I hate gun control debates. They bring out the most ignorant and unreasonable arguments on both sides. Guns are an emotional issue because they are designed to kill things. They are not a bunker, or body armor, which are designed to defend things. No, guns are specifically designed to put the operator in an offensive position to injure or kill. Owning or carrying a firearm necessarily means that you have chosen to go on the offense in a defensive situation and proactively kill an attacker. It is a decision with heavy moral, legal, and psychological consequences, but once you've made that decision, you should arm yourself with the best weapons you can.
Democrats are calling for another "assault weapons ban." The last ban, passed during the Bill Clinton Administration lasted from 1994 until September 13, 2004. During that period, gun violence remained unchanged. In fact, in 2004, while Democrats were attempting to renew the ban, both the Justice Department and the National Institute of Justice reported that the impact of the ban was so small that it was likely not measurable. They concluded that renewing the ban would have a negligible statistical impact on violent crime. The ban was lifted.
During that same period, however, medical records, specifically mental health records, somehow became sacrosanct. Liberal Democrats passed significant legislation to make it nearly impossible to investigate someone's mental health. Not surprisingly, several crazies, who had demonstrated real mental instability, passed background checks and killed multiple people. The last mass shooter passed his background check notwithstanding being investigated, twice, by the FBI. No one believes this guy should have had a gun.
But let's also be accurate in the way we characterize this last attack. This was not a "crime." It was an act of war committed by someone who received terrorist training overseas to carry out such an attack. He could have and likely would have simply used a bomb and done just as much or more damage than he did with his rifle. Ironically, shootings give the potential victims a better chance to escape or hide once everyone realizes what's happening. Bombs just go off and kill everyone. I'd much rather be involved in an active shooter situation than crammed in a night club while some Jihadi with a bomb yells at me in Arabic right before pressing a button.
That said, I support a much more intrusive, regimented background check process that, once completed, also expands a gun owner's rights. I also support a two tiered background check system. If you want to own a revolver for example, you pass a less rigorous background check than if you want own an AR-15. Ban the people, not the guns. I'll make a specific proposal in the next few weeks.
What I will not agree to do is ban assault rifles or high capacity magazines. Unless the government can assure me that it can - and will - protect me and my family from terrorists and other evil men, I will need a powerful, precise weapon of war with which to do it myself. Unfortunately, the government is unwilling to stamp out terrorism, protect our borders, or reign in violent crime and home invasions. Our leadership is making conscious decisions every day that make us less safe. Banning a particular class of semi-automatic firearms will not change that. All it will do is take weapons out of the hands of the good guys at a time when we are more at risk.
I choose an AR-15 for home defense for several reasons. First, it is reliable and easy to operate. Millions of the fully automatic versions of these guns have been produced and deployed by the military. The design of the weapon has been well tested and largely perfected, and it is highly likely to function when you need it to. Second, it is precise, accurate and tends not to over-penetrate. Shotguns are not a good home defense weapon. They tend to over-penetrate, sending shotgun pellets through walls, potentially injuring the people you are trying to protect. Shotguns are also less accurate. Handguns are a good option for a small home, but the gun owner has to be cognizant of the ammunition used. 9mm ball ammunition, for example, will go through several walls in a house. .45 ACP rounds are better, but some find the recoil more difficult to handle. Pistols are also less accurate and less lethal than rifles. That is why soldiers don't clear a house in Iraq with a pistol.
The 55 grain, .223 caliber, lead core round fired from an AR-15 tends to shatter when it hits a target. Some shrapnel will penetrate past the wall or the person hit, but the bulk of the bullet remains in the target. That notwithstanding, it will pierce soft body armor at close and medium range. Since more and more criminals and terrorists are using body armor in their attacks, it is sensible to deploy a weapon that can defeat that threat. It will not defeat the steel or ceramic plates used by soldiers and S.W.A.T. teams.
The .223 is a small caliber. Its relative weight makes for very light recoil when combined with a rifle. Many people learn to shoot rifles using an AR-15 variant for this reason. It is light, has low recoil, is easy to shoot, and accurate. Learning to shoot for the first time on a powerful hunting rifle is a bad idea.
For me, the AR-15 also doubles as a woods gun. While not ideal for shooting a large animal, it is ideal for killing medium size animals, like a coyote or wolf. It also gives me piece of mind to have my AR-15 and high capacity magazine sitting by the bed or on my deck because I know the police are about 20 minutes away from my 260 acre farm. There is a serious meth problem in the area and there have been home invasions. Finally, when my children are playing in the 11 acre field, I know I cannot possibly grab my handgun and run 80 or 100 yards fast enough to defend them from a predator creeping into the field.
I choose the AR-15 because it is light, reasonably powerful, easily fired, easily cleaned, accurate, reliable, and modular. All firearms are weapons of war. Once you've chosen to use a weapon to defend yourself or your family, you should choose the best one. It is the AR-15's ability to fill many different roles that makes it the one rifle you need to own.
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