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BERMAN: Bring back the assault weapons ban

Prohibiting semi-automatic weapons will address America’s mass shooting problem

In 2015 alone there were 372 mass shootings, averaging just over one per day, and thus, it might not come as a surprise that this is not the first time I am writing about gun control in America. Given that on June 12 a lone gunman perpetrated the largest mass shooting in U.S. history, in which 49 people were killed at a gay nightclub in Orlando, it is a pertinent time to address the issue once again, as hard and painful as it might be. The last article I wrote in early October following a shooting at an Oregon community college called for mandatory universal background checks for all prospective gun owners. Yet given that the Orlando shooter had previously been on an FBI watch list on two separate occasions and still managed to purchase the weapon that allowed him to carry out this grisly attack, perhaps this is not a foolproof solution. Now, I am more convinced a ban on semi-automatic weapons would be more productive.

The Orlando shooter used a Sig Sauer MCX in the attack, a semi-automatic weapon whose technology resembles that of an AK-47. The online gun advocacy group thetruthaboutguns.com, which addresses topics such as gun safety, morality and practice, contends that the Sig Sauer MCX was specifically developed for the U.S. Special Forces, one of the reasons being that it is “as quiet as an MP5 and as deadly as an AK-47.” This firearm has proven attributes that allow our troops to better conduct operations across the world, certainly a necessary objective. Yet, given its proven capabilities, should that not be the extent of its usage?

Unsurprisingly, the National Rifle Association thinks not.Following the Newtown massacre, its statement regarding the AR-15, another semi-automatic gun, claimed it was “useful for hunting and home defense.” Though many hunters themselves do not consider the weapon to be a useful hunting rifle, let’s assume hypothetically that it makes hunting easier and more exciting.

Let’s consider baseball, another favorite American pastime, because it too recently had a dilemma regarding the use of aluminum bats at the high school and college level. These bats caused baseballs to be hit at incredibly fast speeds, consequently causing players to suffer from serious injury and even death. As a result, various baseball associations required bat manufacturers to reduce the risk of injury and death by altering the physical characteristics of these bats. They did not seek to eradicate the use of metal bats from amateur baseball altogether, but merely regulate it to make players safer, even if it made the game less exciting and more difficult because batters could no longer hit 130 mph hits whenever they made solid contact.

While I acknowledge hunting is not baseball, I think there is a comparably useful takeaway regarding how baseball associations dealt with this issue. Namely, you do not need a semi-automatic rifle to be successful and enjoy hunting; in fact, Outdoor Life Magazine’s top 10 list of best hunting rifles only contains one semi-automatic weapon. If you use a manual rifle, the activity might become more difficult and tedious, but those tradeoffs are inconsequential if it means hundreds of lives can be spared in the next mass shooting.

I agree with the NRA’s contention that the AR-15 and other semi-automatic guns can be useful for home defense. However, I don’t think this justifies their availability to ordinary citizens. The reason I am not a complete opponent of the Second Amendment is because I believe strongly in the right for individuals to protect themselves and their loved ones in their own homes, and I also believe firearms are the best way to achieve this.

Yet I am deeply skeptical of the notion that citizens need military-grade semi-automatic rifles to achieve this end. Guns can be essential for self-defense, hunting can be a fun, rewarding hobby and firearms themselves are an integral part of American society and history. But we cannot afford to maintain the status quo. While mandating background checks could be useful, it is perhaps not the sole solution considering the Orlando shooter was able to purchase his semi-automatic weapon legally. Instead, we should ensure these weapons are available only to the military personnel who truly need them to do their jobs to keep our country safe. While 63 percent of Americans feel guns make their homes safer, would they feel safer with these same high-caliber weapons available for purchase, and with little to nothing standing in the way of preventing a mass murderer from achieving his evil goal?

Jesse Berman is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at j.berman@cavalierdaily.com.

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