The firearm above is an AK-47. It is not designed for killing small and large game, and neither is it appropriate for self/home defense. It designed for rapid mass killing on the battlefield; it is a military weapon. As a military weapon it is fully automatic, meaning you just hold the trigger down and it continues to fire until the magazine is empty. As a fully automatic weapon private citizens of the United States are prohibited from owning it. Ownership of fully automatic weapons is also prohibited in all “Western” countries. It is legal to own it in several countries, such as Pakistan and that Somalia. Converted to semi-automatic, meaning you must pull the trigger to fire each round, it is legal to own it in the U.S., with restrictions. But it’s much easier to buy and own this semi-automatic weapon:

Yes, you can even buy it on sale. As you can see, it is similar to the AK-47. It is not designed for killing small or large game. And I don’t believe it is appropriate for self/home defense. Perhaps if you’re a Mexican drug lord, Pakistani Taliban, or Somali pirate you might want such firepower for self/home defense, but for the 99.99% of situations of self/home defense in America it is way, way too much firepower. How many times to you need to shoot a burglar or perpetrator of a home invasion? But Adam Lanza’s mother thought it was appropriate for home defense. She owned one, along with these two semi-automatic pistols:

Austrian made Glock 9mm and American made SIG Sauger handguns, both of which can fire up to 5 bullets a second. Both of which can have magazine clips holding up to 30 bullets. They can also fire hollow point bullets – the nose of the bullet and spreads open, creating a devastating wound through tissue and organ that sends the victim into almost immediate shock, disabling them if it doesn’t immediately kill them outright. Adam Lanza used his mother’s weapons to kill her, and then kill 20 children aged 6 and 7, and also 7 adults trying to save those children, before turning the weapon on himself. The Glock and SIG Sauer handguns are not designed for killing small or large game. They may be appropriate for self/home defense but, in my opinion, NOT with 30 bullet magazines. Again, just how many times do you need to shoot a burglar? The 30 bullet magazine clips enabled Adam Lanza to shoot each and every one of his victims multiple times, by some reports some as many as 7-10 times. The 30 bullet magazine in his Glock 9mm enabled Jared Loughner to kill 6 people and maim and wound 13 others before he had to pause to load another clip – which gave others a chance to disarm and restrain him, saving the lives of others.

The exact wording of the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is: A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Our Constitution has survived and is stronger than ever because its words and the intent of its words have constantly been reinterpreted as our country and civilization evolves. For example, what does “arms” mean? When the Second Amendment was was adopted in December 1791 it meant things designed with the sole purpose of killing: a muzzle loading musket or pistol that could fire perhaps one “bullet” per minute – if the person was very skilled. And of course there weren’t even bullets back then, there were only balls of lead that had a range of maybe 100-150 feet. As technology advanced muzzle loaded muskets and pistols became single shot rifles and pistols with cartridges and bullets, and then repeating rifles and revolvers. No one seriously questioned whether those weapons were natural extension of “arms” cited in the second amendment.

But “arms” also evolved into much more powerful weapons – weapons that have been defined by laws and the courts as not being the intent of ” the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed“. The “right to bear arms” does not mean we get to own any and every weapon ever invented by mankind. We as private citizens do NOT have the right to own a nuclear warhead.  Hunters don’t get to own a .50 caliber machine gun to go rabbit or quail hunting. And I don’t get to have a surface to air missile in the name of self/home defense. It’s overkill – and I submit semi-automatic assault rifles are also overkill for self/home defense, as are magazine clips that hold more than 10 bullets. Those are overkill and not necessary for self/home defense, and are no use to hunters. And I submit that as with weapons of mass destruction, they are beyond the meaning and intent of the second amendment.

Watching Meet the Press this morning, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein announced that when the next Congress convenes in early January she will introduce legislation in the Senate to ban the sale and possession of semi automatic assault weapons, magazine clips capable holding more than 10 bullets, and to close the “loophole” of no back ground checks at gun shows. And the Democratic leadership will introduce an identical bill in the House. I strongly support this legislation, and urge readers to contact their Congressman and Senators and urge them to support this legislation. And it should be only the first step, not the only step.We also need to drastically improve our care and monitoring of mental illness and improve our capability of removing firearms from within their reach.

If we had already banned assault would that have prevented the Connecticut school shooting? Perhaps, perhaps not. If Jared Loughner had only 10 bullet magazines would he have been able to shoot only 10 people? Perhaps, perhaps not. But ever since one single guy tried to blow up an airplane with a bomb in his shoes we all now have to take off our shoes at airports. Banning these weapons is the very least we can do. Especially since there is absolutely no reason or need to own one.  Let the war of words begin. But first, enjoy some music, and remember for a moment the voices who can no longer sing.

CHARLOTTE BACON, 6
DANIEL BARDEN, 7
OLIVIA ENGEL, 6
JOSEPHINE GAY, 7
ANA G. MARQUEZ-GREENE, 6
DYLAN HOCKLEY, 6
MADELEINE F. HSU, 6
CATHERINE V. HUBBARD, 6
CHASE KOWALSKI, 7
JESSE LEWIS, 6
JAMES MATTIOLI, 6
GRACE MCDONNELL, 7
EMILIE PARKER, 6
JACK PINTO, 6
NOAH POZNER, 6
CAROLINE PREVIDI, 6
JESSICA REKOS, 6
AVIELLE RICHMAN, 6
BENJAMIN WHEELER, 6
ALLISON N. WYATT, 6
And:
RACHEL DAVINO, 29
DAWN HOCHSPRUNG, 47
ANNE MARIE MURPHY, 52
LAUREN ROUSSEAU, 30
MARY SHERLACH, 56
VICTORIA SOTO, 27
RACHEL DAVINO, 29

Peace on Earth, Goodwill to all.

And may they sleep in Heavenly Peace.