- Law-Abiding Citizens Do Not Need Assault-Type Rifles
- The writer’s claim in this article is that assault rifles are not necessary for citizens to own. One piece of evidence he uses to support this is that one of the only uses for assault rifles is going to “practical shooting” courses, a realistic environment where participants aim and shoot at human silhouettes. According to the author, Truscott, these courses are disturbing and “eerily” similar to courses he took in the military. He says that serial killers have been known to go to these courses. If the only use of an assault rifle – other than actually murdering people – is mimicking or practicing murdering people, there is no reason that citizens should have them.
- A Ban on Assault Weapons Would Not Reduce Crime
- In this article, the author, Marino, states he believes that assault weapons should not be banned. His reasoning is that semi-assault rifles are different than fully-automatic rifles, which are used in the military. He claims that they are no more powerful than other guns. Marino says banning semi-automatic rifles would not reduce crime rates.
I believe that there should be a ban on all assault rifles. If Marino’s statement is true that semi-automatic rifles are no more powerful than other guns, why do we need them? It is a safer option to ban them anyways. They might not be significantly more powerful than other guns, but they do automatically reload. Regardless, they are used specifically for killing – unless you are a murderer, you should have no use for a semi-automatic. If you need a gun for self-defense, a handgun will work just fine – especially if Marino is correct in that they are equally as powerful as semi-automatics.
Transition Sentences:
- Some people believe that there is no point in banning semi-automatic rifles because they aren’t powerful, and although this may be true, they are still created with the purpose of killing or practicing killing.
- Since semi-automatic rifle owners utilize them to imitate the action of killing people, all automatic rifles should be banned to discourage such behavior.
- Semi-automatic guns may be equally as powerful as common civilian-owned guns, however, they automatically reload, faster than the other more common guns, meaning they are more effective for killing multiple people and should be banned.
Concessive Clauses:
- Despite claiming that semi-automatic guns are not powerful, and that common guns work just as well, Marino still believes he needs a semi-automatic gun and thinks they should not be banned.
- While it may be true that a weapon is necessary for self-defense, a semi-automatic rifle is not.
- Since semi-automatic weapons were originally created specifically for military use, they are crafted to effectively kill multiple people in a short span of time, making them unnecessary and dangerous for any civilian to own.
I think you write an interesting argument to the pro-gun choice. It’s a clever point that uses the argument’s own logic to support your point. I think stating each of the author’s credentials and work would help with understanding the background of where this information came from. You made some strong points using your own opinion combined claims from the articles. Though this mainly focuses on civilians, do you think police should carry semi-automatic guns?
Stella,
This post is making me question how much you really know about guns. First off, you stated that “…They might not be significantly more powerful than other guns, but they do automatically reload” No gun ever automatically reloads. You have to manually reload every gun there is. Pistol or rifle, once you reach the end of your magazine you have to reload it. That’s how that works. I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt because I’m pretty sure by reload you me re-chamber a round which semi automatic weapons do. Secondly, Marino and you both say that assault rifles are as powerful as other guns. This is simply inaccurate the typical assault rifle round is 5.56mm. That round is chambered in most AR style rifles. Now the typical pistol round is either a 9mm or a 45 acp. if you look up a picture of these 3 rounds you can probably figure out that the 5.56mm round is significantly more powerful. Next point is about the human shaped targets used at the range. The entire point of going to a range is to hone your shooting skills so in the off-chance you would need to defend yourself you are able to do so. The point of the human shaped is for self-defense against an intruder or someone who can bring arm to your or your family. It’s better to be prepared than to wish you were prepared. Lastly i just want to touch on the ban. In my opinion the ban wouldn’t do anything. Bad guys will get guns no matter what. Did you know that Chicago has the strictest gun laws in the country? Do you know which city in the country has the highest murder rate? Chicago. How can that be? Chicago is a living fact that no matter how much gun control there is, bad guys will still do bad things, and the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
Stella,
This post is very insightful! It is clear that you have thought out what you are talking about and done outside research! ” If Marino’s statement is true that semi-automatic rifles are no more powerful than other guns, why do we need them?” I loved this part of your post because it shows that you interpreted the article then took time to think on the issues before responding. Plus, so true about not needing a semi-automatic gun unless you are a murderer! What do you think the next steps in banning semi-automatic rifles will be?
I can’t wait to see what further research you do on this topic!
Megan McCoy