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Showing Original Post only (View all)What is an "assault rifle," he asked sarcastically. [View all]
When, inevitably, some gun collector snarkily asks me to tell them what an "assault rifle" is, I like to respond with this:
An assault rifle is a weapon that cowards use in the commission of mass murder to kill the most human beings possible, in the shortest time possible. An assault rifle is a weapon that killed 17 high school students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in unders 6 minutes, it is a weapon that killed 20 elementary school children and 6 teachers in Newtown in under 5 minutes. An assault rifle is a weapon that killed 49 people and wounded 58 at the Pulse nightclub in Florida, most were killed or wounded in the first 7 minutes. Assault rifles are weapons that killed 16 people and wounded 22 in under 3 minutes at a San Bernardino Christmas party. Assault rifles with a still legally obtainable bumpstock ($250 online) are weapons that killed 58 people and wounded 851 in under 10 minutes at an outdoor concert in Las Vegas
An assault rifle is a weapon of war, slightly modified for civilian use that has the capability of putting enough firepower in the hands of physically and mentally weak people to give them a capability they otherwise would not have; the ability to kill and wound dozens or even hundreds of people in a few minutes.
It is a weapon amazingly similar to the rifle I carried in the US Army, except mine had a 20 round magazine instead of 30, 50, or 100, and could fire automatic 3 round bursts, the civilian model can be legally modified to fire fully automatic 100 round drum magazines. It fires the exact same high velocity round as my military issued rifle, designed to tumble upon impact with human flesh causing the maximum tissue damage and lethality possible. It is weapons like the AR (ArmarLite Rifle), which was designed specifically for military infantryman to be able to carry more ammunition into war. It is any weapon that has the capability of firing multiple .223 or 5.56 (bullets designed for weapons of war during Vietnam) rounds at an extremely high velocity, with minimal reloading, for the primary purpose of killing human beings quickly and by those with nominal firearms training, proficiency or precision. They are for sale to anyone over 18 who can pass a simple background check, in a dozen stores near you. They are available most weekends in gunshow parking lots or from people on the internet with no background check at all. They are legally available to mentally ill people and subjects on the terrorist watch list. They are the preferred weapon of mass shooters who use them more frequently and with more lethal efficiency, every year since the assault weapons ban, staunchly opposed by the NRA, was allowed to lapse by a Republican President and Congress on September 13th, 2004.
An assault rifle is the weapon of choice of mass murderers who want to slay as many defenseless men, women, and children as possible.
Any more questions?