The point of this thread is not that a person needs an AR15 - or any other particular firearm. Rather from my own perspective that the true question is not whether anyone needs an AR15 or any other magazine fed gun - rifle or pistol. That is a separate question.
Rather, in my opinion, the question if what type of mass murder weapon do we want mass murderers to use? Mass murderers have always existed. This is nothing new. With the advent of social media, we can look into their minds and history unlike before. Among other things, we have learned it is not a spur of the moment decision. Rather, it is one they work themselves into in relative social isolation other than social media - and that they tend to think though tactics of their attack - where, who, risk factors to themselves, and what to use to do it with.
The Department of Homeland Security was created the year after 9-11 specifically to address foreign and domestic terrorism, which mass murder attacks are. In 17 years it went from zero to over 250,000 people. Something I can not write of, I am familiar with where their concerns are - and have to leave it at that. They are not focused on mass shooters as those are exceptionally limited on killing ability and the shooter always is killed or captured quickly.
Hollywood has created the view most people have about guns. In Hollywood, people make amazing shots at extremely fast rates. None of that is real. Trying to rapidly hit a lot of targets - certainly moving targets - with a rifle or pistol is a skill not even 1/10th of 1% of gun owners have - nor 1% of AR and AK owners can do. In addition, the AR15 is the smallest caliber for rifles (other than odd .177 bb gun caliber). Yet the media, press, politicians have convinced people that AR15 is the ultimate mass murder military style assault weapon. Most probably believe it themselves having little to no firearm experience. After all, in mass shootings people are killed, no?
Yet nearly everyone survives. Nearly all escape. Of those shot, the majority of those live to. Not all, but most. Notably, no federal agency ever hints that want AR15s eliminated nor magazine size limitations. Why? The combined political and institutional power of the FBI, DOJ and Department of Homeland Security could get anything banned they wanted to.
If those psychological disturbed to the degree of wanting to commit mass murder, unless detected and prevented, the only question is what method of mass murder will the person use? So far, the DOH and FBI, along with CIA have kept this limited to mass shootings or less common crude bombs. This is very fortunate - VERY VERY fortunate. Unfortunately, more and more such disturbed people of murderous intentions are pursuing vastly more lethal ways - ways costing less then the price of an AR15 and ammo, for which there is no defense and the murderer will get away and probably remain unknown so can do it again. And again. And again.
So the purpose of this thread is the question of what do you want a mass murderer to use? If not an AR15, if not a gun, then what of the other mass murder method instead? Virtually all can (and have) mass murdered far, far more people than any mass shooting.
Most of these lone wolf shooters are not firearm usage experienced. They view of guns is the Hollywood view and they envision themselves as one of those actors. For people to understand the limitations of mass murder by an AR15 they need to shoot one - rapid fire - at fixed targets - a mere 30 feet away. Targets not moving so should be a piece of cake to hit nearly as fast as the trigger can be pulled. On then could a person grasp my point that if a lone wolf guy is determined to commit mass murder - and then pick how - hope he picks using an AR15. Nearly everything else is unimaginable worse. Due to the Internet, they can learn now to easily use those other vastly more lethal methods.
If terrorist wannabe mass murderers could be convinced to only use a knife or bb gun, that'd be great but they won't fall for that. So next on the list of LEAST lethal on a mass scale is the 22 caliber rifle. HOPE mass murderers keep picking those. Make THOSE easy to get - so easy they don't search beyond that. Keep ranting OMG! at the awesome, most deadly hand held killing machine every devised - the high velocity semi-auto 22 rifle.
I sigh in relief when I hear of a mass murder incident and learn the person was using an AR15 .223. At least most people got away. Of those shot, most are going to live. At least the murderer is going to commit suicide, be killed or be captured. Captured is my last choice personally.
Does ANYONE else understand my point? 1.) Mass murders always have and always will exist so 2.) then try to convince them how they should try to do it to minimize death and destruction. Pretending outlawing certain types of firearms then eliminated mass murderers trying to mass murder people is fully detached from reality.