pistols and assault rifles and that the crime and murder rates in Switzerland are very low. Flake added that there was the real threat of a future Chinese invasion and that an armed citizenry would be able to help our military to repel that attack.

LaPierre praised Flake for his courage in introducing a sound piece of gun legislation and he accused Franken of trying to repeal the Second Amendment. LaPierre assured Franken that The Home and Personal Defense Law would have the overwhelming support of the National Rifle Association. And Clint Eastwood added that “The Home and Personal Defense Law will make my day!”

Tea Party favorites Paul Broun and Tom Graves said they would introduce a companion bill in the House of Representatives.

When asked what she thought of the The Home and Personal Defense Law, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said, “The gentleman from Arizona is living up to his name … he’s a flake!”