Joseph Perkins

In early 1998, Bill Clinton signed an executive order banning the importation of an additional 58 types of semiautomatic rifles into the United States. In the following viewpoint, Joseph Perkins contends that banning these weapons will not reduce crime rates. The imported “assault weapons” banned under the executive order are no different from semiautomatic weapons made in the United States, he maintains. The ban is simply part of an attempt to ban all semiautomatic weapons, he asserts. Perkins is an editorial writer for the San Diego (California) Union-Tribune.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What is the difference between an Uzi and the semiautomatic rifles banned by Bill Clinton, according to Perkins?
2. How do the banned semiautomatic rifles compare with standard hunting rifles, according to Lott?
3. How do rank and file police officers feel...