Lawmakers in Colorado, a state as familiar as any with the unspeakable violence of mass shootings, have a moral obligation to ban assault weapons. Early this morning, after more than 13 hours of testimony during a committee hearing at the Colorado Capitol, a proposed assault weapons ban died on a 6-7 vote. A more reliable source, RAND, has determined, however, that the evidence of the effect assault weapons bans have on mass shootings is inconclusive. But the justification for an assault weapons ban involves a moral imperative that goes way beyond the scope of these limited studies. The project of achieving an assault weapons ban could take years, but this week elected officials squandered an opportunity to do the right thing.

Source: Washington Post April 20, 2023 22:03 UTC