And on a serious note, Sargent..er Adam..whats Wrong with big guns?
What exactly is wrong with the firearms (incorrectly) described as
"Assault weapons"?

Very good question. I concede to the validity of your arguement at this
point, because when owned and used in the ways you're outlining, I would
imagine that these weapons are not a societal problem; certainly much
less than the smaller "household gun", which intended for defense is all
too often used to solve arguments, provide summary divorces, or a factor
in unfortunate accidents.

I realize as I type that most of what I'm bothered by regarding assault
weapons "on the streets" pertains to those individuals who are _illegal_
owners of the weaponry, rather than card-carrying NRA. My personal
experience with assault weapons is primarily from hearing and witnessing
urban violence, but that's not really going to be helped by gun
legislation, is it? I'll re-read the Kerry proposal again with this in
mind and rethink it. I'm leaning towards agreeing with you if you're
concern is that it deprives well-meaning citizens of their 2nd amendment
rights.

Having just re-read this proposed ban, and seeing the types of weaponry
listed, I think I have a good understanding of what my real concern is
with these weapons, and I'd like your view on it. My real concern is not
with the law-abiding owners of these weapons, but with the relative ease
with which they seem to find their way into illegal ownership and
ultimately to crime scenes. Have a look at the chart on this page for
example:

http://www.jointogether.org/gv/news/...570665,00.html

Law enforcement officers in particular seem quite vocal about "renewing
and strengthening" the production ban on these weapons as a means to
making their jobs (and the the US as a whole) safer. What I'm asking is
this: is there another solution that preserves the rights of the militia
and the 2nd amendment, but that can also reverse the recent trend of
increasing numbers of violent crimes (including Columbine and DC sniper
style mass murders) involving assault weapons?

-Adam