The cover of Monday’s New York Daily News makes no mention of Islam, Islamists, or radical Islamic terror. Rather, it blames the NRA for the terror attack in which 50 were killed and 53 wounded in Orlando.
The gist of the cover is that the terror attack was not caused by an ideology that is contrary to Western civilization, but by the NRA’s defense of gun rights.
In bold letters, the cover reads, “50 Dead in Orlando Club Massacre: Thanks, NRA.”
The rest of the cover’s caption says, “Because of your continued opposition to an assault weapons ban, terrorists like this lunatic can legally buy a killing machine and perpetrate the worst shooting in U.S. history.”
The Daily News makes at least three errors here: First, in calling the AR-15 a killing machine, it makes the AR-15 sound like something other than a semiautomatic rifle that shoots only one round every time the trigger is pulled. Secondly, it overlooks the fact that alleged Orlando gunman Omar Mateen passed a background check to buy his guns. He also had a Florida Security Officer License and a Statewide Firearms License. Carrying guns was part of his job. Lastly, and most importantly, he was an Islamist, and that ideology was a driving force in his attack.
The NRA has nothing to do with any of these things.
Approximately four million law-abiding Americans own an AR-15. Arguing to ban it because of the actions of one Islamic terrorist is ludicrous.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
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