Misrepresenting Firearms Hurts All Gun Owners

[Emperor]

So, last night as I am watching the news, I see the story of this low level marijuana distributor on WAFB. By the reporting and the quotes from law enforcement officials, you would think this guy is an ISIS terrorist.

See for yourself here:

http://www.wafb.com/story/35017046/...e-marijuana-found-in-home-in-iberville-parish

I really do not understand what purpose it serves to have the Sheriff of Iberville Parish blatantly (and I have to assume intentionally), misrepresenting the facts of this? Surely he knows the clear difference between an actual "assault" weapon and a regular rifle? I mean, don't you (we), hope he does? He used rifle(s) (referring to assault), in the plural sense and I see 1 AR, 1 shotgun, a Henry "Golden Boy", and 1 revolver. What the hell is he talking about? Does he understand how many people have 10 times that many different weapons all over the place? I know a guy that has over 15 black rifles?!? And that is just that one style of rifle among all the others.

Look, I don't expect the news to EVER take the time to learn the facts about guns they report on, but the Sheriff? What exactly is this misrepresentation of these weapons supposed to accomplish? More non-gun dummies, believing that this is an anomaly? Or, is Stassi a closet hater of privately owned firearms?!?

Officials believe Vasquez was a distributor selling to street level dealers. Along with the marijuana, they reported finding four guns, three of them high-powered.
"This is overkill to have weapons, to have in the city limits of Plaquemine. These types of assault rifles and these types of equipment is not what you normally find when we search these dope houses," said Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi.

And I wonder which of the 3 are considered the "high" powered guns? Specifically!

If any one of you that reads this knows the Sheriff, see if you can ask him why he did that? I would like to know. If it turns out he doesn't actually know the difference, then e-mail him this to teach everyone in the department too.


In response to a FOIA request, U.S. Armyexperts at Picatinny Arsenal were kind enough to categorically state that semi-automatic rifles are not *assaultrifles*. A copy of the response follows.

*It is hoped that everyone appreciates thesuperior expertise of the Army in the field of firearms and will, accordingly, deferhereto and avoid misleading terminology in the future.*
Part of the memorandum received from the Army’s Trifilettistated:
SUBJECT: Freedom of Information Jay H.Greenblatt & Associates
*Assault Rifle*.

1. This office researched the definition of the term *assaultrifle* by identifying and locating official Departmentof Defense (DOD) and Department of Army (DA) publications on ordinance technical terminology, DOD/DA technical small arms publications ordefinitions of military terms.

2. The definition of an *assaultrifle* is *Assault rifles* are short, compact,select-fire (i.e. both semi-automatic and full-automatic) weapons that fire acartridge intermediate in power between sub-machinegunand rifle cartridges. Selective fire is defined as aweapon, which at the user’s selection, can fire semi-automatic orfull-automatic fire. Semi-automatic is defined as a weapon designed to fireeach time the trigger is pulled. Full automatic isdefined as a weapon which will fire continuously as long as the trigger ispulled.

3. The origin of the term *assaultrifle* comes from the German word *sturmgewehr* afterthe Sturmgewehr 44 German Army rifle from the SecondWorld War. The rifle was a compact,
selective fire weapon in an intermediate caliber cartridge.Since 1944, military firearms that fit this generaldescription and general design have sometimes beenlabeled as an *assault rifle. Some civilian versions ofmilitary look-alike rifle have been erroneously labeledas *assault rifles* because they generally fit thedescription, however, since the civilian rifles havebeen modified internally to eliminate the selective fire capability, they are not*assault rifles*.
The United States Army does not designate any of itsinfantry small arms with the term *assault rifle*.

 

[RedStickChick]

Click bait. Every time something is posted that catches someone's eye, they click on the link. Every time the link is clicked, it generates revenue.

 

[Saintsfan6]

Click bait. Every time something is posted that catches someone's eye, they click on the link. Every time the link is clicked, it generates revenue.

The Sheriff is trying to get people to click the links? I expect the media to blow things into something they aren't just for ratings/clicks, but the sheriff should not be spewing this BS! Either he is anti firearm or a dumbass...

 

[bravo3]

I'm going to bite my tongue on this topic.

 

[Emperor]

Click bait. Every time something is posted that catches someone's eye, they click on the link. Every time the link is clicked, it generates revenue.

The Sheriff is trying to get people to click the links? I expect the media to blow things into something they aren't just for ratings/clicks, but the sheriff should not be spewing this BS! Either he is anti firearm or a dumbass...

And it was on at least three of the aired TV broadcast. I refuse to visit news websites except for reference material to post. The parasitic ads make it unbearable for me.

So yes, Saintsfan6; I am thinking along the same lines as you. I am stymied by the whole thing. It really is bothersome to think he may not know what the hell he is talking about.

 

[Magdump]

Wow....
What a loadout.

And the weed in mason jars. Who woulda thought?

