Gonzales Backs U.S. Assault Weapons Ban

"WASHINGTON - Attorney General nominee Alberto Gonzales told the Senate on Tuesday that he supports extending the expired federal assault weapons ban."

Well, this is a far cry from the last AG's stand on the subject.

Congress let the 10-year-old assault weapons ban expire in September. The measure outlawed 19 types of military-style assault weapons, banned certain features on firearms such as bayonet mounts, and limited ammunition magazines to 10 rounds.

Gonzales pointed out that his brother Tony is a SWAT officer in Houston.

"I worry about his safety and the types of weapons he will confront on the street," Gonzales said. "The president has made it clear that he stands ready to sign a reauthorization of the federal assault weapons ban if it is sent to him by Congress. I, of course, support the president on this issue."

Antigun groups criticized Bush during the presidential campaign for failing to press for an extension of the ban.

Somebody needs to define the term "assault weapon" to Gonzales. For that matter, perhaps the president needs to understand the term better than he does as well.

I don't blame him (the Attorney General nominee) for worrying about his brother. Houston is a tough town. But it seems to me that Gonzales is thinking emotionally, not logically, and hasn't researched the subject.

In fact, I've been a fan of the Houston Chronicle for a couple of years, and while I'm aware that the folks in Houston have their share of police-killed-on-the-job murders, their problem isn't as much one of weapons types as it is of a general atmosphere of violence among both police and citizens. See here and here for reports of recent incidents.


And of course, the violence in Houston sometimes goes the other way. Also see here.

I'm not saying that Gonzales' brother is part of the problem, just that the problems in Houston may be so extensive that the "Assault Weapons" may also not be "part of the problem."

And there are other problems with which the Houston Police Department (HPD) must deal. See here , here and here . And, for that matter, here.

Most important, in regards to the general subject of 'shooting incidents within the Houston Police Department', see this special report from the Houston Chronicle, concerning shootings BY police in HPD:

Experts recommend better ways of monitoring officers and more independent reviews of the actions of officers who shoot citizens. Possible reforms include: •Improve tracking of potential problem officers.
Several local departments have so-called early warning systems to monitor officers who face multiple internal affairs investigations or other allegations. These may include computer programs that identify officers and recommend action such as counseling or training.
But the scope of these systems is limited. Officers from several agencies have been involved in multiple shootings but show no evidence of being tracked by such a system in the public portion of their personnel files. For example, one Houston Police Department officer has killed or wounded six people but apparently was never monitored.

(Emphasis added)

If Alberto Gonzales is concerned about the safety of his brother, perhaps his energies could be better utilized by getting his brother OUT of Houston ... or else, focusing on the societal problems which contribute to so many LEO/Citizen confrontations, and less on the Assault Weapons Ban.

For myself, if I were a citizen of Houston, I would at least as concerned about being shot by a HPD officer as I would be about being shot by an "evil assault weapon" in the hands of a civilian.

But maybe I just don't understand the problem.