Firearm law perception poll #2 (please vote)

[krispos42]

STOP! DON'T VOTE YET!!!

Thank you for stopping and reading these instructions first *cough* SQUATCH *cough*. :-)

The purpose of this poll is to see how the general public perceives one aspect of American firearm laws. I'm not trying to find your opinion, whether or not something should or shouldn't be permitted. Nor am I trying to find out what the law is.

I'm trying to find out how well the general public has been educated by the popular and news media, the politicians, the activists, and the lobbyists on this issue. I want to know what people THINK the law is. What their impression is.

If you DON'T know what the law is, I would appreciate it if you voted your perception and kicked the thread.

If you DO know what the law is, I would appreciate it if you abstained from revealing what the law is, voted "I know what the law is" instead, and kicked the thread.

If nobody has disclosed what the law it 24 hours or so after posting, I'll post it for general edification.

Question: is it your impression that the since-expired 1993 Federal Assault Weapons Ban regulated fully-automatic rifles and pistols?

For the purposes of this poll, "fully-automatic rifles and pistols" are guns that, when the trigger is held down, fire two or more rounds.


And special thanks to Ms. Toad for her helpful suggestion in the last poll.

[aikoaiko]

1. I know. K&R

[krispos42]

2. Thanks

I guess nobody else wants to kick it... :-(

[aikoaiko]

4. there may be gun thread fatigue in gen disc

but i understand why you posted the poll.

[krispos42]

5. I have this loose idea for a series of these

Just so there exists a feel for how the public things. I'm pretty sure the public is generally ill-informed by the mass media and the lobbyists. The media is mostly a tool by the reich wing, and I think that, like other fascist organizations, the RW wants the public disarmed. Unlike other countries, though, they've found a way to get the opposition to both disarm the public while taking all the political consequences for it. Remember '94?

The NRA is little help, as no matter how factually right they are, they come across as frothing maniacs. And the Brady people advocate that only guns for what they determine are 'acceptable' sporting purposes should be allowed, and have come up with all these crazy assertions about weapons they see as 'unacceptable'.

[Paladin]

6. A Series Of Them? Oh, Swell.

If you're going to engage in the common gun activist practice of making fun of the general public's lack of knowledge of firearms laws (and I think that's exactly what you're doing here), how about doing us all a favor and keep these polls down in the Gun Dungeon, where they belong. Perhaps the moderators should help out on this.....

[krispos42]

7. I am not making fun of anybody

Nor am I discussing gun politics, which is why the Gungeon exists.

I am trying to gather data from the general population, for which General Discussion exists.

If you want to discuss this with the mods, don't forget to mentions these three recent threads as well, which ARE discussing gun politics and DO have insults and hyperbole being thrown back and forth.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2150404

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2151489

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2111067



They are all still in GD.

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

3. I know.

K&R

[krispos42]

10. Thank you! :-) n/t

[piedmont]

8. Kick. nt

[ileus]

9. I know...

[krispos42]

11. Okay, here's the correct answer (you can still vote if you want)

The 1993 Assault Weapons Ban did NOT regulate fully-automatic firearms. It regulated semi-automatic (one shot per trigger pull) rifles, shotguns, and pistols that had certain combinations of 'assault' or 'military' exterior features.

The list of features included detachable magazines, protruding pistol grips, bayonet mounts, folding/telescoping buttstocks, and flash suppressors. A rifle, for example, could have a detachable magazine and one other of the above features.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Assault_Weapons_Ban

This semi-automatic rifle was not an 'assault weapon'. It has a detachable magazine:
http://www.commongroundcommonsense.org.nyud.net:8090/forums/uploads/1120356158/gallery_260_23_2123.jpg



This semi-automatic rifle was not an 'assault weapon" either. It has a detachable magazine and a protruding pistol grip:
http://www.commongroundcommonsense.org.nyud.net:8090/forums/uploads/1120356158/gallery_260_23_4275.jpg



This semi-automatic rifle was an "assault weapon". It has a detachable magazine, a protruding pistol grip, and a folding buttstock:
http://www.commongroundcommonsense.org.nyud.net:8090/forums/uploads/1120356158/gallery_260_23_11270.jpg



Interstingly enough, all three are the exact same rifle:
http://www.commongroundcommonsense.org.nyud.net:8090/forums/uploads/1120356158/gallery_260_23_33326.jpg



Further reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Assault_Weapons_Ban



Thank you all.