Dr. John Lott has responded to a piece by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in the Albuquerque Journal, and part of his piece is included at the end of this response. The term “assault weapon” is dismissed as nonsensical, recognized by The Associated Press’ Stylebook and news media as having little meaning and being highly politicized. The piece argues that the civilian AR-15 and AK-47 firearms use the same bullets as small game-hunting rifles and have the same functionality as a hunting rifle. Furthermore, Lott argues that semi-automatic weapons are necessary for protecting people and saving lives. He highlights that mass public shootings are predominantly carried out using handguns rather than semi-automatic rifles. Lott also refutes gun control advocate Michelle Lujan Grisham’s claim of a significant reduction in mass shooting fatalities during the federal assault weapons ban. The piece concludes by drawing attention to California’s gun ban and attributing the drop in firearm mortality to the state’s tough three-strikes criminal punishment law rather than its assault weapons ban. The commentary suggests that gun control advocates need to gain a better understanding of the guns they seek to ban.
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