Charles E. Schumer: “Mr. Chairman, this is an issue of common sense. My colleagues, what kind of country do we want? The first time I went to…”

“Mr. Chairman, this is an issue of common sense. My colleagues, what kind of country do we want? The first time I went to a foreign country and saw uniformed police in the airports and street corners with military assault weapons, I shuddered. And yet today, we are now manufacturing and selling these very weapons not for our military, but for public use. In 1991, Mr. Chairman, I voted against a ban that I considered was worded too broadly. But this bill is narrower and specifically protects sporting guns. I own two shotguns that are even on the list of the 670. This ban does not affect a single weapon legally owned. Mr. Chairman, every one in this Chamber also knows that this ban is not going to solve crime and is not going to eliminate all the violence. But I voted for the toughest prevention, punishment, and police provisions in the recent crime bill. I successfully offered the police corps amendment that will add 100,000 police officers to our cities and towns. But we should not let them be outgunned. The police chief in my hometown said, 'It is just too easy to purchase these high capacity assault weapons. They have become an officer's worst nightmare.' There is much talk about individual rights. But we as citizens also have a responsibility to our community and our Nation.”