Semiautomatic rifles at a gun shop in Lynnwood, Washington (Elaine Thompson/AP Images)

Should Assault Weapons Be Banned Again?

More than 230 years after it was written, the Second Amendment continues to be hotly debated. The Supreme Court is currently considering a gun rights case involving a challenge to New York State’s restrictions on carrying legally owned guns outside the home. While gun rights groups challenge existing restrictions, gun control advocates are pushing in the other direction. One of the mostly commonly proposed regulations is a ban on assault weapons, which have been used in many recent mass shootings. The sale of assault-style weapons to the general public was banned from 1994 to 2004, when the ban expired and Congress chose not to renew it. President Biden is now calling on Congress to ban assault-style weapons once again, and both the House of Representatives and the Senate have introduced bills to do so.

A gun control advocate and a gun rights advocate face off about whether a ban on these kinds of firearms would be a good idea.

January 31, 2022

With the recent spate of tragic mass shootings making headlines, Americans are demanding real change from lawmakers at the state and federal level. One proposal that would save lives is to reinstate the ban on weapons of war—assault weapons—particularly the AR-15.

Assault weapons have become the go-to weapon for mass shooters. They are designed to kill as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time. Lawmakers in Washington have discussed banning these deadly weapons since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012. Unfortunately, Congress has failed to act to remove these weapons of war and protect innocent lives.

Assault weapons are firearms that are designed to make them more deadly. They have features like pistol grips, second hand grips, or barrel shrouds—all of which make the gun easier to hold. This allows the shooter to control the gun for long periods of sustained fire without getting burned as the barrel heats up. When combined with high-capacity magazines, these weapons can fire as many as 100 rounds in a matter of seconds without having to be reloaded. These features were explicitly designed for military weapons, not for normal civilian use like hunting or target shooting.

Assault weapons have become the go-to weapons for mass shooters.

A ban on these weapons used to be our country’s normal. Assault weapons were banned from 1994 to 2004 through legislation championed by then-Senator Joe Biden and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Studies have shown that there was a 25 percent drop in gun massacres and a 40 percent drop in fatalities during that time. The ban saved lives. Unfortunately, the five deadliest mass shootings in American history have occurred since the ban expired.

A solid majority of Americans—60 to 65 percent by most polls—support a ban on assault weapons. Congress must come together to ban these weapons, because a reinstatement of the assault weapons ban would save American lives.

—ARI DAVIS

Senior Policy Analyst, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence

The term assault weapon was made up by people who oppose guns in order to scare the public into thinking that firearms such as the AR-15 rifle are military weapons and that they kill thousands of people a year. But neither statement is true.

We are unaware of any military units that carry semiautomatic AR-15 rifles into battle. And according to the F.B.I., one is more likely to be murdered by “hands, fists, feet” or by knives than by any kind of rifle—including AR-15s. This just shows that guns are not the issue—evil people are the problem.

The Second Amendment guarantees that the “right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.” Any ban on a firearm is an infringement on an individual’s Second Amendment right. As human beings, we have a God-given right to protect ourselves and those around us. And as Americans, we have a Constitution that protects those inalienable rights.

A ban on any firearm is an infringement on Second Amendment rights.

Firearms are the great equalizer. If a substantial percentage of people are carrying guns for defensive purposes, then bad guys are less likely to launch an attack. Data reported by the Centers for Disease Control during the Obama administration indicates that firearms in the U.S. are used 16 to 100 times more often to save lives than to take lives. This shows that guns are a net benefit to society. Plus, examples abound of good people using AR-15s and similar firearms to protect themselves or their communities against violence.

But bad guys don’t play by the rules, so banning certain types of guns and creating “gun free” zones is simply going to disarm and endanger law-abiding citizens. Bans and other forms of gun control do not protect anyone from the evil that is within someone’s heart.

And that’s the true root of the problem: the human heart. Anyone who chooses to act violently against a fellow human being, whether it’s with a gun or any other weapon, is evil. And no amount of gun control will stop a corrupt heart from committing murder.

—COURTNEY ORANGE