Dear POTUS,

     I know that depending on which party you support, your view on firearms changes. However, I ask a law-abiding citizen that you do not outlaw or ban so called ”Assault Weapons” from the public. I agree that we need more restrictions for firearms, such as background checks, but we do not need to take guns out of the populations grasp. To do this would be a clear sign that your administration is attempting to rule without opposition, as taking away citizen’s firearms is the first step you take after invading or overthrowing a nation. So called Assault Weapons are not the threat to the public that they have been called, since they are nothing more than ergonomic firearms able to be customized more easily than a standard rifle. According to a Department of Justice study, these “Assault Weapons” have only been used in 2% off all shooting crime. Why take the steps to deny your own law abiding citizens while still letting the majority of firearms used in crimes see less restrictions? Today, these “Assault Weapons” that the news is so worried about are said to be designed to kill large amounts of people. That is rather ironic, however, as the most common AR platform rifle is chambered in 5.56 mm or .223 Cal, a round that in fact, was designed not to kill. During Vietnam, the US Military found that wounding your enemy is more effective than killing them. If you kill someone, you take them out of combat and possibly one other person who drags out the body. But when you wound someone, you take them out of the fight (1), two people to carry them out (2), plus a few people to operate or attend to their injuries (1-4). The US Military designed the 5.56 NATO round to not be a large round like the 7.62 NATO, but an intermediate round that was much smaller, but on impact would begin to tumble and cause cavitations, thus removing that person from the fight. The small size of the round also allows for a more enjoyable shooting platform, due to its accuracy and low recoil. Now, most rifles that people do not call " Assault Weapons" are in higher calibers, such as .308 cal. People are scared of these firearms because they look militaristic. By that same logic, any car with a spoiler should automatically get a speeding ticket because race cars have spoilers and they go above the speed limit. Banning a firearm because it only looks dangerous is a terrible decision, one that I trust you will not make.

Sincerly,

Macallister Crawford