We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. There’s no such thing as an assault rifle. And an AR-15 doesn’t stand for Assault Rifle – it stands for ArmaLite, which is the company that developed it.
In light of the shooting that happened in Uvalde, Texas, President Biden has chosen to make a few colorful statements about Americans who would choose to own an AR-15. And his comments show that he’s not only ignorant but also extremely ill-informed.
There are quite a few sound nuggets from his speech that reacts to the shooting that took place in Texas – and we’ll break each of them down.
“What in God’s name do you need an assault weapon for except to kill someone?”
First of all, as anyone who is familiar with guns will tell you, there’s no such classification as an assault weapon. So, hearing the president use this kind of description is only helping to spread false information.
Second, there are millions of AR-15-style rifles manufactured or imported into the U.S. every year. It is estimated that there are 20 million of these legally in circulation according to the National Rifle Association. Obviously, plenty of people have rifles without the intention of killing someone.
“The idea that an 18-year-old can walk into a store and buy assault weapons is just wrong.”
Again, we’re talking about a classification of weapons that don’t exist. It’s funny how Twitter isn’t flagging his tweet for misinformation though, isn’t it?
And, why shouldn’t an 18-year-old be able to buy a gun? If they are of legal age and have passed a background check, they have the same rights as anyone else. At 18, a person is considered a legal adult. They’ve likely graduated high school. They can vote in the elections. And they can become a member of the armed services where, wait for it, they’ll be able to use these types of guns in order to defend the country.
“No one needs an AR-15. Something designed for no other purpose, non, other than to kill human beings.” This particular comment was said during a campaign event in Las Vegas in February 2020. We’re mentioning it now, though, just to show how wrong he is.
An AR-15 is a popular style rifle because it is versatile, accurate, and lightweight. It also has a variety of available features so that it can be used in various sports.
Hunting, skeet shooting, target shooting, and more – if you’re involved in any of these, you may want an AR-15. It’s also considered a better option for home defense because it is easier to shoot than a pistol or shotgun.
Biden forgets that there are law-abiding citizens who enjoy the sport of shooting. Perhaps they were in the military or perhaps they grew up in the country and enjoy the ability to go outside and shoot targets.
Even the Olympics recognizes shooting as a sport. And why wouldn’t you want to practice the sport that you are competing in? To do that, you’ll need a gun. And the AR-15 is one of the best on the market.
Let’s not forget that an AR-15 can cost $800 or more. So, it’s not as though just anyone can get one. They require a significant amount of money. Sportsmen save up to buy these – and they keep them locked up and use them when they are going to hunt or shoot targets.
The average person buying an AR-15 or any other gun is doing so for the sake of the sport, not to kill someone.
In 2013, Biden actually made a comment during an online town hall meeting about guns where he said, “You don’t need an AR-15. It’s harder to aim. It’s harder to use and in fact, you don’t need 30 rounds to protect yourself,” he said. “Buy a shotgun.”
Of course, now that he’s president, he’s not endorsing that anyone buys shotguns, either. But it’s clear that he has no idea what he’s talking about – and therefore, we have to wonder how much longer we can even listen to his nonsense. The 2024 presidential elections can’t get here fast enough…
