NEWS: Columbine Victim's Dad arrives at NRA meeting in his son's shoes

During a NRA meeting at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the father of of one of the victims of the Columbine School shooting arrived at the convention wearing his son's shoes. He came hoping to challenge Vice President Dick Cheney on the Federal assault weapons ban which will expire in September.


CNN.com
"Tom Mauser, whose son Daniel was killed with an assault weapon in the Littleton, Colorado, killings five years ago Tuesday, said continuing the ban is common sense.

Assault weapons "are the weapons of gangs, drug lords and sick people," Mauser said before his three-block march to the convention, which runs through Sunday. "It is a weapon of war and we don't want this war on our streets.""

Mr Mauser was hoping Dick Cheney would address the issue of extending the ban when he delivered the keynote address at the convention. Unfortunately for Mr Mauser Vice President Cheney would not discuss the matter, and is expected to reaffirm that federal prosecutions against gun crime is the solution, and not cracking down on the sale of assault weapons which is protected by Second Amendment.

Some attendees of the convention were heared yelling "Get a life" and "Vote for Bush" when Mr Mauser was eventually turned away from the convention.
I wonder if we'll hear them scream "Get a life" if one of their children is mowed down by an assault weapon. I think not.

i guess that this guy doesn't know that the war already is on his streets, regardless of the ban on assault weapons or not. if someone wants to buy some ak-47s bad enough, they still can.

Originally posted by cmdrkeenkid
i guess that this guy doesn't know that the war already is on his streets, regardless of the ban on assault weapons or not. if someone wants to buy some ak-47s bad enough, they still can.

It's a start though isn't it? Why make it any easier?

Originally posted by John Nada
It's a start though isn't it? Why make it any easier?

who says it's making it any harder? there's a large black market for these things, at least in detroit. plus i think the law says you cannot prohibit the sale of full automatic and *new* weapons.

not to mention i've seen for sale at gun and knife shows where they'll have semi-automatic assualt weapons for sale, then at the booth next to it they have the conversion kit to make it fully automatic.

The assault weapons ban basically bans things like larger magazines for guns, flash suppressors, and other accessories that make civilian "assault weapons" look more like automatic military-issue weapons...they don't improve the ability to kill people at all (30 round magazines can easily be found on the internet, that are pre-ban and legal to buy, as with anything else...or one could go to the black market and buy fully automatic rifles)..for gun collectors who like assault weapons, it kind of sucks, and for those who plan to kill people, it really makes no difference.

if you wanted to kill someone bad enough you could do it with a butter knife.

If someone choked to death on a hamburger should you march on Mcdonalds in there shoes?

Last I remember hearing the columbine shooters were carrying normal rifles and pistols, perhaps a shotgun. What created the spark over "assault weapons" was the TEC 9 that one of them carried which does not fit the description of an assault weapon. It was basically a glorified glock, only capapble of semi-auto fire no faster than someone can pull the trigger. Of course to those tho know nothing about guns, but often make the laws it looks like some kind of uzi. However after the guy who sold the guns to Harris and Klebold was interviewed and questioned, it was discovered they were in fact trying to get weapons such as AKs.

Why don't we outlaw household cleaners? Weren't they trying to make a bomb out of them?

From the local sunday paper today "AR-15 For Sale, Pre-Ban, $1500, 2 30round clips"....jeez, these assault rifles are really hard to come by...does the customized Chinese SKS in my closet with a bayonette, folding stock, and 2 30 round clips count as an assault rifle...for crying out loud, Ive even seen a grenade launcher for sale that is made for my SKS ... A GRENADE LAUNCHER, PEOPLE..., lest we forget, this country was founded by a buch of religious nuts with guns...and now they are trying to take away the religion AND the guns

I don't like banning any guns, but I do have a question for those who are so intent on keeping their assault rifles. Show of hands, how many of you guys hunt with AK47's? If not, what good are they other than for collection?

Also, it can be argued that you can get your job done just as easy with any legal weapon if you know what you are doing. So why bother with a ban?

