Proposed Assault Weapons Ban Triggers Argument over Rights

RIVERSIDE - Sen. Dianne Feinstein's proposed ban on military-style firearms and advocacy of other gun restrictions won praise today from a Riverside County prosecutor and condemnation from the head of a gun owners' rights group.

''This could play an important part in saving lives,'' said veteran Deputy District Attorney Burke Strunsky. ''If you look at the specifics of the senator's legislation, it really factors in all the legitimate uses of firearms. This is not about raiding somebody's home and taking away their guns.''

Strunsky, author of ''The Humanity of Justice,'' which delves into the...