The National Rifle Association(NRA) is in full-blown damage control mode after this most recent mass shooting turned the young victims into vocal activists. Once again, the national dialog is more of a screaming match, and the NRA is trying to be heard above the fray, and they are pulling out all the stops. Which is why they have rolled out an article from 2016 entitled 10 Reasons To Own An AR-15.
There is no shortage of this type of propaganda from the NRA. That’s because the agency counts on keeping as many guns on the streets and members in their organization as possible, no matter how many innocent people die.
The AR-15
The AR-15 (Armalite-15) has become a catch-all designation for semi-automatic rifles although there are a host of other models available to the public and military. Armalite, the company that makes the AR-15 began designing weapons in the 1950s with their AR-1 sniper rifle.The AR-10 survival rifle quickly became the preferred rapid-fire weapon for the US military thanks to its ease of use and light-weight design. The AR-15 is the retail version of that same survival rifle.
This popular weapon was used in six of the ten deadliest mass shootings in the U.S. Because of the speed at which the rounds leave the chamber, the damage that they do is horrific. A radiologist at the trauma center that treated the victims of the Marjory Stoneman High School shooting described it like this:
“In a typical handgun injury that I diagnose almost daily, a bullet leaves a laceration through an organ like the liver. To a radiologist, it appears as a linear, thin, grey bullet track through the organ. There may be bleeding and some bullet fragments.
I was looking at a CT scan of one of the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, who had been brought to the trauma center during my call shift. The organ looked like an overripe melon smashed by a sledgehammer, with extensive bleeding. How could a gunshot wound have caused this much damage?
The reaction in the emergency room was the same. One of the trauma surgeons opened a young victim in the operating room, and found only shreds of the organ that had been hit by a bullet from an AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle which delivers a devastatingly lethal, high-velocity bullet to the victim. There was nothing left to repair, and utterly, devastatingly, nothing that could be done to fix the problem. The injury was fatal.”
For years, progressives have fought for a ban on these deadly weapons. Since February 14th, 2018, even some of the staunchest conservatives have taken up the call.
The NRA, however, continues to push their narrative of “the weapons are not the problem.” The agency maintains that semi-automatic weapons should not be banned, but rather, MORE people should buy them. They even released this list of the top ten reasons to buy little Jimmy and Aunt Mary their very own AR-15.
Self-Defense
The list starts with an NRA favorite: Self-Defense. The NRA says that the AR-15 is ideal for self-defense because it is simple to use and easy to learn.
Here is what you will get if you select an AR-15 for the defense of your home: A large rifle which you have to aim quickly and accurately enough to hit the target somehow. They are lightweight, but they are bulky and large and require both hands to fire.
You will need an incredible amount of training in order not to spray random bullets all over the living room in an emergency situation.
An expert in self-defense said the last gun he would select for home defense would be the AR-15 because it is so unmanageable in close quarters situations. In addition to maneuverability issues, these weapons and the rounds they fire are designed to punch through body armor. The chances that you will shoot straight through the attacker and hit your child, your dog or your neighbor is extremely high.
The truth is this: Sure, the AR-15 might be useful for self-defense in certain situations. However, it is overkill and completely unnecessary. And that is if you are trained enough not to kill the entire household.
If they disappeared tomorrow, there would be ten guns that would work as well or better for defending one’s self and their home.
Fun/Recreation
Yes, the NRA listed fun as the second most important reason to own an AR-15.
It is difficult to counter this argument because it seems utterly evil to talk about these things as fun. They are tearing apart our children in their classrooms, in church, and even while still in the womb. The very last thing any child needs to learn is that a gun is fun.
Guns are many things, even useful in certain situations. However, guns tear families and communities apart. Fun is the last word any of those grieving parents in Florida feel when they think about what killed their children.
Didn’t everyone hear that teenage girl yelling “wheeeee,” as she hit the floor while bleeding out?
Teaching/Learning
Because the AR-15 is so easy to shoot and has minimal recoil, the NRA encourages parents to use this gun to teach little Tommy and Sally how to shoot.
Accidents by gunfire are the third leading cause of death for children in the United States. That statistic alone keeps many homes firearm free.
If the statistics don’t bother you, there are hundreds of guns that are as simple and easy to learn on without ever needing to touch an AR-15.
