Focusing on ways to bring real change

In the wake of the deadly mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, last weekend nearly all 2020 Democratic presidential contenders have called for the outright ban of socalled assault weapons.

It’s a common Democratic rephrase after a horrific tragedy, and at first glance seems to make sense. After all, why would somebody need to own a military-style gun used in war zones and associated with drug dealers and criminals by the media? Former President Barack Obama called for an assault weapon ban after Sandy Hook, saying such a measure would curb gun violence.

However, this is a misleading argument. Assault weapons, depending on how they’re defined, would most likely include a ban on the AR-15 which is a typical sporting rifle, which is module, meaning owners can add on to it, unlike other rifles. The AR-15 is “the most popular rifle in America; at a conservative estimate, there are between 8 and 15 million of them inprivate hands,” according to the National Review’s Charles Cooke.

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