Ask "what is an assault weapon" and get a million answers

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere
Next time you see a "X% of Americans favor an AWB" poll keep this in mind:

In the Reason-Rupe national survey conducted from January 17-21, 2013, respondents were asked the following open ended question: "In just a few words, how would you describe an assault weapon?" The answers, as transcribed by the interviewers, are presented below.

None of these idiots know what they're talking about

We're supposed to be an intelligent society of high thinking humans, right? So why is so much legislation rooted in complete ignolrance?

A scary looking gun right? I mean one that looks like it's from Call of Duty?

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

Ask "what is an assault weapon" and get a million answers

I will spare you the 1,000,001

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


In case anyone hasn't seen this, it's pretty excellent.

www.assaultweapon.info...

Originally posted by vtr99
reply to post by thisguyrighthere

 

In case anyone hasn't seen this, it's pretty excellent.

www.assaultweapon.info...

While it is put together fairly well, I would have left out the page that claimed that a semi-automatic AR-15 can only shoot 45-60 rounds per minute. That is blatantly false, and hurts the credibility of the message, overall.

I asked my mother what an assault rifle is and she said....."you know........you pull the trigger thing and BAM BAM BAM." I said like a machine gun? Yes like a machine gun. I tried to tell her that there is no such thing as an assault rifle but she would have none of it........not even when I told her that as an active duty MARINE I was issued an infantry rifle not an assault rifle. I don't even want to get into semi-auto and high cap but I will say this. If we give up on the constitution it is all over. They won't stop with guns. It will only be the beginning.

My moms spent over 40yrs as an RN. Most of it in management. I would consider her to be of above average intelligence.

What's an "assault weapon"? I know it when i see it.

en.wikipedia.org...

I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description ["hard-core pornography"]; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that. [Emphasis added.] —Justice Potter Stewart, concurring opinion in Jacobellis v. Ohio 378 U.S. 184 (1964), regarding possible obscenity in The Lovers.

In the case of "The Lovers" we tried to pin down something as nebulous as "obscenity". Now it's "assault weapons". Some weapons are clearly designed to aggressively kill humans, not defend, not hunt. Everything about them says aggressive killing of humans and those weapons are not okay for just anyone to have.

Unfortunately there's nothing we can do, they're already here and are not going anywhere. We'll probably make a law and say "well done, problem solved". Legislate reality away.

While these definitions are not in use today, these are the most practical:


Light Assault Weapon - a weapon defined as being fully automatic exceeding a rate of fire of 200 rounds per minute capable of completely emptying its magazine with the single sustained depression of the trigger mechanism, which shall also be capable of firing bullets able to defeat type iiia or better body armor.

Heavy Assault Weapons - a weapon defined as being fully automatic exceeding a rate of fire of 200 rounds per minute capable of completely emptying its magazine with the single sustained depression of the trigger mechanism, which shall also be capable of firing bullets able to defeat light tank armor in addition to type iv or better body armor.


These two definitions encompass a large number of traditional military firearms and accommodate both the stereotypes of anti-gun lobbyists and have little to nothing in common with civilian weapons.

While these definitions are not in use today, these are the most practical:


Light Assault Weapon - a weapon defined as being fully automatic exceeding a rate of fire of 200 rounds per minute capable of completely emptying its magazine with the single sustained depression of the trigger mechanism, which shall also be capable of firing bullets able to defeat type iiia or better body armor.

Heavy Assault Weapons - a weapon defined as being fully automatic exceeding a rate of fire of 200 rounds per minute capable of completely emptying its magazine with the single sustained depression of the trigger mechanism, which shall also be capable of firing bullets able to defeat light tank armor in addition to type iv or better body armor.


These two definitions encompass a large number of traditional military firearms and accommodate both the stereotypes of anti-gun lobbyists and have little to nothing in common with civilian weapons.