This is 180 degrees from the arrogant letter that Dick Durbin sent me.
Thank you for your message about a federal ban on assault weapons. I appreciate knowing your thoughts about this issue.
I am not opposed to the possession of guns. Americans are entitled to own and use guns responsibly and we must honor and respect the right to bear arms set forth in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
I stand with the Illinois law enforcement community in supporting the assault weapons ban. The 1994 federal assault weapons ban expired on September 13, 2004. For 10 years, the ban was an effective law enforcement tool that dramatically reduced the number of crimes committed with assault weapons. In 1993, assault weapons accounted for more than eight percent of all guns used in crimes. In 1995, the first year of the ban, assault weapons accounted for just under four percent of guns used criminally and by 2002, this percentage had dropped even further, to slightly over one percent. While the ban did not totally eliminate the illegal use of assault weapons, it was an important measure that increased public safety without infringing on the rights of average gun owners.
Military-style assault weapons are designed for one thing—firing a large number of bullets in a short amount of time. These firearms were the types of weapons used in the senseless acts of violence recently committed at Sandy Hook Elementary School and the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. Following these tragic events, I met with law enforcement leaders in Illinois and what I heard was that we must take steps to limit military-style assault weapons and magazines to reduce the scale of gun violence and help keep our communities safe.
I will continue to respect gun owner’s Second Amendment rights while standing with law enforcement officers in the effort to help protect our communities from the violent crimes committed with assault weapons. Although we may disagree on this issue, I will keep your thoughts in mind as the Senate considers measures to prevent gun violence.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator
