It’s Time to Ban Assault Rifles

Molly Howard

Blue Group

Critical Thinking Paper (REDO) CAP 9

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 Since 1966, there have been 150 mass shootings in the United States. 1,077 people have

been murdered as a result. 176 of those killed were teenagers or children, some not even a year

old. Nearly half of those shootings involved a semi-automatic rifle (Berkowitz). Semi-automatic

rifles are modified automatic rifles and are a type of assault weapon. They are capable of firing

multiple rounds in a short period of time, and can be modified to act as a fully automatic weapon.

They are some of the deadliest guns that can be purchased legally, capable of killing multiple

people with one pull of the trigger (“Assault Weapons Are a Threat to Public Safety”). Given the

danger that assault weapons prove to the civilian population, the fact that the right to own them is

not protected by the Second Amendment, and the past success banning assault rifles has had in

decreasing gun violence, it is essential that the United States Congress reinstate the Federal

Assault Weapons Ban.

Assault weapons, such as the AR-15 used in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

massacre, prove a danger to society when private citizens can legally purchase them. Guns like

the AR-15 have been used in some of the deadliest mass shootings in American history. In

earlier shootings, gunmen carried handguns or other rifles, but the ​L.A Times​ states “​in all of the

latest incidents — Newtown, Conn., in 2012; San Bernardino, Calif., in 2015; Orlando, Fla., in

2016; Las Vegas, 2017; Sutherland Springs, Texas, 2017 — the attackers primarily used AR-15

semiautomatic rifles.” ​According to Heather Sher, a Florida radiologist that treated the victims of

the Parkland shooting, an AR-15 and similar semi-automatic weapons fire bullets “far more

lethal than routine bullets fired from a handgun”. Sher states that due to the high velocity of

bullets fired from a semi-automatic, the exit wound can be “the size of an orange” and for many

of the Parkland victims and those shot by assault weapons, “they had no fighting chance at life”.

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AR-15s and similar weapons can obliterate vital organs beyond repair, causing a massive

hemorrhage that doctors can’t fix. Sher referred to the organ of one Parkland victim she treated

as looking like “an overripe melon smashed by a sledgehammer”. When using an AR-15, the

gunman doesn’t have to be accurate. If a victim were to take a hit to the liver from an AR-15,

“the damage [would be] far graver than that of a simple handgun-shot injury” (Sher). The

lethality of these weapons is unquestionable. The number of deaths by mass shootings and by

gun violence in general is rising, rapidly. In 2014, 17 were killed by various mass shootings. In

2015, 46 were murdered, and in 2016 the number rose to 71. In 2017, which has become the

deadliest year in mass shootings in modern American history, 112 people were killed (Wilson).

Ten of the deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history have occurred since 2007 (Pearce).

Assault weapons are some of the most lethal guns manufactured, capable of killing a large

amount of people in the span of a few seconds, but they can be legally purchased in gun stores

and at gun shows around the country.

The Second Amendment gives the people the right to “keep and bear Arms”, but does not

make any mention to weapons of war. In the United States, private citizens cannot own weapons

of mass destruction, such as an AT-4 rocket, a tank, a Bradley fighting vehicle, or a

flamethrower (Mast). Weapons specifically designed for military use are not legal when owned

by private civilians, which raises the question: Why are semi-automatic rifles still legal?

By definition, semi-automatic guns are modified versions of fully automatic weapons that

were created solely for military use. According to the Brady Campaign, a fully automatic rifle

will continue to fire as long as the trigger as held down. A semi-automatic will “fire one round

and instantly load the next round with each pull of the trigger”, creating a burst fire. Regardless,

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these guns still fire with extreme speed. For example, when a police officer in San Jose tested an

UZI, a 30-round magazine was emptied in just under two seconds (“Assault Weapons Are a

Threat to Public Safety”). This firing rate is just one of the many characteristics of an assault

weapon that classify it as a weapon of war. The specific military features of these guns are

“designed to ​enhance their capacity to shoot multiple targets very rapidly. For example, assault

weapons are equipped with large-capacity ammunition magazines that allow the shooter to fire

20, 50, or even more than 100 rounds without having to reload” (“Assault Weapons Are a Threat

to Public Safety”). The Brady Campaign states that these features are “​uniquely military features,

with no sporting purpose whatever”. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives

has released a statement emphasizing that these guns are solely weapons with military purpose.

