I’m sure you’ve all seen a Facebook post that looks something like this:
“When I was in high school we had gun racks in trucks, and they had guns in them, and they were loaded. But never once did someone get pissed and go get a gun to shoot somebody. We don’t have a gun problem - we have a (fill in the blank) problem . “
I would like to address this post, and the people who repost it.
Dear Friend.
I’ve seen those gun racks. More importantly, I’ve seen those guns — pump shotguns and bolt action rifles. Hunting weapons. Not modified AR15s with extended magazines, not MAC 10s or AK74s.
Nobody is trying to ban the guns you used as a kid. It is the military grade weapons that we want controlled. We don’t even want them banned. We just want to make sure crazy people and fanatics can’t buy them.
Secondly, let me assure you that even when you were young, there were shooters.
August 6, 1966 — University of Texas tower shooting. Sniper killed 14 people.
September 6, 1949 — Camden, NJ. Man with Luger shoots 13 people while walking down the street.
August 20, 1986 — Edmond post office. Man “goes postal”, killing 14 people.
Fourteen people. 14! The Las Vegas shooter in 2017 killed 58. That’s the difference. That’s the power of a modified AR15 — in this case, with a bump stock and 100 round magazine — compared to a semi automatic hunting rifle.
That’s what people are trying to ban. That’s what you’re trying to defend. That is the weapon you say you need, that you say is not the problem.
You’re wrong. You have the right to own a hunting rifle. You should NOT have the right to own and operate a killing machine.
Support the ban. No assault rifles.