Dianne Feinstein spoke at the Stanislaus County Peace Officers Memorial at Lakewood Memorial Park on Tuesday. Words at such events are usually meant to comfort, recall sacrifice or invoke a sense of duty. Seldom do they have much real impact.

But as a U.S. senator, Feinstein is among the few whose words can make a difference.

Sgt. Howard "Howie" Stevenson was killed by an SKS semiautomatic rifle. It's a weapon meant to look like an assault rifle and, in the hands of someone trained in small-arms combat as Stevenson's murderer was, it can perform almost as effectively.

Many such weapons were banned under legislation that Feinstein helped carry through Congress 12 years ago. The SKS was not banned under the 1994 law, which is one of the reasons the ban never worked as well it as it should have. But the ban did make it more difficult for people to obtain assault-style weapons. And it was at least a start in making it harder for criminal gangs to accrue arsenals more powerful than those of law enforcement.

The ban was allowed to lapse in 2004. In February, Feinstein co-sponsored legislation that would reinstitute it. The law has almost no chance of passage. Still, it is important for people like Feinstein to keep trying.

"These ... are the weapons of choice for those seeking to do the most harm in the least amount of time — terrorists, gang members and grievance killers," Feinstein said as she reintroduced the bill. Her words Tuesday echoed those sentiments.

That the proposed ban would have left the SKS legal points out one of the law's most serious faults. To have a chance at passage, gun-control laws must be weakened to the point of ineffectiveness.

As a member of the U.S. Senate, Feinstein is trying to get 19 specific assault weapons banned. We're glad she continues to speak up. For the sake of peace officers and peace on our streets, we hope someday her words will be heeded.