Specifically, their statement reads: “​Assault weapons were designed for rapid-fire, close-quarter

shooting at human beings. That is why they were put together the way they were. You will not

find these guns in a duck blind or at the Olympics. ​They are mass produced mayhem​” ​(qtd. in

“Assault Weapons Are a Threat to Public Safety”)​. A former U.S military soldier has said in an

article he wrote for the​ New York Times​ that the weapon he wielded in combat was very similar

to the AR-15 used to gun down innocent civilians in the many mass shootings in this country’s

history. He used this gun because “it was the most lethal - the best for killing our enemies”

(Mast). It was not used for accuracy, or for sport. Unless the civilian has the intention to murder,

there is no technical use for it in everyday life.

The Second-Amendment grants private citizens the right to defend themselves, but to a

certain limit. Weapons of war are not included in the firearms private American citizens can

own. As the findings of the Supreme Court case of the ​District of Columbia vs. Heller​ state

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“Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and

carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose”. The court

decision goes on to say that in the holdings of ​Miller​, the previous Supreme Court case on gun

laws, it was decided that the government reserves the right to ban any weapons that can be

proven to be “dangerous and unusual”. Semi-automatic rifles are, by design, “dangerous and

unusual” in terms of their destructive capabilities. Banning them does not infringe on Second

Amendment rights any more than banning tanks, flamethrowers, grenades, and machine guns

does.

In 1994, the US signed the Federal Assault Weapons Ban into law. It expired in 2004. In

the years between 1991-2006 (when the ban was active), the rate in violent crimes in the United

States dropped by 38% (“Preface to…”). The ban made semi-automatic guns, like the ones used

to slaughter civilians in mass shootings since its expiration, illegal. The ban barred the import

and the production of 19 military-type semi-automatics and other similar guns, as well as

magazines that contained more than 10 rounds (Miller). President Bill Clinton signed the law

into action in 1994, but President G.W. Bush allowed the law to expire ten years later in 2004

(“Assault Weapons Are a Threat to Public Safety”). In the preface to the article “Deterring Gun

Violence”, the author writes that “​by 2000, violent ​crime​ had fallen for six straight years, thanks,

in part, to strong gun laws that provided mandatory background checks, banned the most

dangerous types of assault weapons, and limited accessibility to kids and criminals”, showing the

positive impact the ban had on this country. In an article entitled “Restricting Gun Ownership

Protects Society and Reduces Crime”, the Brady Campaign states that after the ban was in place

“there were 18% fewer assault weapons traced to crime in the first eight months of 1995 than

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were traced in the same period in 1994, and the wholesale price of "grandfathered" assault rifles

nearly tripled in the first post-ban year”. The Federal Assault Weapons Ban lowered the gun

violence rate significantly, as the data proves, yet it was allowed to expire and hasn’t been

renewed since.

Assault weapons bans do not only have a history of working in this country. In 1996,

28-year-old Martin Bryant opened fire on a popular tourist spot in Port Arthur, Australia. Armed

with Colt AR-15 SP1, he murdered 35 people and injured 18 others (Leaf). In response to this

tragedy, the Australian government did more than send “thoughts and prayers” to the families. In

the span of a few weeks, Australian lawmakers introduced a law that banned semi-automatic

rifles and similar military style weapons, calling for an immediate buyback of all rifles currently

owned by Australian citizens (Leaf). Since the ban, Australia has become a much less violent

place, with a murder rate that is one-fifth the United States’ (Leaf). Homicide rates have

plummeted and suicide rates have dropped and, miraculously, since these laws were put into

place, Australia hasn’t had a single mass shooting occur (O’Regan). The ban on assault weapons

has proven to work before in previous situations, therefore it is likely to work again.

