Gay Marriage in Virginia and Assault Weapons-Links Below

The veteran is ashamed of the strong bigotry being shown in the legislative branch of his home state. Today VA lawmakers in both houses passed a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in Virginia and refusing to recognize same-sex marriages valid in other states. I am a firm advocate of separation of church and state, and do not believe a view based on the concept of biblical sin has any place in government. Nor do I bring my religious beliefs into my personal relationships. I love all my friends, both straight and gay, and I think a person can do a lot more harm in the world than just having a homosexual relationship. Why can't we deal with the real problems in Virginia, such as unemployment? Governor Warner has done an outstanding job repairing our broken economy, but there's still more to be done and he's on his last year. You can find the story on the amendment on the Lowell Sun Online.
Let's talk about assault weapons. The law defines an assault weapon as an automatic or semiautomatic weapon (that is, one that fires multiple shots from one trigger pull or one that will fire each time the trigger is pulled without needing recocking). The law also requires that, to be considered an assault weapon, it must have "...two or more of the following:

• A folding or telescoping stock
• A pistol grip
• A bayonet mount
• A flash suppressor, or threads to attach one
• A grenade launcher" (see Guncite.com)
  

Many assault weapons are actually of lower caliber than conventional hunting weapons, but generally, people don't need a bayonet mount or a flash supressor to hunt game animals. These types of weapons are specifically made for killing humans. As a gun enthusiast and veteran of the Marine Corps, I understand this distinction well. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, of California, is now looking to reinstate the assault weapons ban that ran out in September of 2004. Senator Feinstein faces steep opposition this year in both Republican-controlled houses of Congress, but is adamant about this bill, designed to make the streets of America safer. True, these weapons only make up a small part of gun crime, but they are of the type most used by organized criminals and assassins. These weapons belong only in the hands of law enforcement and the military; weapons designed for killing humans do not need to be in the hands of average-Joe huntsman! Sen. Feinstein also faces significant opposition in the House, where Speaker Hastert and Majority Leader Tom DeLay have stated that they will not allow this legislation to come to a vote. Many assault weapon advocates, such as the NRA, cite the U.S. Constitution as a general guarantee of the right of average Americans to bear firearms, but the Constitution clearly states in Amendment #2 that "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed" (see House.gov). Do we still maintain many state militias? If not, then why would a civilian need a weapon designed for shooting human targets? The original article can be found at The San Francisco Chronicle.