Maybe a dumb question on Assault rifles

Get with the program or change parties to that supports your personal platform.

In a country as great as ours, no child should be afraid to go to school or walk around their neighborhood. No spouse should be afraid to come home at night. No American should be afraid to go to work or their place of worship. And no human being should be afraid to go to a shopping mall or baseball field, nightclub or movie theater, concert or college campus.

But too many politicians act as if gun violence is just a fact of everyday life. They offer only thoughts and prayers as tragedies unfold, while accepting millions from the National Rifle Association to stand in the way of even the smallest reforms.

We must stop pretending that we are powerless to prevent gun violence. That’s why for decades the Democratic Party has put forth policies that would help prevent the carnage that has become all too common in schools and communities across the country.

Democrats believe that we can reduce gun violence while respecting the rights of responsible gun owners. We believe we should expand and strengthen background checks for those who want to purchase a firearm – because it shouldn’t be easier to get a gun than a driver’s license. We believe we should ensure that guns don’t fall into the hands of terrorists (whether they be domestic or foreign), domestic abusers, other violent criminals, or those who have shown signs of danger toward themselves or others. And we believe we should treat gun violence as the deadly public health crisis it is.

Democrats stand with the students, families, and organizers who are fighting to enact these commonsense policies to keep our communities safe, once and for all.

U.S. Army Squads Getting New Marksman Rifles
The new rifle is the same weapon issued to army snipers.

The U.S. Army has chosen a new rifle designed to allow infantry squads to hit targets at greater ranges. The Heckler and Koch G28 designated marksman rifle will give infantrymen a weapon guaranteed to penetrate enemy body armor at longer ranges than existing M4 carbines. The move is an acknowledgement that the Army could someday fight enemies equipped with advanced body armor, which is part of the Army’s reorientation to the world of conflicts between large powers.

Shortly after the invasion of Iraq, U.S. Navy SEALs began deploying to the country armed with the “new” M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle. The M14 EBR was an older M14 battle rifle accurized, fitted with a new chassis, and equipped with a bipod and long-range scope. The EBR was designed to provide long-range fire where M4 carbine-type rifles fell short.

The U.S. Army later jumped on the bandwagon, fielding EBRs in Iraq and Afghanistan. The rifles were generally issued to soldiers with a higher level of marksman training, who could provide security as the rest of their unit went about their business or pick out and eliminate specific threats.