What is the purpose of assault weapons?

[Surfah]

I would love to see you kill the hog(s) in the Surfah's clan tradition... with only knives and dogs...

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The smoked boar I have had from Hawaii is amazing. I shared an apartment on my mission with another elder from the Big Island and his folks would send him smoked sausage and it was damn good. My grandpa has a ranch on the Big Island and you can see their little burrows where the grass has been flattened and some of the earth rooted up. My sister brought home a book about Hawaii once when she was in grade school and in it we found a picture of my dad on horseback with a boar on the back. Pretty crazy. We should have never returned that book.

I have only seen one once in Hawaii. We were on our way back from the ranch and this boar comes out of nowhere and runs straight down the middle of the road in my grandpa's neighborhood only to disappear between some homes and into the backing fields. They haul ass.

[YOhio]

Very true, but isn't it equally true that such incidents aren't (or haven't been) repelled by assault rifles? I don't understand how an armed citizenry is a viable protection against totalitarianism in 21st Century America. I don't support efforts to disarm the proletariat, but being armed to the teeth provides negligible protection against government overreach.

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[Goatnapper'96]

Very true, but isn't it equally true that such incidents aren't (or haven't been) repelled by assault rifles? I don't understand how an armed citizenry is a viable protection against totalitarianism in 21st Century America. I don't support efforts to disarm the proletariat, but being armed to the teeth provides negligible protection against government overreach.

I don't think it is a viable protection but it sure as hell draws attention to government activity in a hurry. When I think of Ruby Ridge there is certainly more public concern and outcry about government overreach as a result of some batshit crazies choosing to draw a line in the sand. Generally, if people go quietly nobody will notice or care. Gun culture is a reflection of deep mistrust of governmental entities and I like that aspect of this country.

[byu71]

Very true, but isn't it equally true that such incidents aren't (or haven't been) repelled by assault rifles? I don't understand how an armed citizenry is a viable protection against totalitarianism in 21st Century America. I don't support efforts to disarm the proletariat, but being armed to the teeth provides negligible protection against government overreach.

Perhaps the mere threat would be enough to stop someone deciding to assume more power.

I can hear the conversation now. Yes we could do this, but those idiot conservative gun owners might cause trouble. Let's see if we can subvert the constitution without a gun fight.

Over the top, yea. However, I see plenty of people on the "far" left who really don't give a shit about the constitution and would have no problem at all changing the Country. I could name some names, but I won't.

[Goatnapper'96]

Very true, but isn't it equally true that such incidents aren't (or haven't been) repelled by assault rifles? I don't understand how an armed citizenry is a viable protection against totalitarianism in 21st Century America. I don't support efforts to disarm the proletariat, but being armed to the teeth provides negligible protection against government overreach.

Another answer is I am not sure it matters. My point was just to point out the bullshit nature of the response that liberals generally reference when pointing to tanks, fighter jets and missiles. I just want to be clear that the majority of relevant government intrusion is by either local, county or state entities or non-DOD federal entities. All of whom come armed with not a great deal more than assault rifles so if it is the nature of the fairness of the fight we are evaluating, which I think is the oft mentioned liberal argument that the fight is so unfair that is pointless to consider, then the most likely fights would be fair.

I also want to point out that in an urban/city environment assault rifles are usually a more useful defense weapon than tanks or missiles. I would hope most realize that by thinking through the ramifications of trying to maneuver a tank through downtown SF, but I do relish the opportunity to point out how clueless I think some liberals are about these types of issues when they start patronizing crazy rednecks like myself who really like gun culture. Even though I don't own a weapon or find much joy in just shooting for sport, I identify with their open disdain and mistrust of government and their desire to limit it to the fewest functions in my life.

[FN Phat]

I would love to see you kill the hog(s) in the Surfah's clan tradition... with only knives and dogs...

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My cousin in California hunts the boars with pitbulls and pistols. The pits get in the tunnels in the under brush and lock on and drag the hogs into an opening or submit the hogs in place. My cousin enters the tunnels at that point and finishes the hogs. Admittly, it would be a better image of my cousin having a knife in his teeth, busting brush.

[Bo Diddley]

Right. A mass shooter would never go to a police station because it is so heavily armed. Or an army base...

Army bases are some of the tightest controlled gun free zones there are, so you'll need to find a better example.

[Goatnapper'96]

Army bases are some of the tightest controlled gun free zones there are, so you'll need to find a better example.

I was the Squadron Adjutant my last 18 months on AD. One of the funniest criminal cases I had to keep track of was the armorer in our regimental cavalry squadron's HOWBAT took a couple of M-16's and some buddies and robbed a local credit union. They ran off into the woods behind the credit union, lost their bearings and when they finally exited the wooded area they walked right into a squad of police cars outside the establishment they had robbed.

The next HOWBAT armorer used one of the M-16's to put a bullet in his own head. In most units the weapons were not difficult to account for, but ol HOWBAT had a hell of a time giving me any level of comfort that a weapon assigned to the Battery wouldn't show up at the wrong place at the wrong time.

[calicoug]

No to mention that it is oh so easy to control the people of Iraq and Afghanistan with our tanks and fighter jets.

Remind me how long it took to seize the power of all government controls in Iraq and Afghanistan. Remind me how many cities we failed to capture because we were repelled by semiautomatic gun fire.

That should give you an indication of your ability to fight off a tyrannical government. You should also note if the government gets to the point where it is firing on its own citizens and killing them, I think it is safe to say we aren't following Geneva Convention protocols at that point either and your opponent ought to be expected to be much less merciful than the current government is to its enemies.

The argument that semiautomatic weapons would make any difference at all is laughable.

[calicoug]

Army bases are some of the tightest controlled gun free zones there are, so you'll need to find a better example.

Gun free zone? Someone should alert the MPs. I don't think they know this.

[venkman]

If a well armed citizenry isn't a check against totalitarianism, why do totalitarian countries first seek to disarm the citizenry? Nazi Germany, Communist Russia, etc.

[venkman]

Goatnapper, when the shit hits the fan, I'll head up to the Gem State and be in your militia!

EDIT: I guess you don't have any weapons (WTF?) so I'll bring one for you. You sound like you know what to do.

[Goatnapper'96]

Goatnapper, when the shit hits the fan, I'll head up to the Gem State and be in your militia!

Sadly, I own no weapons. I just hate government encroachment at any level at any time. My default position is to be "agin" it until I am really convinced it is neccesary and beneficial. In the aftermath of this horrific event it seems to me that lack of gun control is not the root of the problem nor should it be what dominates the political landscape. However, it is clearly an agenda item.

[ERCougar]

I've shot automatic rifles and they're loads of fun, so I can sympathize. But what would be wrong with having a specialized range that controlled the guns and rented them out within the range to play with?

[venkman]

I've shot automatic rifles and they're loads of fun, so I can sympathize. But what would be wrong with having a specialized range that controlled the guns and rented them out within the range to play with?

Now when you say automatic, do you mean automatic or semi-automatic? I ask because the MSM and seemingly most Americans don't know the difference.

If automatic, great since I can't own those anyway. I'd love to shoot them at a range.

If semi-automatic, no thanks. I like taking mine out to the desert, hunting, etc.