The main argument against banning assault weapons is that making assault rifles illegal

would infringe upon the Second Amendment rights of lawful gun owners who own

semi-automatic weapons for self-defense. According to a 2008 study led by epidemiologist

Anthony Fabio of the University of Pittsburgh, lawful gun owners commit less than one-fifth of

all gun related crimes (qtd. in Ingraham). The other half of this argument is that banning assault

rifles will not stop people with homicidal intent from getting access to a gun. Data collected by

the ​Washington Post​ revealed that out of 292 guns involved in mass shootings since 1966, there

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were 49 illegally obtained weapons (Berkowitz). 8 out of 10 cases in 2008 were carried out by

shooters that had stolen the weapon from someone who had legally purchased it, many times

without the owner’s knowledge. More than 30% of all guns found at crime scenes were stolen

(Ingraham). However, if semi-automatic weapons were to be banned, there would be fewer for

those who intended to use them for criminal purposes to steal.

After decades of steadily increasing gun violence, the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 was

a step in the right direction. Its expiration in 2004 was a massive jump in the wrong one. Assault

rifles are lethal weapons produced not to defend the home of a private citizen or to appear in the

Olympics. They are manufactured to be weapons of war and to kill human beings in the most

efficient way possible. Due to the lethality of semi-automatic rifles, their lack of protection under

the Second Amendment, and the success of past assault weapons bans, it is necessary that

Congress reinstate the Federal Assault Weapons Ban.

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 Works Cited

O’Regan, Deirdra. “After a mass shooting in 1996, Australia banned semiautomatic assault

rifles.” ​The Washington Post​, 22 June 2016.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/world/australia-banned-semiautomatic-assault-rif

les-heres-what-happened/2016/06/22/aaa13658-38aa-11e6-af02-1df55f0c77ff_video.html

?utm_term=.bf456f153ff7​ Accessed 18 Mar 2018

Berkowitz, Bonnie, et al. "The terrible numbers that grow with each mass shooting." ​The

Washington Post​,

www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/mass-shootings-in-america/?utm_term

=.0ad3​4e4c8599. Accessed 18 Mar. 2018.

Campaign, Brady. "Assault Weapons Are a Threat to Public Safety." ​Gun Control​, edited by

Tami Roleff, Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints. ​Opposing Viewpoints in

Context​,

https://montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ

3010140294/OVIC?u=rock77357&xid=2f94a617. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018. Originally

published as "Assault Weapons Threaten Public Safety,

www.bradycampaign.org/facts/issues/?page=aw_renew​, 2004.

Campaign, Brady. "Restricting Gun Ownership Protects Society and Reduces Crime." ​Gun

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 Control​, edited by Tami Roleff, Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints.

​Opposing Viewpoints in Context​,

https://montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ

3010140302/OVIC?u=rock77357&xid=5e88013e. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018. Originally

published as "Gun Laws Work, Loopholes Don't," ​www.bradycampaign.org​.

Ingraham, Christopher. "New evidence confirms what gun rights advocates have said for a long

time about crime." ​The Washington Post​ [Washington D.C.], 26 July 2017,

www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/07/27/new-evidence-confirms-what-gun-

rights-advocates-have-been-saying-for-a-long-time-about-crime/?utm_term=.2a47bba11a

3d. Accessed 18 Mar. 2018.

Leaf, Clifton. "How Australia All But Ended Gun Violence." ​Fortune​, 20 Feb. 2018,

fortune.com/2018/02/20/australia-gun-control-success/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2018.

Mast, Brian. "I'm Republican. I Appreciate Assault Weapons. And I Support a Ban." ​The New

York Times​, 23 Feb. 2018,

www.nytimes.com/2018/02/23/opinion/brian-mast-assault-weapons-ban.html. Accessed

16 Mar. 2018.

Miller, Judith. "Treasure the Second Amendment, but Ban Assault Rifles." ​Guns and Crime​,

edited by Noël Merino, Greenhaven Press, 2015. At Issue. ​Opposing Viewpoints in

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 Context​,

https://montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ

3010015269/OVIC?u=rock77357&xid=ed848eff. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018. Originally

published in ​www.newsmax.com​, 23 July 2012.

Pearce, Matt. "Mass shootings are getting deadlier. And the latest ones all have something new

in

common: The AR-15." ​The Los Angeles Times​, 14 Feb. 2018,

"Preface to 'Deterring Gun Violence'." ​Gun Violence​, edited by Stefan Kiesbye, Greenhaven

Press, 2008. Contemporary Issues Companion. ​Opposing Viewpoints in Context​,

https://montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ

3010536105/OVIC?u=rock77357&xid=1b0726d2. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018.

