<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal>> <b>On Behalf Of </b>John Clark via extropy-chat<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [ExI] Russians bots at work again?<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in'><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=gmaildefault><i><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>> </span></i></span><i>There is a reason why I went off on that tangent: lawmakers do not know how to define that term either. They are sure assault rifles are bad, but they cannot distinguish between assault rifles and non-assault rifles. Can you? </i><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></div></blockquote><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>>…For some reason lawmakers got into a tizzy over silly cosmetic differences, but the only thing that matters is that an assault rifle is capable of semi-automatic operation…</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>John</span></span><span class=gmaildefault><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> K Clark<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I know the reason: they can’t just ban semi-autos because most rifles sold today are semi-autos. They can’t just say all firearms except muzzle-loading smooth-bores are banned, they can’t say they wish to ban semi-autos. They can’t just come right out and say it. A few will do it, but that’s the end of that political career. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Lawmakers do not write the bills they present. They don’t even read them. That is how we get comments such as “…we must hurry and pass this bill so we can find out what’s in it…” They honestly do not know what is in there. They hire experts in legalese to design those bills. Lawmakers decide on how they will vote based on who is voting for and who is voting against.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Result: we get absurdities such as “assault weapon” bans in which there are only cosmetic and ergonomic descriptions to define what is banned, rather than functional ones. The legislators appear to be passing laws to discriminate against those with physical handicaps that the ergonomic features could help alleviate. This would appear to violate the Americans With Disabilities Act.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>John I do encourage you to form a political party and run on the platform of banning semi-automatic firearms. Make very clear exactly your party’s position on that. Make sure to campaign in places like Seattle, where anarchists have seized entire city blocks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>spike<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></div></body></html>