Senators Hear Gates Assail Assault Rifles

Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl F. Gates, urging Congress to ban the sale of semiautomatic assault weapons like the AK-47, Friday stormed Capitol Hill with an arsenal of tough talk, spraying his critics with blunt warnings about the dangers of such weapons.

During sometimes fiery testimony before a Senate panel considering a ban on such firearms, Gates, a staunch conservative, scolded Congress for not getting tough on the issue. He also clashed with a Republican senator who had reservations about the proposal and congratulated two liberals who favored it.

“This is uncomfortable for me, because I’m differing with a lot of my friends in the National Rifle Assn.,” Gates said. “But these weapons have got to go. Policemen all over America are united on this. It’s time for some action.”

In blunt comments that appeared to stun some onlookers, Gates warned the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on the Constitution that without new restrictions on the guns available to gangs and drug dealers, the LAPD might have to arm itself with semiautomatic or automatic weapons.

‘Domestic Arms Race’

“There’s a domestic arms race in this country right now,” Gates said. “Do you want us to be like Colombia where everybody has automatic weapons? Everybody gets shot down there.”

The chief also chided Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), a former Philadelphia district attorney, for suggesting that it would be easier to cut violent crime with tougher sentencing laws and more restrictions on plea bargaining than with gun control.

“I wish we could get together on this, senator,” Gates said. “I’ve heard some of the same things from members of the NRA and from some of the hate mail I’ve been getting in recent weeks.”

Friday’s hearing focused on legislation by Sen. Howard Metzenbaum (D-Ohio) that would ban the sale and importation of new semiautomatic weapons. Under the bill, existing assault weapons, which some gun-control groups estimate may number 500,000, would be subject to the same strict regulations that now cover machine guns. Machine gun purchasers must undergo a rigorous background check for arrests or convictions, and law enforcement authorities must certify that the weapon is not being purchased for illegal purposes.

Currently, those wishing to buy semiautomatic weapons are simply required to present identification and fill out a form saying they are not a convicted felon, illegal alien or person with a background of mental instability. Federal law does not require a background check for prospective buyers, and only three states have waiting periods for persons wishing to buy assault rifles.

Sen. Paul Simon (D-Ill.), who presided over the hearing, said it was prompted in large part by the shooting spree last month at a Stockton elementary school that killed five students and wounded 29 others. The gunman, Patrick Edward Purdy, used an AK-47 in the attack before killing himself.

“These weapons are designed for one purpose and one purpose only--to kill as many human beings as possible,” Simon said. “I have never seen a hunter with an AK-47. The whole point of this is to protect innocent people. This kind of bill is long overdue.”

Gates praised Simon and Metzenbaum for their efforts. But gun lobbyists complained that the bill is too broad and would prevent legitimate sportsmen and hunters from using semiautomatic weapons. They suggested that Congress instead pass tougher sentencing laws so people with lengthy criminal records would spend more time in jail and less on the streets.

“Hunting is not the issue,” said Neal Knox of the Firearms Coalition. “I resent anyone telling me what I need, as much as I resent anyone telling me what I may read. I am a law-abiding citizen who resents being treated as a criminal because I own and lawfully use firearms.”

The committee also heard from Lori Mackey, a teacher at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, the scene of the Jan. 17 shooting. In a steady voice, she described the horror of the attack and discussed the psychological trauma suffered by the young survivors.

“Why aren’t there laws to protect us from this madness?” she asked. “Does it always have to take a tragedy of this magnitude to get any action? Has there been enough suffering to warrant action now?”

When the hearing was over, Gates lashed out at several Republicans in the California Assembly who he said were attacking him personally and were also trying to block state legislation banning the sale of such guns.

In particular, Gates said he was referring to Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks), who has introduced a bill that would ban the sale of semiautomatic assault weapons to any person who has ever been convicted of a violent crime or drug-related offense.