Reply #41: My bone of contention is, however...

[derby378]

...that what Wes Clark and others call "assault weapons" are actually semi-automatic firearms that aren't too far removed from popular hunting rifles that are themselves semi-auto.

Having said that, I know that they should be handled with the greatest care. I think anyone who wants to buy one should take a gun safety class - a comprehensive one, as in: you hold the weapon, you shoot it at a firing range, here's what the projectile is capable of penetrating, and here's a portfolio of color photographs showing what that projectile fired from your desired weapon can do to a human body, and if you still think you can handle it after your class is complete, hand over your payment and we'll get you started on the paperwork. In a nutshell, that's what I'd like to see Democratic concepts of gun control focus on.