A new proposal by the Washington state attorney general shows not only his ignorance about semi-automatic rifles, but his misunderstanding about what history has taught us about banning such rifles.
AG Bob Ferguson told the Associated Press that he’ll ask lawmakers to introduce a bill banning the sale of popular semi-automatic rifles and the normal-capacity magazines used by those rifles and other common firearms. Specifically, he wants to ban the AR-15 rifle (because of its “military-style features”) and any magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds.
Ferguson would do well to look back at Bill Clinton’s 10-year ban on such firearms, which even the government admitted had no effect on violent crime. The answer to why is easy: According to the FBI, rifles of all kinds are used in less than 3 percent of all murders.
