Reinstate the Federal "Assault Weapons Ban" of 1994

For the safety and liberty of all law-abiding Americans, immediately reinstate the Federal "Assault Weapons Ban."
The number of deaths and the crime rate associated with such firearms has risen alarmingly since the original ban expired in 2004. Too many maniacs and the mentally ill can obtain them and use them against their fellow citizens resulting in the deaths of innocents.
Reinstating the ban would NOT harm citizens' right to keep and bear arms as outlined in the U.S. Constitution and would only affect criminally-minded citizens who purchase such firearms legally but for deadly purposes. These weapons have no legitimate defensive use. We already have guns for that. The right to own assault weapons is NOT guaranteed and never was. Keep them away from murderers!