I just raise some points...

Believe it or not, I do have a good friend who's dad was a Green Beret in Vietnam who deer hunts with an AR-15, which is just basically a civilian model of the M-16, he uses a 5 round clip for it...he says that he cant shoot any other gun worth a shiznit

Originally posted by John Nada
Some attendees of the convention were heared yelling "Get a life" and "Vote for Bush" when Mr Mauser was eventually turned away from the convention.
I wonder if we'll hear them scream "Get a life" if one of their children is mowed down by an assault weapon. I think not.

More proof that the general public (especially when the gang mentality sets in) are completely insensitive and spiritually adrift when it comes to having true empathy for another person.

I couldn't in a million years yell something like that at someone who is mourning a lost child and probably always will be. Those people should be ashamed of themselves.

Bad, BAD karma

Believe it or not, I do have a good friend who's dad was a Green Beret in Vietnam who deer hunts with an AR-15, which is just basically a civilian model of the M-16,

Same here

I'd tell him to his face to kiss my ass honestly.

I feel bad that his child is dead, but that is no reason to crusade against the wrong side.

Originally posted by KayEm

Originally posted by John Nada
Some attendees of the convention were heared yelling "Get a life" and "Vote for Bush" when Mr Mauser was eventually turned away from the convention.
I wonder if we'll hear them scream "Get a life" if one of their children is mowed down by an assault weapon. I think not.

More proof that the general public (especially when the gang mentality sets in) are completely insensitive and spiritually adrift when it comes to having true empathy for another person.

I couldn't in a million years yell something like that at someone who is mourning a lost child and probably always will be. Those people should be ashamed of themselves.

Bad, BAD karma

I feel bad for all who lost people there, but the cops should have gone in and killed those idiots right away instead of letting them wonder around offing people while others bled to death. Thats why I dont want the cops and the criminals to be the only ones with guns.

Mr Mauser's stance doesn't address the two real casues of the Columbine shootings; over-medication of two stupid punks by a system that was supposed to be helping them, and the failure of Law Enforcement to take the risk of going in the building. I think wearing his son's shoes is overly dramatic. I lived in the same county as Columbine at the time of the shootings. Was some messed up stuff folks. Can't just blame guns. There was a lot more to it.

[Edited on 18-4-2004 by Ambient Sound]

Originally posted by KrazyJethro
I'd tell him to his face to kiss my ass honestly.

I feel bad that his child is dead, but that is no reason to crusade against the wrong side.

Right on.

Id spit on the shoes too.

well liek stated b4 the war is on the street and its dang easy to get a hot ak if u want it or even worse. Its not a hard thing to do or u can by a sks at a gun sho legally and file down the pin alil then booom its just liek an ak. I think they shouldnt extend it for 2 reasons.

1. YOu can monitor who has what guns.

2. Just like in countries were all guns are banned the regualr civilians are helpless. Yea the wars are in teh street and with the "bad" guys havein the bigger guns how is the regualr person sposed to defend themselves. I know one might argue its the police's job but in know some places that they wont touch and some people are left to fend for themselves.

There are over 20,000 gun laws in the United States, one of them is the assault weapons ban. That law was in effect during the Columbine incident. Did it stop it? Answer= NO

Laws do not stop criminals. Being a criminal means that you broke a law(s)

Not only does this guy need to get a life, he needs to pull his head out of his rectum.

Police usually arrive in time to fill out a report....do you want you're porotection on you? Or parked outside the donut shop?

I live in NZ, we have the third highest gun ownership per capita in the world.

I own an SLR L1A1 and a Norinco 56s because I want too. Am I meant to trust a govt with their guns, but they cant trust me with mine?

More kids die in the US from air bags in cars than guns do each year, but air bags are retained because the benefit out weighs the costs. Errors made by doctors kill approx 250,000 a year, but again the benefit outweighs the cost.

Approx a million people are saved by a guns use or threatened use by a private individual each year......need I say more?

Take a look at the below link.

www.a-human-right.com...