One Thought on an Assault Weapons Ban

Very few murders are committed with assault weapons, though the few that happen are attention-getters. But I think it's fair to say that banning them would have very little effect on the rate of gun deaths in our country.

So why do I find a ban appealing, if I believe I am committed to public policy based on logic and reality?

I think it's because I wish those guns didn't exist in the first place, or that there weren't people who enjoy shooting them and want to own them. I wish I were from a country that doesn't allow military-style weapons in private hands.

But that's not a reason to make policy: Decreasing deaths is a reason to make policy. So universal background checks and cracking down on straw purchases are the things to concentrate on.