by JudgeX
April 16, 2009 09:27
Assault Weapons?
As an American and owner of "assault rifles", I am highly offended that my freedoms would be intruded upon out of a lack of trust in me as a loyal, law-abiding citizen. An "assault rifle" does nothing that a normal hunting rifle cannot do. Conversion to "fully automatic" is as easy in a handgun as it is in a semi-auto AK-47. It all has to do with spring tension/hammer types/etc, which can all be modified easily. If you intend to disagree with me on this point, I will REQUIRE that you have watched in full the following youtube video:
That being watched, I anticipate zero arguments... because you have none.In reality, the common shotgun, used for hunting, is far more lethal than any of these "assault rifles" (which isn't a real classification of weapon, by the way, look it up). The shotgun leaves behind less evidence for forensics teams, and discharges a large, red shell that is easy for a criminal to walk over and pick up after he has committed his crime. Since almost everyone has access to a 12-gauge, if you really want to tackle gun-crime, you need to start with the 12 gauge, .38 caliber, and 9mm pistol, as they are the ones that most crimes are done with, and the most police officers have been killed with, while "assault rifles" don't even make up 1%. Source: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/pub/bjs/pdf/guic.pdf
Why do you have one?
People have asked "What are you doing with an assault rifle if it's not for killing people." I have a few answers:
1) Target practice, as, an AK-47 is affordable and easier to modify to fit my hands and body than any regular "hunting rifle"... with easily available extendable stocks, easy to swap out scopes and sights, and readily available magazines for ammo.
2) Defending my home/property from both criminals and dangerous animals. Try to take down a bear with a 9mm sometime, and tell me if your child survived the attack, then come and tell me I shouldn't have an AK-47.
3) Collecting. It is a historical, beautiful piece of machinery that I enjoy having as a conversation piece and as a functional tool... and I should have every right to do so, since I'm not a criminal.
4) In the event of a national catastrophe, which, you may choose to deem impossible, situations could arise in which I am pitted against foreign invaders or my own lawless countrymen. Should this unlikely and horrifying event take place, a properly armed populace (as the founders of this country proved, espoused, and wrote into the Constitution which we are both bound by law to uphold) is essential for safety.
5) In the event of a tyrranical government, the founding fathers, and myself and many others, support the right of the populace to oust the ruling caste and establish their own government. Even if that government is the one THEY established, they understood the necessity and importance of policing those who govern with the threat of being replaced. "Assault Rifles" as you call them, are suited for this task far better than pistols.
From the United States Declaration of Independence:
"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from theconsent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
Since said government being replaced might opt to violently oppose its citizenry, our founding fathers were wise enough to include the second amendment: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Play it how you'd like, but to prevent pre-1800's style tyrrany and imperialism, people must be allowed to arm themselves against possible oppressors. A very large part of the reason that you are not right now oppressed is because of the firearm, and the difficulty it imposes upon despotism. You've taken it for granted, and forgotten why we are free.
Why do I care?
I live in a place that is known to have a serious drug and burglary problem, and even just last year, a house two down from mine had its front window shot out by a criminal who got caught breaking in. One block from there, an arsonist burnt down a house and killed an elderly woman on the top floor. My next door neighbor had a brick thrown through his window while he was away as someone tried to break into his house. Diagonally across the street in both directions in plain view from my porch have lived drug dealers, and a friend of mine and myself have both had our vehicles broken into. I need to be able to protect myself and my family, and the weapons I choose with which to do so are none of anyone's business, but I'll tell you right now... it's a .45, a 9mm, a 12 gauge, an AK-47, and various knives and swords.
Naturally, when national importance is given to this subject, I get a little upset. I am highly disappointed in many people who otherwise espouse really good sentiments about how we should take care of one another, and how corporate America has devolved into a mercenary-economy. I am highly disappointed in people would would call themselves "liberals" who then turn around and want to take away a "freedom" from people just because it's one they don't enjoy, and one they erroneously blame on the tool of the crime. And of course I am greatly embarassed that the majority of those who agree with me are the ones who so loudly scream that they are "patriotic" and "Christian" that it lumps me in with said idiots. If you were "patriotic" before 1776, it meant you supported the King of England. This is a Democracy of Free Individuals, kiddos... don't try to legislate against me. My right to swing my fist ends exactly where your nose begins. My right to crack off rounds from my AK-47 ends when the sound would be disturbing the peace and/or the bullets would be causing property damage or killing you. Punish the criminals, not people who happen to use the same tools for good purposes.
Conclusion:
This right is not something to play with and invent terminology for. If you rally to ban a type of gun, all guns that fit the FUNCTION, not the FORM of said gun must also be up for banning, not just a particular subset. But, you don't want that because you know the overwhelming answer to your political move would be "NO". This would, without a doubt, cripple your political wrangling, so, you give it up.If you read my whole post, you assumed I was a conservative republican the entire time. You are incredibly, incredibly wrong. I am a very Liberal Democrat in all social matters, and this is my honest opinion. I am not an ignorant, toothless moron. I am a college educated, gainfully employed, taxpaying member of society... and I think I should be treated as one, and not as an idiot or criminal because I enjoy the firearms hobby. Republicans and conservatives are wroung about many, many issues, but gun control is one that they tend to be correct about. Freedom is freedom.
Comments welcome, but if you're an idiot, go ahead and keep to yourself.
