
The ban would not apply to weapons favored by hunters but would apply to Uzis, AK-47s and other military-style weapons that have no purpose except to kill people. Some of these weapons are prized by collectors who like to use them for target practice. Gun fanciers point out that so-called "assault weapons" are no more lethal than other types of guns; they just look more menacing. Be that as it may, lifting the ban would be morally indefensible in a country still recovering from Columbine, the Washington, D.C.-area snipers and the carnage from handguns and rifles used recklessly to maim and murder innocent people, including children.