There are those who favor the abolition of all guns in the hands of the public (and I believe–correct me if I’m wrong–that Warbler is part of this crowd)
I’m sure I want a total ban or not. Perhaps a ban on auto and semi-auto rifles might be enough, or maybe a ban on all auto and semi-auto weapons. At the very least, I think a lot more training and psychological testing should be required before being allowed to own firearms. I also think maybe one shouldn’t allowed to own firearms if they live with someone with dangerous mental issues or if they live with someone who has a criminal record.
Screw semi-auto, I’m for a full-on handgun ban. Plus auto and semi-auto. Plus ammunition. Sure it’s unconstitutional, I’m for repeal.
If you want to ban semi-auto’s, then I always press the question of why not just ban handguns too since they kill more people in the U.S. every year than semi’s?
In my opinion, because the purpose of a handgun is local, personal combat or defense. Whereas, the purpose of auto and semi-autos is to kill lots of people. When is there EVER any need for the latter among the general populace? And the argument that people should have a right to them for entertainment is bogus, because entertainment has nothing to do with a militia.
On another note, in my opinion, the argument that if guns are illegal, then only the criminals would have guns ignores the fact that if guns were illegal, the demand would be much lower and therefore so would the manufacture. Today any two-bit criminal can get a gun partly because are so many of them. I would hazard a guess that this is one reason most other countries have less gun-related crime than we do; you can’t just walk down the street and get one because there simply aren’t enough of them to go around. Again, just my opinions.