What to do about NRA babbling points nit picking the assault weapons definition?

[brewens]

We've all heard that crap. You say assault weapon or assault rifle and they react by saying, you don't know what you're talking about because that's on weapons capable of fully automatic fire. Technically, I suppose they are right, but everyone knows what we're talking about, even the willfully ignorant trying to distract us with that bullshit.

I didn't expect the Mirriam-Webster definition to be this actually. This may come in handy for us.

Assault Rifle: any of various intermediate-range, magazine-fed military rifles (such as the AK-47) that can be set for automatic or semiautomatic fire; also : a rifle that resembles a military assault rifle but is designed to allow only semiautomatic fire


https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assault%20rifle

[underpants]

1. Qtips Band Aids Kleenex and Zippers

No those aren't the actual names of those things but everyone knows what you are talking about.

[Arkansas Granny]

2. Exactly. They know this, but they have to distract from the real issue.

[gibraltar72]

12. Only those who have been raped are qualified to talk about rape.

[hlthe2b]

3. Just advocate for banning ALL SEMIAUTOMATIC RIFLES

I have had that shut up a few Semantic Warriors.

[Volaris]

13. That would be my response as well...

To my knowledge, all the hunters I know use bolt-actions, (the exception being 10? shot magazine .22s for small game--varmint guns, and the occasional shotgun).

To me, anything else, including pistols, are designed to kill Human Beings.

[Hoyt]

4. Come on, if you can't identify a AR-15 Hammer Spring, you can't express opinions on gunz

in our society. Every gun-lover knows that.


Do I need a sarcasm thingie?

[Fred Sanders]

10. Just mention the words "legal definition" and "list of firearms prohibited" and watch the fun!

[Aristus]

5. Equal parts sweaty, feverish, desperate distraction from the mass murders of children,

and annoying, obnoxious, know-it-all behavior from blockheads with unfulfilled lives and the interpersonal skills of a wolverine.

I just want to scream at them: "You know what it is we are talking about when we say 'assault weapons', so shut your dribbling, diseased mouths!"

[Sophia4]

6. Let the legislative analysts and the guys who really write the laws

handle the precise language.

Just remind the gunsters that the laws will be written to include the guns we don't need or want in our society.

They are just trying to change the subject.

And the subject is --- people dying --- innocent people dying.

That's the only subject -- innocent people dying.

[Paladin]

7. Intimidation via vocabulary control is one of the pro-gun militants' main weapons.

They've been doing it for years, and it needs to be challenged at every opportunity. There is no reason why Wayne LaPierre's definition of an assault rifle should prevail over that of the NT Times. The "also" portion of the Merriam-Webster definition is a critical advance for our side.

[brewens]

8. Yes. I did not expect to find that also part. I point out that the M1 Garand is also an assault

rifle, because that's what it was used for. The M1 is a semi-automatic 30.06 rifle with an eight shot clip, equipped for using a bayonet with as well. Most of the troops hitting the beach on D-Day were equipped with the M1.

I'm not sure if the old assault weapons ban even outlawed the M1. That type of gun wasn't exactly what they were after. It would never be likely to be the weapon of choice for a shooter now.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

9. The M1 Garand was not outlawed by the old assault weapons ban.

As far as I know, there was no larger-capacity clip available for it. There were two- and five-round clips available for competition and hunting. Also, they're not easy to conceal.

[Yavin4]

11. My new favorite is: "I'll just use my 3-D printer to print me an assault weapon."

Just because you can make meth at home instead of buying it, doesn't make it any less illegal.