Assaulting Assault Weapons
No matter when you’re reading this, it won’t be long until the next “mass shooting”. Sad and tragic as that is, it’s become a fact of life (no pun intended) in America. As soon as the story breaks, all the Usual Suspect will rise to spout all the usual claims, clichés, and disinformation they used the last time – right after the obligatory “Our thoughts and prayers are with…”
In an effort to end the endless babel from vented spleens, OMGs, frazzled feelings, butthurt, and obscene political posturing whisked in with valid pain, loss, and all the trappings of tragedy, here are some essential facts you’ll want to have ready for contentious times ahead. The odds of any of the following providing comfort to survivors, victims, and loved ones are minimal. The answer to the so-called ‘assault weapon’ issue will only be found in logic, reason, and objective analysis. Each of these elements neutralizes the demagoguery of the professionally outraged; instead, they attack the evil gun and fire ad hominins at the rational thinker. While hysterical preening provides drama - and ratings - for the Evening News, it contributes none of the accurate knowledge needed for left-brain solutions.
A Primer:
What is an ‘assault weapon?”
As abused in the popular narrative, there is no such thing. Politicians, MSM, and special interest groups, all of whom share an interest in keeping the populace uninformed, have misapplied the term for decades.
Accurately defined, an assault weapon is a select-fire rifle used primarily by the military and law enforcement. ‘Select fire’ means it can switch to fire in either semi-automatic or fully automatic mode like a machine gun is designed to do.
However, the ‘so-called assault weapon’ Democrats, liberals, and ‘special interests’ want to be banned, confiscated, and destroyed have nothing in common with the military version beyond 5 cosmetic characteristics that, to the uninformed (or biased) make it appear to be the same gun.
What are the 5 features?
Not counting 99% of these weapons come in Black and are semi-automatic like other hunting, target and plinking rifles owned by millions of law-abiding private citizens since 19-forever, they are…
Flash suppressor. A segmented device on the muzzle that (gasp!) suppresses the flash produced by the fired round. This helps the shooter avoid temporary blindness especially important in low-light situations. Note: The flash suppressor has no effect whatsoever on the operation of the rifle.
Folding stock. It is what it is: a stock that folds for easier, more convenient, compact carry. Not all AR-15 platform rifles come with a folding stock but may be added later. Note: A folding stock has no effect whatsoever on the operation of the rifle.
Pistol grip. An extension tapering down from the rear of the trigger guard permits the shooter to obtain a better grip on – and have better control of – the weapon. Note: A pistol grip has no effect whatsoever on the operation of the rifle.
High-capacity magazine. AR-15 platforms are engineered to accept magazines holding 10, 20, 30, or more rounds of ammo. Many non-AR platforms are also capable of housing similar ‘hi-cap’ magazines. Note: A high-capacity magazine has no effect whatsoever on the operation of the rifle.
Bayonet lug: Located on the barrel, the lug accepts a bayonet. Note: A bayonet lug has no effect whatsoever on the operation of the rifle.
Since none of these identifying characteristics have any effect on the operation of the gun or convert it to an actual assault weapon, why the irrational demands to ban them? Since the previous 1994-2004 ‘ban’ failed to produce the politicians’ promised results, what is the real agenda?
There is an old but telling cliché: “Gun control isn’t about guns, it’s about control”. When one realizes the over-heated, under-honest pontifications of vacuous politicians are crafted to keep the public ignorant of the facts and in fear for their safety, the motive becomes clear. Fear is born of the unknown. A scared population is easier to control with laws, regulations, and empty promises that take their freedom and individual responsibility and turn it over to the Government for disposal. Such is the purpose of a ‘so-called assault weapon’ ban; a law based on fear of ‘gun violence’ by an inanimate, improperly defined object while expressly omitting the motive, mental health, and individual responsibility of the perpetrator. While legislators intentionally feign ignorance or are intellectually incapable of comprehending facts and issues within the ‘so-called assault weapon’ debate, any politician, any person misapplying the term ‘assault weapon’ can be correctly identified as disingenuous, uninformed, incapable of reason, motivated by personal gain through government control - or all of the above.
