Can someone give me a rational reason why law abiding citizens need assault weapons?

[The Gadfly]

I sense the charge of your rhetorical question and I agree with you. The operative word here is "need" which, as many of us understand, could be more accurately changed to "want".

The truth is that there is no real "need" to own an assult weapon (attn: gun advocates, i do understand that the "assault weapon" distinction is problematic but that is a different topic). They have no real utility (outside of killing people quickly and effectively) and are just plain fun to shoot. So this "need" to own an AR-15, for example, is really just a desire to maintain a hobby, nothing more.

The desire to purchase and own these weapons is dressed-up in the language of necessity; language that takes the form of ad-hoc arguments like the following:

- Assault weapons are necessary to defend ourselves from government tyranny (although they are no match for the US military)
- Access to assult weapons must be maintained on principle to avoid a slippery-slope where the government gradually restricts "freedom" (such a "tyrannical" agenda does not exist; neither Obama or Feinstein have proposed anything that violates the 2nd Amendment---I know some might balk at this but, at bottom, it's the truth).
- Assault weaspons are needed for self-defence, especially for women (don't make me laugh).

etc. etc. etc.

The important thing to note is that most (but maybe not all) arguments from gun-rights advocates rely on reverse-justification for the weapons in question. Gun manufacturers developed consumer-type assault rifles for personal entertainment and sport; and they developed these guns--not to support freedom or basic liberties--but to make money. It's really that simple.