In response to Pamela Kelsey鈥檚 letter to the editor (April 8):
The fact is that you, and the majority of Americans, are being spoon-fed lies and misconceptions. The AR-15 that the media is falsely calling an 鈥渁ssault weapon鈥� is the most popular rifle right now for sporting and competition in America. My wife, my son and I all use this very weapon for hunting deer and home defense. It uses the exact same bullets as any other rifle used by your family for the same purposes. The only difference is cosmetic.
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I find myself at odds by even addressing your proclamation that 鈥渢hese weapons are not used by hunters to shoot game鈥� as the Second Amendment has nothing whatsoever to do with hunting or sporting. The Second Amendment protects my right to keep and bear arms to defend myself and my family. Just like the First Amendment protects your right to put forth this letter, full of good intentions, and just as full of misconceptions.
If you or society in general actually believes that banning a certain class of weapon is going to help 鈥減rotect our children鈥� or 鈥渟top school shootings鈥� you have been watching too much TV, and not reasoning enough. When you and I were going to school guns were everywhere. My father taught a class in school on 鈥渞efinishing firearms鈥� Students brought their guns on the school bus, and brought them to class. No one ever thought about shooting anyone else, it just didn鈥檛 happen. The real reasoning behind school shootings is not because of the AR-15 or any other so-called 鈥渁ssault weapon.鈥� I would love to stop school shootings, but the only way we are going to get there is through logic and reason, not emotions and watching TV.
Just to be the devil鈥檚 advocate for a moment: What would Hollywood say if you told them they could no longer use, or even show an image of an 鈥渁ssault weapon鈥� on TV or a movie ever again? What harm would there be in banning them from ever showing an image of an 鈥渁ssault weapon鈥� again? I sincerely hope that you can see what possible harm would come from starting the slippery-slope and infringing on their First Amendment rights by doing such a thing.
Mike Milli
Bemidji
