archy

Perhaps Frist should rethink this
Interesting juxtaposition here. On the same day that this story gets play in the human interest section...

A man who tried to shoot seven puppies was shot himself when one of the dogs put its paw on the revolver's trigger.

Jerry Allen Bradford, 37, was charged with felony animal cruelty, the Escambia County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. He was being treated at a hospital for a gunshot wound to his wrist.

Bradford said he decided to shoot the 3-month-old shepherd-mix dogs in the head because he couldn't find them a home, according to the sheriff's office.

On Monday, Bradford was holding two puppies -- one in his arms and another in his left hand -- when the dog in his hand wiggled and put its paw on the trigger of the .38-caliber revolver. The gun then discharged, the sheriff's report said.

...this story is in the politics section.

Congress will not vote on an assault-weapons ban due to expire Monday, Republican leaders said yesterday, rejecting a last-ditch effort by supporters to renew it.

"I think the will of the American people is consistent with letting it expire, so it will expire," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.

The 10-year ban, signed by President Clinton in 1994, outlawed 19 types of military-style assault weapons. A clause directed that the ban expire unless Congress specifically reauthorized it.

[...]

In March, the Senate voted to add the ban to a bill that would have immunized gun manufacturers from liability suits stemming from violent gun crimes. But the Senate voted 90-8 against the final bill after the National Rifle Association urged its defeat.

By "American people" Frist, of course, means NRA lobbyists. Even if he won't listen to the stream of police chiefs that came to testify before congress, maybe he should consider this a matter of homeland defense. Every year, hundreds of homes and cabins are broken into and weapons stolen. Can we be sure people are doing this? What if the wild animals are taking advantage of the easy availability of military style weapons to arm themselves for the final showdown? Where did that puppy learn how to shoot a gun? And remember, there are people who have already sided with the animals and regularly exercise their constitutional right to arm bears.