That whole scene is just gangsta!

Can we all throw in some riding dirty pics?

 

[John_]

Click bait. Every time something is posted that catches someone's eye, they click on the link. Every time the link is clicked, it generates revenue.

One of the most notorious is FB links on a story or topic of interest, which takes you to a secondary popup page where you must click each time to assess or advance pages/frames. Some may have up to 8 plus pages.

 

[SMR412]

I've spoken to more than one LEO that used the term "Assault rifle" referring to an AR15.
None of them are into guns. I don't know if they use it like calling all soft drinks a "coke" or if they really think that an AR actually is an assault rifle regardless of full or semi auto, like so may other non-gun people.
The world we live in...

 

[Shadeaux]

Want to fix it. Vote him out of office!

It is the non-participation of WE THE PEOPLE that gets us in this kind of situation. Don't like the fake news, dis-information, lying, corruption? Vote them out!

 

[Nouveau]

Just like the clickbait theory, it's all about advertising. News media hypes it to sell ads, and the sheriff hypes it to advertise himself.

And for God's sake, it's marijuana. We really need to spend tax dollars on this crap in 2017?

 

[LACamper]

It would be fun to publicly ask him 'Gee they had assault rifles? where are the NFA charges?' Oh, so its not an assault rifle, its just an AR-15. There are millions of those out there. I would have thought you'd know the difference...

 

[Magdump]

It would be fun to publicly ask him 'Gee they had assault rifles? where are the NFA charges?' Oh, so its not an assault rifle, its just an AR-15. There are millions of those out there. I would have thought you'd know the difference...

I wish I could think that fast, lol

 

[JoeLiberty]

"High powered" weapons AND "High-grade" marijuana? Good bust. One puff of that high-grade marijuana will put your teenager in the morgue. Good thing they nabbed Pablo Escobar, there. Our streets are safe again.

Srsly though, the lever action? That's 22lr, right?

 

[981GT4]

I've spoken to more than one LEO that used the term "Assault rifle" referring to an AR15.
None of them are into guns. I don't know if they use it like calling all soft drinks a "coke" or if they really think that an AR actually is an assault rifle regardless of full or semi auto, like so may other non-gun people.
The world we live in...

I know what you're getting at but technically , it is an assault rifle.

The first assault rifle designated at STG-44 (sturmgewehr)
Which translates to storm rifle or "assault rifle". It was given that name because it was a rifle capable of overwhelming firepower directed at an enemy during an assault.

Was the first weapon to feature high rate of fire, coupled with select fire modes, detachable 30 round magazines , , pistol grip , and rifle rounds.

The AK47 which came to light soon after the end of ww2 featured many of the same design features. As well as the m16.

We all know AR15 means armalite light model 15. But technically any rifle with the same features as the STG44 is an assault rifle.

 

[Saintsfan6]

I know what you're getting at but technically , it is an assault rifle.

The first assault rifle designated at STG-44 (sturmgewehr)
Which translates to storm rifle or "assault rifle". It was given that name because it was a rifle capable of overwhelming firepower directed at an enemy during an assault.

Was the first weapon to feature high rate of fire, coupled with select fire modes, detachable 30 round magazines , , pistol grip , and rifle rounds.

The AK47 which came to light soon after the end of ww2 featured many of the same design features. As well as the m16.

We all know AR15 means armalite light model 15. But technically any rifle with the same features as the STG44 is an assault rifle.

None of my rifles are select fire. By definition an "assault rifles" (which was defined by people who know a lot more about firearms than anyone on this forum) depends on a rifle being select fire, like the STG44. Anything else is just a semi auto copy of "assault rifles".

 

[Trailboss]

It may have been intentional and directed at the nationwide audience of the "Killing fields" for a future episode.

But then, it's amazing what the camera brings out in some folks, especially politicians and actors when they don't have a written script. He may have just regurgitated the assault weapon definition as defined by Congress (politicians) in 1994 and by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (politicians).

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-jesse-jackson/police-chiefs-are-right-b_b_1738147.html

http://www.theiacp.org/portals/0/pdfs/IACPFirearmsPositionPaper.pdf

Remember if they tell a lie often enough, the majority of people will start believing it.

On the other hand, my M1 Garands and M1 Carbines were used by WWII, Korean and Vietnam war troops to assault positions prior to the M14 and M16. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck....is it a canary only because it's yellow?

 

[SMR412]

None of my rifles are select fire. By definition an "assault rifles" (which was defined by people who know a lot more about firearms than anyone on this forum) depends on a rifle being select fire, like the STG44. Anything else is just a semi auto copy of "assault rifles".

^^^^^THIS^^^^^

An AR15 is not an assault rifle, by definition.

 

[Magdump]

I know what you're getting at but technically , it is an assault rifle.

Nope

 

[Kraut]

We've been losing the terminology struggle for years.