Since some of these questions have been raised in this thread: These are my thoughts on the issue of Aurora, Gun Violence, and the so-called need to ban "Semi Automatic Machine Guns" "Assault Rifles" and hi-cap mags. I wrote it for some friends on Facebook, but I will share here:
As a firearm owner, and advocate of the Second Amendment, I have been reluctant to speak since the Events in Colorado. ItĀs not that I feel my position has been shaken, or that I am reconsidering my beliefs; Rather I think that time for emotions to calm down and for people to think clearly needs to pass. I feel for the families of those who were killed in the theater, the same way I feel for the families of the 14 killed tonite in the truck crash in Texas. ItĀs all a waste of lives and it reminds us ours are fragile. That said, I have seen so much Pro/Anti propaganda in the past few days that I think misses the mark entirely that I canĀt bring myself to stay silent. IĀm truly sorry to anyone who feels that this is ill-timed or shouldnĀt be said, but I cannot keep my peace anymore.
Firstly, I think it is a knee jerk reaction to say the guns used in this event are/were to blame or made it worse. My personal belief is that if someone wanted to kill off a theater full of patrons, or a mall, or a rally, or any other venue like this, lack of access to firearms is unlikely to stop them. It is very easy, almost too easy, to make an improvised explosive device. There is no doubt in my mind, given what was done to trap his home and computer etc, that if this maniac did not have access to firearms, it would not have stopped him. And as horrible as the event was, can you imagine how much more devastating it would have been had he simply tossed 3 or 4 Āpipe bombsĀ into the theater and walked away? Likewise, IĀm given to understand itĀs a relatively simple task to manufacture some seriously deadly poison gases AT HOME that can, in theory, be deployed via Bottle bomb, and the worst part of that is, these are toxins that can be breathed over the course of a 2 hour movie, with no one the wiser and no one dies for 24 hours or longerĀ
how many theaters could this guy poison, how many deaths could he facilitate, before they caught him? Especially given that he thinks heĀs ĀThe JokerĀ and poison gas was the JokerĀs main ĀGagĀ. What I am getting at is that the means exist, with or without firearmsĀ
and to say Āwell, firearms are the quick, easy wayĀ is, to my way of thinking a cop out. Without them, the game changes, but not in any great way that Āstacks the deckĀ in favor of a defender.
So then we hear, ĀWell, firearms are all well and good, but we donĀt need people to have ĀSemi Automatic Machine GunsĀ or ĀAssault RiflesĀ or the ability to have a gazillion round magazine, etc. This is almost, in my mind, a commendable way of thinking, but at the same time I have to point out the fault in the logic presented here. First and Foremost, the largest majority of firearms produced today are ĀSemi AutomaticĀ. They are not, however, ĀMachine Guns.Ā A semi-automatic rifle fires 1 bullet, every time you pull the trigger. Just like a Revolver, or a Lever Action rifle, or a Pump Shotgun. The difference is that they will then re-load the chamber for you. (A revolver will do this also, I would like to point out.) I am linking below an excellent video from a 25 year Law Enforcement Officer in California, who will explain and demonstrate the differences. I hope you will take time to watch it, as it is a VERY well presented piece, and I think SHOULD clear up some of the myth and Hype the media has created in response to the term ĀSemi-AutomaticĀ. Secondly is the term ĀAssault RifleĀ. Again, I do not believe that cosmetics make a rifle an ĀAssault RifleĀĀ
which is the exact thing the government has based the previous (and on state and county levels, current) Assault Weapons ban on. Weapons with Pistol Grips, or Muzzle breaks, or forward hand guards, or Ālook like M-16 or AK-47sĀ etc tend to be the driving criteria. Please know that just because an AR-15 LOOKS like an M-16 does not make it FUNCTION like one: and that to my mind is the distinction between a ĀDressyĀ sport rifle, and an actual Assault weapon: If it only fires ONE bullet every time you pull the trigger, it really should not be qualified to be an Assault rifle. Lastly, High Capacity Magazines. Now, here is one that I could understandĀ
we donĀt really NEED a rifle with a 75 round drum magazine, or a Shotgun that has 25 rounds in it, or a handgun that holds 15 or 30 bullets. However, there are legitimate Sporting uses for them, and no real reason to ban them. I know it is easy to say ĀWell, if the Maniac Mall Shooter only had 10 round magazines it would have limited his damage capacityĀ but that really is a false statement. Nothing would stop him from carrying 5 10 round mags instead of 2 25 round mags, and before you say ĀWell, he would have to stop and reloadĀ I think you should watch the second video I am linking. Certainly the gentleman in that video is WELL practiced, but realistically someone who spends a couple hours repeating that motion can be almost as fast and accurate. There are plenty of ways to do this with rifles as well. I donĀt see how a limit on Magazine capacity will have a large amount of impact on crazies like these.
Semi-Automatic vs Automatic explained:
http://youtu.be/ysf8x477c30
Quick Reload Demo:
http://youtu.be/Ls4Uq1aCiTA