Polls purporting large percentages of Americans “support” for assault weapons bans not only vary with regularity but can also reveal the bias with which polls are composed and conducted, the demographics of those polled, political geography (e.g., urban vs rural), margins of error withheld and other factors that skew results in favor of a pre-determined result. Anyone with a credit card can commission a poll and get the results desired. Politicians and commercial advertisers have used this method to claim ‘popular support’ for programs or products for decades.
If banning ‘so-called assault weapons’ isn’t the solution to mass murders, what is?
Conspicuous by its absence in media coverage of these tragedies is a thorough examination of the shooter. Even after basic identification is made public, many salient facts are withheld under the banner of the “ongoing investigation”. Depending on circumstances (e.g., HIPPA regulations), that may be understandable. However, inasmuch as the shooter is most often dead, either self-inflicted or by law enforcement, an autopsy is always conducted and blood analysis is always made. Once publicly available, the MSM rarely reports these results. This becomes understandable when the information has revealed the preponderance of ‘mass murderers’ over the last several decades have been taking a variety of psychotropic or SSRI drugs with published side effects such as “anxiety, blurred vision, constipation, dizziness, dry mouth, fatigue, numbness, insomnia, nausea, sexual issues, weight gain, suicidal ideation, allergic reactions, mania, seizures.” While the precise date is no longer available, earlier inclusion of “aggressive behavior” and “death” has been removed.
Reporting the commonality of taking these drugs by the majority of mass murderers does not create the ‘correlation does not imply causation’ cul-du-sac. But when the major pharmaceutical companies are perpetual advertisers on every network’s newscast and several cable news outlets as well, it is not unreasonable to suspect undue influence on news coverage, especially since the recent revelations found in the Twitter Files as well as correspondence uncovered by Congressional investigations of “Big Pharma’s” influence on news content, social media censoring and abridged government administration.
The failure to report the historical pharmacological aspect of mass killers allows the MSM and politicians to continuously mislead the public about the ‘so-called assault weapon’. The gun is no more at fault than an SUV driven by a drunk that crashes and kills a family of 8. Is there a rush to ban SUVs? Is there a cry to bring back Prohibition?
Only a fool blames the tool.
Egged on by the agenda of power-hungry politicians and complicit media with an anti-freedom agenda, aggressive ignorance, and manufactured emotion continue to distort the narrative. The practical solutions are politically impossible and the political solutions are practically worthless.
In an effort to end the endless babel from vented spleens, OMGs, frazzled feelings, butthurt, and obscene political posturing whisked in with valid pain, loss, and all the trappings of tragedy, here are some essential facts you’ll want to have ready for contentious times ahead. The odds of any of the following providing comfort to survivors, victims, and loved ones are minimal. The answer to the so-called ‘assault weapon’ issue will only be found in logic, reason, and objective analysis. Each of these elements neutralizes the demagoguery of the professionally outraged; instead, they attack the evil gun and fire ad hominins at the rational thinker. While hysterical preening provides drama - and ratings - for the Evening News, it contributes none of the accurate knowledge needed for left-brain solutions.
A Primer:
What is an ‘assault weapon?”
As abused in the popular narrative, there is no such thing. Politicians, MSM, and special interest groups, all of whom share an interest in keeping the populace uninformed, have misapplied the term for decades.
Accurately defined, an assault weapon is a select-fire rifle used primarily by the military and law enforcement. ‘Select fire’ means it can switch to fire in either semi-automatic or fully automatic mode like a machine gun is designed to do.
However, the ‘so-called assault weapon’ Democrats, liberals, and ‘special interests’ want to be banned, confiscated, and destroyed have nothing in common with the military version beyond 5 cosmetic characteristics that, to the uninformed (or biased) make it appear to be the same gun.
What are the 5 features?
Not counting 99% of these weapons come in Black and are semi-automatic like other hunting, target and plinking rifles owned by millions of law-abiding private citizens since 19-forever, they are…
Flash suppressor. A segmented device on the muzzle that (gasp!) suppresses the flash produced by the fired round. This helps the shooter avoid temporary blindness especially important in low-light situations. Note: The flash suppressor has no effect whatsoever on the operation of the rifle.
Folding stock. It is what it is: a stock that folds for easier, more convenient, compact carry. Not all AR-15 platform rifles come with a folding stock but may be added later. Note: A folding stock has no effect whatsoever on the operation of the rifle.
