Think nobody needs an AR-15? Let’s fix that

 

“People don’t need AR-15s.” 

Ever heard that? I have, and it’s usually true: on any given day, the chances an average person will really need an AR-15 are pretty small. Then again, so are the chances they’ll need to dial 911 or use a fire extinguisher. But when the need for those things does arise, it’s typically pressing. That holds for an AR-15, too. 

First, some background. “AR” stands for ArmaLite, the rifle’s original manufacturer. While military variants are capable of automatic fire, civilian models aren’t: the trigger needs to be pulled for every shot. An AR-15 uses a detachable box magazine, allowing for quick reloads. As some Korean-American shopkeepers proved, it can be a lifesaving quality.

During the 1992 riots, LA’s Korean community was targeted. And while violent mobs showed up, the police didn’t. But despite being badly outnumbered, some store owners were able to keep the crowds at bay. How? By using AR-15s and similar weapons. For a single person facing a gang of armed thugs, they offer the best chance of survival. 

A Milwaukee resident demonstrated that when three men carrying pistols crashed a truck into his store last year. The rapid fire and stable platform his AR-15 provided probably saved his life. Other examples of the firearm being used defensively aren’t hard to find. 

 AR-15s also have mild recoil and can be equipped with an adjustable stock--features making them attractive to women. Further, they can be easily converted from one caliber to another, negating the need to buy multiple rifles.  

However, critics argue the potential harm an AR-15 can inflict outweighs whatever benefits individual users might get. Curiously, this reasoning rarely gets applied to anything else.

According to the FBI, there were 8,454 firearm homicides in 2013. Of those, only 285 were committed using a rifle of any kind. Meanwhile, the CDC reported that 568 children age 9 and under drowned that same year. Still, the push to ban pools, jacuzzis, and washbasins--none of which are essential--has yet to materialize.  

The difference, some argue, is that AR-15s are “made to kill people.” I have a simple response to that: “So what?” Using deadly force to protect your life is something the law has always allowed. 

Yes, AR-15s can be misused, and there are ways to mitigate that. But claiming they’re never needed is something the facts just don’t support. Creating a special rationale for banning them is something logic doesn’t support either.