Hunting
The NRA maintains that hunters somehow need the AR-15 to hunt. Admittedly, the AR-15 is used by hunters, especially those who hunt mainly for ‘sport.’ They are efficient because you don’t have to cock the weapon and retake aim and have the ability to take out many animals in a short amount of time.
First off, though, you have to get special bullets for this gun to make it any use for hunting at all. On top of that, no real hunter actually uses these guns as they are, once again, overkill.
Hunters in Pennsylvania took a survey, and the majority of them didn’t want the ban lifted on using the AR-15. They cited safety concerns as one of their main reasons for not wanting to weapon allowed.
Spray and pray works when mowing down groups of people and animals. Real hunters know that using these rifles for hunting is not only overkill but in the wrong hands, wholly dangerous as well.
“I served in the military and the M16A2/M4 was the weapon I used for 20 years,” he wrote. “It is first and foremost designed as an assault weapon platform, no matter what the spin. A hunter does not need a semi-automatic rifle to hunt, if he does he sucks, and should go play video games. I see more men running around the bush all cammo’d up with assault vests and face paint with tricked out AR’s. These are not hunters but wannabe weekend warriors.”
Tinkering
One of the most popular features of the AR-15 are all the gadgets and add-ons you can purchase to trick it out and make it “cooler.” Aftermarket parts, like the bump stock that makes it fire like an automatic weapon is available for purchase from hundreds of different sources. Fans can purchase bump stocks, lasers, and sites to make their guns look like those they see on video games in the movies.
These marketing strategies might be enough of a “reason” for weapons manufacturers and the NRA to keep these guns on the streets. However, the rest of us want our children to survive through their graduations.
Farm/Ranch Use
The NRA says that the AR-15 is an excellent gun for use on a farm or ranch. With the high magazine capacity and ability to send rounds downrange at a high rate of speed it is a decent weapon for this use.
Again, without access to AR-15s, farmers managed to survive for centuries. So unless your neighbor unleashes a herd of pissed off bulls on you, you would likely do fine with a shotgun.
Competitive Shooting
According to the NRA, the newest craze in competitive shooting, 3-gun competition., could be devastated if people couldn’t have their AR-15.
Really, the only counter to this is the following: Every parent, sibling, aunt, and grandparent that have lost a loved on to these weapons felt devastation that will never leave them. That is devastated.
Losing the ability to have some silly shooting competition, in comparison, doesn’t seem all that devastating at all.
Disaster Preparedness
The NRA says that if everything goes all to hell, the AR-15 is a handy weapon to have around.
Here, the NRA has a valid point. If the zombie apocalypse is upon us, or society melts down, this weapon is indeed one that would be handy to have around.
To continue in that same vein, just in case, they should probably also allow everyone to have a tank, a .50 caliber machine gun, and a helicopter in case aliens or zombies invade.
This is right up there with the whole, “let me keep my guns so I can defend against a tyrannical government,” argument. If the zombies/aliens/nukes/government decide that our time is up, no amount of firepower is going to stop that incoming tide.
To purport that these guns stay on the streets in case of this eventuality is almost too ridiculous to counter.
And speaking of ridiculous, that brings us to the NRA’s last and final point.
Bringing Women Into Shooting
The NRA says the AR-15 is an excellent weapon to use to get a woman interested in shooting. They say the ability to learn on a gun that doesn’t recoil and the “cool factor” will appeal to any woman. They made sure to add that women can’t resist the ability to customize their firearm with one of the many cool gadgets sold in the aftermarket.
So, ladies, don’t worry your pretty little heads about your babies getting blown apart by one at school. Quick! Look over here! You can purchase a pretty pink grip and leopard print holster and make your AR-15 sparkle.
MARKETING
At the end of the day, it all boils down to one thing: Money. Money and marketing are more important than your children’s lives to the NRA and those that support them. Period.
There isn’t a single reason listed here that supports leaving these killing machines on the street. The article mentions fun over and over again. It mentions all the “cool gadgets” one can add to the gun. With the exception of an alien attack, there is no use for these guns that another type of gun can’t perform just as well.
Until the NRA gives an actual valid reason to keep these machines of war on the streets, not a single parent who loves their child should allow them to continue to get away with this propaganda.
Featured Image Via Pixabay.
