After the Orlando shooting, the drumbeat of the left to DO SOMETHING NOW has become largely focused on the AR-15. Since the four gun control amendments all failed to pass the Senate (as my fellow Victory Girl Jodi reported), New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen tried gun shaming AR-15 owners. In her mind, wanting a “weapon of war” means you are a bad, bad person with bad, bad thoughts.
“The fact is, the AR-15, the gun that [Orlando terrorist Omar] Mateen used, that’s a weapon of war,” Ms. Shaheen said.
Mateen actually used a Sig Sauer MCX semi-automatic rifle, similar to the AR-15, to gun down 49 people at Pulse nightclub in Orlando June 12.
Ms. Shaheen claimed that what the AR-15 is “advertised as being able to do, technologically advances…killing people that previous weapons have been unable to do.”
“Somebody who is buying that kind of a weapon isn’t buying it for target shooting,” she said. “They’re not buying it to go out and hunt deer. You don’t need an AK-47 or an AR-15 to hunt deer. They’re buying it to do bad things and we need to recognize that and address it.”
Shorter Jeanne Shaheen:
A well-written piece by Jon Stokes, published on Vox.com (of all places!), made several good points in writing why he owns an AR-15 – and started by outright dismissing the gun shamers.
If, for you, my AR-15 ownership is prima facie evidence of my mental instability, sexual inadequacy, lack of a conscience, or what-have-you, then I honestly don’t care what you think about this issue. You can go back to broadcasting your own moral superiority on social media, and I can go back to tuning you out until your rage therapy session is over.
He then pointed out that the reason that the whole “weapons of war” argument is stupid.
Thus it is that since the dawn of the gunpowder age, gun buyers have snapped up military hardware, because that is often the very best hardware they can get their hands on. In this respect, today’s AR-15 buyers are no different than yesteryear’s lever action rifle buyers.
This is all part of the reason why I, a civilian, own a military-grade combat weapon. I don’t want to shoot and miss; I don’t want the gun to jam because it’s dirty or cold; and when I’m hunting game I don’t want to hit my target and then have it run off into the woods and die lost and wounded because I didn’t “bring enough gun.” Like my grandpa with his “military-grade” lever action rifle, I want a modern firearm that’s popular (which means parts and training are cheaply and widely available), ergonomic, rugged, accurate, and reliably effective, so that none of the aforementioned bad things happen to me when I’m shooting.
His entire article is worth a read. And it’s why the people who actually own AR-15s can laugh in Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s face. However, I expect that her attempt at gun shaming is going to be carried on and continued by other leftists who are used to getting their way by shaming people into compliance.
I could almost feel sorry for them. They really have no idea who they are dealing with.
Jodi says: “You don’t need…” Newsflash, lady: YOU don’t get to decide what I need. I DO.
Ralph says: Soooo, those moments when I go to the range with my AR15, get my Zen on, and hit the bullseye at 200 yards, or go pig hunting, and get met a 300 pound porker for the pit BBQ; that didn’t really happen? You know, because she said no one uses an AR15 for hunting.
Clueless people, who think they have a handle on reality, are people I feel real embarassed for, right up until I realize they are intentionally lying to me. Then I do my best to intentionally embarrass them.
variabletime says: No, Ms. Shaheen, My AK 47s are for shooting people like you.I swore an oath to defend my country from enemies…..BOTH FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC. When Democracy turns to tyranny, patriots stand together your ilk.
Joe Miller says: If everybody who owns an “assault weapon” is a bad, evil person, then we have a whole crapload of bad, evil folks running around in this country. It’s a real wonder that much more bad stuff doesn’t happen.
GWB says: “The fact is, the AR-15, the gun that [Orlando terrorist Omar] Mateen used, that’s a weapon of war,” Ms. Shaheen said.
The facts are, 1) no, it isn’t, and 2) so what?
killing people that previous weapons have been unable to do.
Ummm, no. Unless, of course, you mean single-shot, breech-loaders when you say “previous weapons”.
“Somebody who is buying that kind of a weapon isn’t buying it for target shooting,” she said. “They’re not buying it to go out and hunt deer.”
Bullcrap. That’s exactly what millions of Americans have done. (And, yes, you can hunt some deer with them, in some environments.)
You don’t need an AK-47 or an AR-15 to hunt deer.
Guess what? You don’t get to tell me what I *need*. Take off your jackboots, Jeanne.
His entire article is worth a read.
Normally I would never click on a Vox link, but on that recommendation, I will.
kev says: its funny, I own many weapons of war and have them laid out for this picture, but a lib would never guess that the top one is not a weapon of war, and the one under it was only made out of parts of a weapon of war, while all the rest in that picture were actualy used in war.
http://i.imgur.com/PcROddP.jpg
GWB says: Absolutely true! I own a .303 that supposedly saw action. My Madi (AK-47 variant), on the other hand, has never been fired in anger.
OC says: I’m continually telling libs that the constitution doesn’t say squat about “need”…….
If everyone UN agency owns Associate in Nursing “assault weapon” may be a dangerous, evil person, then we’ve a full crapload of dangerous, evil of us running around during this country. It’s a true surprise that far more dangerous stuff doesn’t happen.
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