A red herring

Heather Rebic closes her Aug. 19 letter "NRA Victory" with "Tell me again -- we need assault-style weapons, why?"

The LA Fitness center shooting contributed to her comment, though possibly she is simply "agin' " guns. Anyhow, in bemoaning the demise of the so-called assault weapons ban, a fraud perpetrated by and during the Clinton administration, she overlooks facts.

Ordinary handguns were used by the shooter; handguns were not affected by the assault weapons ban, neither was ammunition. Based on cosmetic features, imported semi-automatic rifles were, along with "ammunition feeding devices," also known as magazines, manufactured/imported after a particular date. Those already on hand were exempted, though the prices thereof sharply increased. It's called gouging, something Americans should be quite familiar with -- see fuel prices, for instance.

So one wonders: When will individuals such as Ms. Rebic and the PG tire of waving the red herring of assault weapons before us all?

ALAN SCHULTZ
McCandless