gekko,Mar 4 2004, 04:41 PM Wrote:And I will flat out say that in reasonable, realistic situations, an american civilian defending him or herself and family with an assault rifle would be just as effective using a rifle or small handgun.The only flaw to this argument is that it comes down to once again you saying that you know what other people's situations and mindsets are and that they don't need something based on that. Just because someone can get something doesn't mean they need it. Like our computers. We don't need them to be as fast as they are, a 486 or Pentium will do just fine. We don't need cars that go over 75MPH as the speed limit rarely exceeds that and it would cut down on speeding tickets and reckless driving. We don't need all varieties of soft drinks and sizes on the market because only one brand in a 20oz container is good enough for everyone.
Assault rifles are overkill for most situations, yes. But to say that no one would ever need one is going down the whole "we know what's best for you" slope that so many people dislike. I feel that people own assault rifles because it just tips the scale in their favor during a confrontation. I wouldn't mess with someone with one and I bet most other people who don't have a deathwish wouldn't either.