10 Arguments For and Against Gun Control

5) No Matter What “Rights” Advocate Say, Assault Weapons Are Not Necessary for Self-Defense or Sport

Gun Control Position:
Bernie Sanders once noted that while he is pro-hunting, ‘…[N]o one needs an AK-47 to hunt.’ Similarly, an assault weapon would be overkill in any conceivable self-defense situation. Assault weapons should be banned altogether for civilian ownership, but if nothing else is done for the advancement of gun control regulation, assault weapons should have magazines that are limited to 10 rounds. After all, as Stephen King quips, “If you can’t kill an intruder with ten rounds, you need to go back to the shooting range.

Gun Rights Position:
The ability to defend oneself against a solitary intruder may be the greater focus of the conversation, but it is not the boundary thereof. The owning and bearing of arms is not only protected under the Constitution as a means of defense against armed burglary, but also against military invasion. If the U.S. Military became incapacitated by, for instance, nuclear efforts, the only remaining line of defense on American soil would be her citizens themselves. Additionally, armed robbery or assault could conceivably be attempted by an armed and organized group, as opposed to a single, armed perpetrator. Banning assault weapons would render any individual powerless against a greater threat than a single invader.