"Second Amendment." ​Legal Information Institute: Cornell Law School​,

www.law.cornell.edu/wex/second_amendment. Accessed 14 Mar. 2018.

Sher, Heather. "What I Saw Treating the Victims From Parkland Should Change the Debate on

Guns." ​The Atlantic​, 22 Feb. 2018,

www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/02/what-i-saw-treating-the-victims-from-park

land-should-change-the-debate-on-guns/553937/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2018.

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United States’ Supreme Court, ​District of Columbia vs. Heller.​ 26 June 2008. ​Legal Information

Institute, ​Cornell U Law School, ​https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/07-290.ZS.html

Wilson, Chris. "35 Years of Mass Shootings in the U.S. in One Chart." ​Time​, Time

Magazine, 5 Nov. 2017, time.com/4965022/

deadliest-mass-shooting-us-history/. Accessed 19 Mar. 2018.

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 Annotated Bibliography

O’Regan, Deirdra. “After a mass shooting in 1996, Australia banned semiautomatic assault

rifles.” ​The Washington Post​, 22 June 2016.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/world/australia-banned-semiautomatic-assault-rif

les-heres-what-happened/2016/06/22/aaa13658-38aa-11e6-af02-1df55f0c77ff_video.html

?utm_term=.bf456f153ff7​ Accessed 18 Mar 2018

A short video explaining the effects of Australia’s assault rifle ban.

Berkowitz, Bonnie, et al. "The terrible numbers that grow with each mass shooting." ​The

Washington Post​,

www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/mass-shootings-in-america/?utm_term

=.0ad34e4c8599. Accessed 18 Mar. 2018.

An interactive analysis that covers every mass shooting in America since 1966 by the

number of victims, guns, and shooters. It is updated when another shooting occurs.

Campaign, Brady. "Assault Weapons Are a Threat to Public Safety." ​Gun Control​, edited by

Tami Roleff, Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints. ​Opposing Viewpoints in

Context​,https://montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/app

s/doc/EJ3010140294/OVIC?u=rock77357&xid=2f94a617. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018.

Originally published as "Assault Weapons Threaten Public Safety,"

www.bradycampaign.org/facts/issues/?page=aw_renew​, 2004.

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 An article detailing the specifics of assault weapons and the dangers they present when

allowed to be owned by private citizens. It uses specific statistics and data to support its

claims.

Campaign, Brady. "Restricting Gun Ownership Protects Society and Reduces Crime." ​Gun

Control​, edited by Tami Roleff, Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context​,

https://montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ

3010140302/OVIC?u=rock77357&xid=5e88013e. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018. Originally

published as "Gun Laws Work, Loopholes Don't," ​www.bradycampaign.org​.

An article written by the Brady Campaign that covers the impact that past gun laws have

had (such as the Brady Law) with specific statistics and data.

Ingraham, Christopher. "New evidence confirms what gun rights advocates have said for a long

time about crime." ​The Washington Post​ [Washington D.C.], 26 July 2017,

www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/07/27/new-evidence-confirms-what-gun-

rights-advocates-have-been-saying-for-a-long-time-about-crime/?utm_term=.2a47bba11a

3d. Accessed 18 Mar. 2018.

A Washington Post Article that covers the statistics of how gun violence rates have risen

and fallen over the years, in relation to different events. It also goes into detail about the

ratio between lawful and unlawful gun owners committing crimes.

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Leaf, Clifton. "How Australia All But Ended Gun Violence." ​Fortune​, 20 Feb. 2018,

fortune.com/2018/02/20/australia-gun-control-success/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2018.

An article about the causes and effects of Australia’s firearm laws and bans.

Mast, Brian. "I'm Republican. I Appreciate Assault Weapons. And I Support a Ban." ​The New

York Times​, 23 Feb. 2018,

www.nytimes.com/2018/02/23/opinion/brian-mast-assault-weapons-ban.html. Accessed

16 Mar. 2018.

An article from the New York Times written by an army veteran and a recreational

marksman about why he thinks a ban on assault rifles is necessary.

