The AR-15: Americans' Best Defense Against Terror and Crime

[Antonmb]

Just a little historical perspective: the US "gun culture" as it's sometimes called, did not exist in its present form before the late 1800s. Until then, a gun was a tool like any other tool. It was used to hunt for sustenance by pioneers or rural residents, or for control or protecting of livestock from predators, and in very rural areas where there was still conflict with Native Americans. Even most of the early revolutionaries had hunting rifles, not weapons for personal protection. Until after the civil war, the majority of sales by the major gun manufacturers - Winchester, Remington, Colt, S&W - were to militaries, both the US and many foreign militaries. The gun culture developed after the civil war, when gun sales fell like a stone. In an effort to revitalize sales and develop a bigger consumer base and reduce dependence on militaries and wars, the major gun manufacturers began marketing guns as a "manly" thing to have, with appeals to emotions, rather than as a tool as in the past. It was not until these late 19th and early 20th century marketing campaigns that our "gun culture" truly took off. Until then, most people owned a gun if they lived somewhere where they needed one for hunting, for varmint control, etc, and then it was a gun suited to the task.

[KMC45]

1) Take a semi-automatic rifle in .223/5.56 with the ability to accept a detachable magazine, like a "Ruger Ranch Rifle-Mini 14".

2) Take the same exact semi-automatic rifle, add a couple of "features", like a collapsible stock and a pistol grip.

3) By doing the things in #2 you have made the rifle in #1 an "Assault Rifle".

4) The rifle in #2 doesn't shoot any faster, doesn't shoot a more powerful round, nothing important changes. But, you now have an evil black rifle.

5) I'm a life long liberal democrat. I'm a gun owner. You have nothing to worry about from me, unless you wish to harm me. Then i'll hug your neck instead of a tree.

6) As to the video, .

[Family Progtitioner]

Originally Posted by Douglas

Is the US really such a dangerous place that people feel the need to arm themselves to the teeth....suddenly I feel very lucky living in Cape Town , South Africa.

68 Shootings over memorial day weekend in Chicago alone. Not spoken about with the multiple mass murders taking place is the plight of America's inner cities where the life expectancy of a minority male is about equivalent to that of a Syrian male. It's a national tragedy that no one is talking about.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Family Progtitioner

68 Shootings over memorial day weekend in Chicago alone. Not spoken about with the multiple mass murders taking place is the plight of America's inner cities where the life expectancy of a minority male is about equivalent to that of a Syrian male. It's a national tragedy that no one is talking about.

No one is talking about street crime because most of those guns were not purchased legally but either stolen, bought from shady gun sources and had their serial numbers filed off or made entirely in countries outside the us and smuggled in and have no serial numbers that can be traced. How do we deal with that? It's much easier for media and politicians to focus on the law abiding citizens and the actual gun stores which 99.9% of do try to play by the rules and laws which are created and passed by the government to begin with. This latest tragedy simply underlines the fact that there is no follow through or this tragedy would not have happened for those that are not familiar with the facts. A law abiding citizen will get punished severely for breaking rules or being negligent and wind up in the court of law and penalized to the full extent, not so with people who are responsible for the safety of the population as it is becoming blatantly and painfully obvious.

[BuffaloBill]

Originally Posted by Antonmb

Even most of the early revolutionaries had hunting rifles, not weapons for personal protection.

Those who fought and died in the 1776 American Revolution and War of 1812 would probably disagree, just guessing.

[PHC1]

As to the tragedy, it was a hideous crime and a cowardly act of terror committed by yet another brainwashed lost soul. This is happening with increased regularity and I am saddened by all the destruction it leaves behind in the hearts and souls of the families of the deceased and the rest of the people around the world that still have a heart and compassion for the fellow human beings.

But to think that banning some form of a rifle that is based on a military weapon will solve future problems is to be severely nearsighted. Yes, I personally agree that every effort must take place so that weapons like this or any other for that matter does not wind up in the hands of those who are under suspicion for having ties with extremist groups, mental illness, prior convictions, history of violent behavior, etc, etc, etc... But to ban the so called assault rifles? So what happens the next time there is a tragedy with any other weapon? Ban them all? Then what, confiscation? What do we have left? Well armed street thugs that will never give up or have their unregistered guns confiscated??? Is that the situation we want to be in in this country?

In the words of Benjamin Franklin,

A democracy is two wolves and a small lamb voting on what to have for dinner. Freedom under a constitutional republic is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.

Let's not allow ourselves to be turned into lambs and have the law abiding citizens disarmed so the street wolves can vote if we live or die after we give up our wallets, have them invade our homes and ransack them, hurt our families because that is precisely what will happen eventually. Let me be wrong on this, I'd like to believe in fairy tales and Utopian society, I really would.

[Mikado463]

Something positive with respect to 'guns' ..............

USA Shooting Team | USA Shooting

and I have yet to hear of any these folks being accused of doping .....

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Mikado463

Something positive with respect to 'guns' ..............

USA Shooting Team | USA Shooting

and I have yet to hear of any these folks being accused of doping .....

Good point. All this negativity is saddening as those who do not own firearms and enjoy the sport of shooting all too often see the evil opposite side of this sport that can be enjoyed virtually at any age with proper safety training. My own 2 sons were right along me at the indoor and outdoor range starting at the age of 7. Proper handling and safety instructions came first followed by years of enjoying shooting responsibly. My youngest won and NRA award while in summer camp at 12 years old for coming in first in various contests they had.

Here is a young girl enjoying the 3 gun competition.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTM3Z1pdl5M[/ame]

[PHC1]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=255xIJ-u0KU[/ame]

[Masterlu]

Katie today...

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0St_KOdA8JA[/ame]