LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Although the ban had strong support from powerful senators such as Diane Feinstein (D-CA)  Reid has acknowledged that Republicans will not accept a bill that unacceptably restricts and individuals Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

At the same time, the elimination of the assault weapons ban also dooms its support from the left, which means the bill is likely dead on arrival.

Reid has done his homework and is trying to cobble together a bill that will gather 60 votes in the senate. After polling his fellow senators, Reid explained, the ban on assault weapons "has less than 40 votes. That's not 60."

The ban on assault weapons is simply too divisive to pass. Many different types of weapons have been used in mass killings, and banning one kind may not necessarily reduce gun violence. Such a ban would however, curtail individual rights.

Many argue that weapons issues have more to do with who can possess a firearm, noting that individuals with mental disorders and convicted criminals, people who should prudently be denied access to weapons, are most commonly the abusers of gun rights.

There will be amendments and whole other bills in the days to come. Something is likely to pass, such as a bill requiring broader background checks for buyers. However, an outright ban on assault-style weapons is unlikely to pass anytime soon as the political cost of supporting such a ban in mixed congressional districts could be prohibitively high.

Not to mention its chilling effect on individual liberty.

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