Miller, Judith. "Treasure the Second Amendment, but Ban Assault Rifles." ​Guns and Crime​,

edited by Noël Merino, Greenhaven Press, 2015. At Issue. ​Opposing Viewpoints in

Context​,https://montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/app

s/doc/EJ3010015269/OVIC?u=rock77357&xid=ed848eff. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018.

Originally published in ​www.newsmax.com​, 23 July 2012.

A short article detailing the history of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 and the

past mass shootings that have happened with assault weapons. It calls politicians to act

and reinstate the ban.

Morris, Chris. "The 10 Politicians Who Have Benefited the Most From NRA Funding." ​Fortune​,

15 Feb. 2018, fortune.com/2018/02/15/nra-contributions-politicians-senators/. Accessed

14
 18 Mar. 2018.

An article that covers the top 10 politicians who have accepted money from the NRA to

fund their campaigns.

NRA: National Rifle Association​. home.nra.org/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2018.

The home page for the National Rifle Association.

Pearce, Matt. "Mass shootings are getting deadlier. And the latest ones all have something new

in

common: The AR-15." ​The Los Angeles Times​, 14 Feb. 2018,

www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-ar-15-story.html. Accessed 18 Mar. 2018.

An article written for the LA Times about the increased use of the semi-automatic AR-15

rifle in recent mass shootings.

"Preface to 'Deterring Gun Violence'." ​Gun Violence​, edited by Stefan Kiesbye, Greenhaven

Press, 2008. Contemporary Issues Companion. ​Opposing Viewpoints in Context​,

https://montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ

3010536105/OVIC?u=rock77357&xid=1b0726d2. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018.

A preface that details the historic pros and cons of instituting handgun and assault

weapon bans.

"Sandy Hook and Pulse First Responders Speak Up." ​YouTube​, uploaded by The Atlantic, 14

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 Dec. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=99&v=OI2eUIMVL5I. Accessed

18 Mar. 2018.

A video published by The Atlantic that consists of a series of interviews conducted on first

responders to the shootings at Sandy Hook and the Pulse Nightclub.

Sher, Heather. "What I Saw Treating the Victims From Parkland Should Change the Debate on

Guns." ​The Atlantic​, 22 Feb. 2018,

www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/02/what-i-saw-treating-the-victims-from-park

land-should-change-the-debate-on-guns/553937/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2018.

An article written by a Florida radiologist about the kinds of wounds she saw when

treated victims from the Parkland shooting and the damage an AR-15 rifle and guns like

it can do. She then goes on to analyze this experience and support a position on gun

control.

"Second Amendment." ​Legal Information Institute: Cornell Law School​,

www.law.cornell.edu/wex/second_amendment. Accessed 14 Mar. 2018.

A web page that quotes the Second Amendment and then analyzes the different ways

people interpret it.

United States’ Supreme Court, ​District of Columbia vs. Heller.​ 26 June 2008. ​Legal Information

Institute, ​Cornell U Law School, ​https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/07-290.ZS.html

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 The most recent Supreme Court case involving gun control. It was a major turning point

in the debate on gun control.

Wegmann, Philip. "Can a 'bump stock' make a AR-15 fire full-auto like a machine gun? (Yes.

And it's relatively cheap, pretty easy, and completely legal)." ​Washington Examiner​, 3

Oct. 2017,

www.washingtonexaminer.com/can-a-bump-stock-make-a-ar-15-fire-full-auto-like-a-ma

chine-gun-yes-and-its-relatively-cheap-pretty-easy-and-completely-legal. Accessed 18

Mar. 2018.

An article explaining how bump-firing works and what it can do.

"What is a Bump Stock? Should it be illegal?!" ​YouTube​, uploaded by JerryRigEverything, 15

Nov. 2017, ​www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2IOZ-5Nk5k​. Accessed 18 Mar. 2018.

A quick YouTube video that demonstrates a bump-stock and explains how it works when

attached to a semi-automatic AR-15.

Wilson, Chris. "35 Years of Mass Shootings in the U.S. in One Chart." ​Time​, Time

Magazine, 5 Nov. 2017, time.com/4965022/

deadliest-mass-shooting-us-history/. Accessed 19 Mar. 2018.

A collection of data compiled by Time Magazine showing the statistics for the past 35

years of mass shootings that have taken place in the United States. The data ends with the

Sutherland shootings in 2017.

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