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Mar. 23, 2005 Not since Columbine have we seen such horror in a school. A young teen on a reservation in Red Lake, Minnesota went on a shooting rampage yesterday. He killed his grandparents first and then went to school where he walked into his classroom shooting the teacher and several other students before shooting himself. According to www.cnnnews.com the shooters grandfather was a veteran from their local police force and it was his service weapon that the young man used in his killing spree. Before it was all said and done he has shot and killed 10 people and injured 13 more. Many of you may not be aware that we used to have an assault weapons ban that expired in September of 2004. Clinton signed this into law in 1994 and many associations have noted it’s success with dramatic declines in violent gun crimes. As a matter of fact, according to the Brady Center there was a 66% decline under the ban for crimes that could be traced back to the use of assault weapons. (www.csmonitor.com) Could this tragedy have been prevented with the extension of the assault weapons ban? Just prior to the assault ban being enacted it was noted that there were approximately 15 people killed per 100,000 in gun related deaths. By 2002 the death rate due to guns was down to 10 per 100,000 or 30% less. (www.inasa.org) I don’t know about you but that looks pretty effective to me! The NRA says that the ban has not helped to slow or stop criminals from obtaining weapons and they also feel that the ban violates their rights under the second amendment. (www.csmonitor.com) Publicly, Bush voiced his support for the ban, but he has done nothing to press congress to react or to renew this ban. (www.csmonitor.com) How many more people will die before he reacts at all? For more information or to voice your support for the assault weapons ban please contact your local congressman/woman and invite them to help save our people of unnecessary deaths due to guns. Reference: www.csmonitor.com www.inasa.org www.ccnnews.com ------------ About the author: Michelle Malsbury was born and raised in Champaign, Illinois. She attended Parkland College and the University of Illinois before graduating from the University of Phoenix with her degree in Business Management. Currently she is working on her master’s degree in Organizational Management while concurrently pursuing her lofty writing ambitions. Ms. Malsbury moved to south Florida in 1983 and resides between the Keys and Apalachicola, allowing her to experience the seasonal fluctuations between the southernmost and nearly northernmost beauty in the state of Florida. Travels have taken her from Europe through the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and across much of the United States. Michelle has been a bartender, real estate agent, flight attendant, beauty contestant, yacht broker, and commodities broker over the years, but writing is her passion. She enjoys outdoor activities like sailing, waterskiing, hiking, bike riding, working out, and fishing as well as reading, music, theatre, playing with her two amusing pets (Abu Chez, her 6 year old Australian Blue Heeler and Zack, her two year old yellow tabby cat) and writing. Michelle is a regular featured author on the web site Useless-Knowledge.com and enjoys exchanging points of view with her comrades there. “Three Years With Adonis” is the first to be published of several books that she has written and will be available early, to mid, 2005. In addition to “Three Years With Adonis”, she has authored four other books and three screenplays while continuing to explore all that life hands her. Email Michelle Malsbury: zackywacks@aol.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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