Letter: No One Needs Assault Weapons

Ban assault weapons from our streets. It’s a simple thing to do, and one way of saving some lives at least. The last shootings have shown conclusively that the interruption of the clips being refilled saved some lives. Why does anyone need an assault weapon to hunt, or to keep their properties and themselves safe? How many shots need to be fired at one time? Have a gun. Take shooting lessons. Learn how to hit your target with one shot and get your kill, and save your life. If getting your kill of anything makes you happy, except perhaps in self-defense as a last resort, you are truly doomed anyway.

Why can we not take care of each other? Isn’t that what all religions are based on? So why are the people who claim to be such good religious people allowing the killings of their brothers and sisters and children and beautiful animals, all of whom only want to live in peace alongside each other?

It is quite clear that our system of Congress and the Supreme Court are not working. A personal interest versus the good for the people was not what was intended by the framers of the Constitution. Yes, it has worked in the past, but only among intelligent, reasonable, compromising people who wanted to keep the people safe. Isn’t that what “public service” used to mean? We should change the job description of our Congress and Supreme Court to read “only for myself.”

Who in their right mind, could possibly be against banning assault weapons from our streets or background checks and mental health tests? Not one of our leaders has any courage whatsoever.

Shirley Bass, Wellington

3 COMMENTS

  1. Some people are just afraid of guns, just like some people are afraid of ghosts and the boogeyman.

    According to the Stanford Law and Policy Review the term assault weapon did not exist prior to 1989. The last time “assault weapons” were ban was in 1994 when the federal government passed the Crime Bill and prohibited scary guns based upon stylistic or cosmetic features. Guns that fire multiple rounds with one pull of the trigger have been banned since 1986. The AR-15 which is called an “assault style weapon” fires one bullet at a time, similar looking guns used by the military can fire up to 950 rounds per minute.

    Of the total number of crimes committed in the ten year period after the ban on assault weapons ended, only a very small percentage involved “assault weapons” according to the Department of Justice.

    According to the FBI crime report for murders in 2011:
    – 323 were committed with rifles
    – 496 were committed with hammers or clubs
    – 1,694 were committed with knives

    Maybe we need a ban on baseball equipment and kitchen knives?

    Maybe before we jump on the scary bandwagon of emotions and fear of guns it would be better to do some real research.

  2. Assalt Weapons: Assault Weapons have been banned for many years. By definition any weapon that fires multiple rounds each time trigger is pulled is an assalt weapon. You cannot leagally buy such a weapon in the U.S.
    Criminals buy them every day on the streets.
    As far as being religious, Islamics are religious and murder innocent Jews and Christians every day!

    • No thats an automatic weapon. Assault weapons are not banned.You can buy a fully auto in the U.S.A. To buy a fully auto you pay $350 for a gun trust. Once you get a gun trust, you can buy a silencer, fully auto or even a bazooka if you like. You can load and unload a hand gun faster then an assault weapon and is lighter. I also believe there is no point on having an assault weapon but I do believe in the right to bare arms! You can go buy a shotgun with a 13rd clip and do more damage then the AR-15 Guns dont kill people, people kill people.

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