I put this is in a separate box.
Unfortunately, they were not prepared the first night (I assume that they were afraid of being called racists is they assumed riots would break out) and stores were looted and burned. Now they are protecting their businesses with guns. That is important because that is something that the left is trying to take away slowly but surely. I hope Speedie sees this. He will probably argue that this has nothing to do with Assault weapons but I think it has everything to do with "assault" weapons. I put that in quotes because Speedie and I (and the US military) have a differenced of opinion on what an assault weapon is. Whatever makes you feel like you can do what is necessary to protect yourself is okay. Now Speedie will jump to some radical conclusion about rocket launchers and tanks but they are not really good for protection. They are good for offensive operations pretty much. I mean think about it, how does it work to shoot off $50,000 rockets to protect your grocery store? Only someone who does not have to worry about the price (like the government) could afford to do so.
Anyway, this is very good illustration why the RIGHT to keep and bear arms is necessary.
Originally Posted by JD Barleycorn
We can't have a difference of opinion as to what is or is not an assault weapon because I have no real idea what is or is not an assault weapon. If you think that sometime in the past I've defined what is or is not an assault weapon let me know. I may have said something like an assault weapon is a weapon that fires continuously while you have your finger on the trigger. That was a total uneducated guess.
I'll let the "experts" come up with a definition. I have not even looked at the list of weapons on the proposed list that came out after the Newtown killings because I wouldn't know what they are. I have said many times, my knowledge of handguns and other similar weapons is minimal. Any discussions we've had in the past are independent of what is or is not an assault weapon.
If I am reading your statements correctly, you believe the store owners need more firepower to protect their stores than is currently legally available to them today. You would have to tell me what that additional firepower would consist of. An M-16? Then the people in power who determine if giving all citizens the right to purchase M-16s would do more good than harm or more harm than good would have to make that decision. IMHO, there are times when owning an M-16 or similar weapon would be advantageous, such as in the scenario you presented. And how often does such a scenario occur? Do the politicians in charge of the decision-making base decisions on a single incident?
The right to bear arms? Look at the results of your poll. Only one person voted to ban guns. Everyone else supports the right to bear arms, although in varying degrees.
As far as my mentioning weapons beyond handguns and rifles, the only times I have done so is when I remind people who define 2nd Amendment rights as the right for anyone to carry any weapon at any time in any place, then a bazooka, machine gun, or rocket launcher would fall under "any weapon". Scary thought to me but that is what they support.