Pistol grip. An extension tapering down from the rear of the trigger guard permits the shooter to obtain a better grip on – and have better control of – the weapon. Note: A pistol grip has no effect whatsoever on the operation of the rifle.
High-capacity magazine. AR-15 platforms are engineered to accept magazines holding 10, 20, 30, or more rounds of ammo. Many non-AR platforms are also capable of housing similar ‘hi-cap’ magazines. Note: A high-capacity magazine has no effect whatsoever on the operation of the rifle.
Bayonet lug: Located on the barrel, the lug accepts a bayonet. Note: A bayonet lug has no effect whatsoever on the operation of the rifle.
Since none of these identifying characteristics have any effect on the operation of the gun or convert it to an actual assault weapon, why the irrational demands to ban them? Since the previous 1994-2004 ‘ban’ failed to produce the politicians’ promised results, what is the real agenda?
There is an old but telling cliché: “Gun control isn’t about guns, it’s about control”. When one realizes the over-heated, under-honest pontifications of vacuous politicians are crafted to keep the public ignorant of the facts and in fear for their safety, the motive becomes clear. Fear is born of the unknown. A scared population is easier to control with laws, regulations, and empty promises that take their freedom and individual responsibility and turn it over to the Government for disposal. Such is the purpose of a ‘so-called assault weapon’ ban; a law based on fear of ‘gun violence’ by an inanimate, improperly defined object while expressly omitting the motive, mental health, and individual responsibility of the perpetrator. While legislators intentionally feign ignorance or are intellectually incapable of comprehending facts and issues within the ‘so-called assault weapon’ debate, any politician, any person misapplying the term ‘assault weapon’ can be correctly identified as disingenuous, uninformed, incapable of reason, motivated by personal gain through government control - or all of the above.
Polls purporting large percentages of Americans “support” for assault weapons bans not only vary with regularity but can also reveal the bias with which polls are composed and conducted, the demographics of those polled, political geography (e.g., urban vs rural), margins of error withheld and other factors that skew results in favor of a pre-determined result. Anyone with a credit card can commission a poll and get the results desired. Politicians and commercial advertisers have used this method to claim ‘popular support’ for programs or products for decades.
If banning ‘so-called assault weapons’ isn’t the solution to mass murders, what is?
Conspicuous by its absence in media coverage of these tragedies is a thorough examination of the shooter. Even after basic identification is made public, many salient facts are withheld under the banner of the “ongoing investigation”. Depending on circumstances (e.g., HIPPA regulations), that may be understandable. However, inasmuch as the shooter is most often dead, either self-inflicted or by law enforcement, an autopsy is always conducted and blood analysis is always made. Once publicly available, the MSM rarely reports these results. This becomes understandable when the information has revealed the preponderance of ‘mass murderers’ over the last several decades have been taking a variety of psychotropic or SSRI drugs with published side effects such as “anxiety, blurred vision, constipation, dizziness, dry mouth, fatigue, numbness, insomnia, nausea, sexual issues, weight gain, suicidal ideation, allergic reactions, mania, seizures.” While the precise date is no longer available, earlier inclusion of “aggressive behavior” and “death” has been removed.
Reporting the commonality of taking these drugs by the majority of mass murderers does not create the ‘correlation does not imply causation’ cul-du-sac. But when the major pharmaceutical companies are perpetual advertisers on every network’s newscast and several cable news outlets as well, it is not unreasonable to suspect undue influence on news coverage, especially since the recent revelations found in the Twitter Files as well as correspondence uncovered by Congressional investigations of “Big Pharma’s” influence on news content, social media censoring and abridged government administration.
The failure to report the historical pharmacological aspect of mass killers allows the MSM and politicians to continuously mislead the public about the ‘so-called assault weapon’. The gun is no more at fault than an SUV driven by a drunk that crashes and kills a family of 8. Is there a rush to ban SUVs? Is there a cry to bring back Prohibition?
Only a fool blames the tool.
Egged on by the agenda of power-hungry politicians and complicit media with an anti-freedom agenda, aggressive ignorance, and manufactured emotion continue to distort the narrative. The practical solutions are politically impossible and the political solutions are practically worthless.
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