“There he goes again!” — that is what all my gun-nut friends will be saying once they read this article. Honestly folks, I simply cannot help myself when I read about the recent massacre at a school here in nearby Parkland, FL.
You all know by now that I am very much opposed to individuals being able to purchase rapid-fire weapons just for the heck of it. The particular weapon used in this incident was the well-known AR-15, which according to the NRA is the most popular rifle in America.
The AR supposedly stands for ARMAlITE, the company that developed it in the 1950s. I had always thought that the AR stood for automatic rifle, or assault rifle, but never was it called an HR for hunting rifle or TR for target rifle. This particular weapon was made and designed with one goal in mind, kill lots of people in the shortest amount of time possible and make sure that they don’t recover from their wounds.
Let me explain. The AR-15 fires a very small (.223cal), but powerful bullet. Because of its small size it tends to begin spinning once it leaves the barrel of the rifle and as a result on impact creates a huge wound, both entrance and exit. The likelihood of surviving an AR-15 wound is very small, which of course makes it ideal if you are in actual combat firing at a bunch of enemy soldiers on the other side of the hill or whatever. It certainly was not designed for a young, possibly deranged, young man to take to school and kill lots of people.
You will notice that the Coral Springs store that sold this device called itself Sunrise Tactical Supply and delivered this horrible device to a young man who only recently attended a local mental health clinic for one year and had many disciplinary issues at school.
Notice the name, “Tactical Supply.” Does that sound like a hunting equipment store or a sporting goods store? Not to me. It sounds like a supplier to either military or law enforcement personnel and certainly not any kid that comes in and says let me have one of those.
If it were up to me I would fire the salesman that sold it to him and require them to change the name of their business to hunting and outdoor supplies. Of course this won’t happen. but I can dream, can’t I? BTW, the AR-15 is the same rifle used in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting which killed 26 people (20 of them children).
