In the last full year of the previous assault weapons ban, how many Americans died as a result of a gun shot wound?
Any guesses?
The answer is shockingly, over 30,000. Of those 11,000 were homicides. That's right, during the last assault weapons ban over 10K Americans - a year - were being murdered with guns.
In 2011, less than 50 people (as far as I can figure) were killed in "mass shootings" in America. That's 50 out of about 8500 (in fact the number is 8,775). In other words, mass shootings accounts for less than 0.6% of gun murders.
We REALLY need to ask ourselves, as a nation, as the activists that has the most influence with Obama and the Dems, what are we trying to accomplish.
Are we trying to simply stop mass shootings? OR are we trying to substantially lower the gun related death rate?
In 2010, of the 8,775 gun homicides, 6,009 were committed with a handgun. Another 373 with shotguns. Combined that makes up 73% of guns used in murders. The other 27% is comprised of rifles (358) and other (96). So, it's pretty easy to see that assault weapons probably account for less than less than 5% of gun homicides a year. Probably 2-3% at the max. (10% would be 877, the total for ALL rifles and Other is 454, about 50% - so that's 5% of the total - and both of those number can't include assault rifles, so...)
http://www.fbi.gov/...
So let's subtract 2-3% from out 2011 numbers, and what have we? Much much less than 500 fewer gun related murders a year, assuming the murder decides not to just use a hand gun instead. (5% is 438, and it's significantly less than 5%)
A 3% reduction would mean over 8500 people a year murdered with guns.
Is that the goal?
Should be not be trying for at least a 10% reduction? 15%?
An assault weapons ban won't get us there, or even close.
So, if you're trying to simply lower the death toll in mass shootings an assault weapons ban makes a lot of sense (and I support it 100%), but if you're trying to lower the actual gun homicide rate (and don't even start on the gun accidents and suicides), then it's basically meaningless - though the people saved might disagree.
UPDATE 1:
High Capacity magazines were also banned under the previous assault weapons ban, when the gun murder rate is higher than it is now.