EDITORS NOTE:  Hans Nordlinger posted these comments on our FaceBook page in response to an appeal to join in the March For Our Lives.  It is, of course, his opinion, but we believe it is well worth the read.

I’m a veteran, I spent 43 years in and with combat arms in the military. I hunted for game for 50 years.

I state the foregoing to attest to my experience in knowing the difference between weapons designed to kill lots of people quickly, and weapons designed for killing game and self defense.

I support the 2d amendment.

We must regulate weapons that are capable of wounding and killing lots of people quickly,

Regulation must include,

registration,

background checks,

a permit,

secure storage,

transfers to only a person who has a class III weapons permit.

A federal agency to implement regulate and enforce the law,

A sever set of penalties for violating the law.

I read the law that stopped the unchecked slaughter of people in the 1920s 1930s by weapons capable of wounding and/or killing lots of people quickly, the National Firearms Act of 1934, known as the NFA.

The NFA meets all the requirements to regulate weapons of mass destruction. Penalties for violating the NFA are severe, a $250,000.00 fine and 10 years in federal prison, for the first offense. That penalty applies to anyone who possess, buys, or sells a class III weapon of mass destruction, or violates the act in any way.

After the NFA was enacted, in 1937, class III weapons were turned in, or people went through the process to keep their class III weapons.

The NFA effectively regulated weapons of mass destruction until gun manufacturers developed the AR-15, as a civilian model in the 1960s-70s, a semiautomatic weapon loaded by external quick change high capacity magazines, capable of wounding and killing lots of people quickly, but evaded the NFA.

Since the advent of the AR-15, we have seen the slaughter by semiautomatic weapons loaded by external quick change high capacity magazines for decades.

People want to ban AR-15, or assault rifles.

I don’t use the term, AR-15, or “assault rifle”, because using those terms begs an argument about what is, or is not an assault rifle. The term “ban” raises a 2d amendment issue. The term assault rifle also does not cover the other semiautomatic weapons loaded by external quick change high capacity magazines designed to wound and/or kill lots of people.

I use the term, “semiautomatic weapons loaded by external quick change high capacity magazines”. I know that is a long description, but it describes accurately the weapons being used, to kill lots of people quickly.

Semiautomatic weapons loaded by external quick change high capacity magazines, whether they be handguns, long guns, look like military weapons, or don’t look like military weapons, provide shooters the capability of firing a large number of bullets quickly, replacing the external magazine quickly, and continuing to shoot another magazine of bullets, creating massive numbers of wounded and killed victims.

Semiautomatic pistols have quick change magazines holding 9-14 bullets. A shooter with a semiautomatic pistol loaded with 14 bullets can fire 14 bullets in 7 seconds, reload in three seconds and fire 14 more bullets in 7 seconds, and keep doing that until he runs out of loaded magazines, killing or wounding dozens of people. Semiautomatic hand guns do not have the power or range of a long gun, and do not out gun the police, but are deadly and fire lots of bullets.

Semiautomatic hand guns are used in 77% of mass shootings.

A shooter using a semi automatic rifle loaded by external quick change 30 round magazine can shoot 30 bullets in 20 seconds, change magazines in 3 seconds and shoot 30 more bullets in 20 seconds, and keep up that firepower until he runs out of loaded magazines. Semiautomatic rifles fire high velocity bullets that cause more damaging and fatal wounds, and out gun law enforcement.

Semiautomatic weapons loaded by external quick change high capacity magazines, are not now classified as class III weapons under the NFA.

THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE;

Amend the NFA, and reinstate its original powers

Add semiautomatic weapons loaded by external quick change high capacity magazines to the NFA list of weapons of mass destruction.

Staff and fund the ATF to implement the amended law for all people who now own semiautomatic weapons loaded by external quick change high capacity magazines, register, conduct the background checks, issue permits, inspect storage facilities, enforce the law, and prosecute violators.

To facilitate the program, a buy back program will encourage voluntary turn in of these weapons by those who do not want to go through the process to legally own a class III weapon.

The NFA has worked since 1934, even though it has been weakened by amendments by the republicans.

Criminals and crazies will continue to commit crimes and attacks, however we can regulate the weapons designed to kills lots of people quickly, reduce the deaths, and make sure they don’t out gun the security and law enforcement officers.

We must stop the slaughter, America did it in 1934, we can do it again.