D.C. Police Chief Lanier

"Imagine how difficult it will be for law enforcement to safeguard the public if semiautomatic guns are allowed"

- D.C. Police Chief Lanier testifying on , Washington Post, September 10, 2008

Given the record of successful crime-fighting in the District over the last thirty years, it would be difficult to imagine that allowing law-abiding citizens to own or posses a single additional type of mechanical action (recall things don’t really change until the action is “full-auto” – not “semi-auto”, where a single pull of the trigger still equals a single muzzle flash).

Muzzle/Projectile diameter, velocity, and projectile design are all vastly more significant in determining lethality and wounding capacity than the design of a particular mechanical action. Getting wound up about semi-automatic pistols and rifles based on action design departs from the land of the rational on the express train for the Isle of Silliness rather early on, say, about the time the notion passes the lips of a speaker.

Yet, simple common sense undermines the Chiefs’ statement yet further. D.C. is by far the exception in banning semi-automatic pistols and rifles, yet its’ level of injuries and deaths are significantly higher than areas where gun control consists of hitting what you shoot at and keeping accidents to a minimum.

Finally, the bill in question does *not* legalize open or concealed carry in the streets of D.C. (pity, that) – it merely legalizes ownership without forcing the law-abiding through expensive, time-consuming, and purposely torturous hoops. Lanier is just throwing red herring to distract us from her interest in maintaining the status quo and keeping D.C. citizens defenseless.

(Inspired by Another Gun Blog)