Fifty caliber military style rifles are capable of penetrating an armored vehicle or of shooting down an airplane. Among other things, our military uses them to target chemical plants, refineries and tanker trains.
This past week, the New Jersey legislature passed a new gun bill. One part of that bill banned the sale of all military style 50-caliber rifles. On Friday, Governor Chris Christie vetoed that part of the bill. A Gov. Christie appointed task force had recommended a ban on only Barrett 50-caliber long-range rifles and Mr. Christie said that banning all 50-caliber rifles would unduly restrict lawful recreational gun related activities. "Tellingly, the Legislature points to no instance of this class of firearms being used by even a single criminal in New Jersey."
50-caliber recreational activities? Is blowing up armored tanks a recognized sport in New Jersey?
Just because there are no examples of this type of firearm "being used by a single criminal in New Jersey", doesn't mean there isn't some warped idiot out there--especially now that this has been headline news--who will try to set up camp outside Teterboro and see if his new 50-caliber, perfectly legal, long-range rifle really can bring down a passenger plane.
Gov. Christie, would it be so wrong to be pro-active in this case instead of re-active? I'm sure sport gun enthusiasts can find something else destructive to fill their leisure time.
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