For years, anti-gun zealots have deliberately blurred the lines between military and civilian firearms in an effort to confuse the general public and rally support for banning “assault weapons.” There are semiautomatic rifles, which fire one bullet for each trigger pull, and there are automatic rifles, which fire multiple rounds per trigger pull. The latter are military weapons, are considered “Class 3” firearms severely restricted for ownership under the 1934 National Firearms Act, and can properly be called “assault weapons.” Legally owned automatic weapons were used in two murders since 1934. But rifles of any kind comprise less than 2% of guns used in any crime. The New York Times finally admits the “assault weapon” scare is a myth: “The law that barred the sale of assault weapons from 1994 to 2004 made little difference” in crime. The truly amazing thing, however, is that the article’s author discovers poverty, drugs and inner city violence are the real problem. It’s probably too much to hope that evidence will sway the zealots, but it’s a start. More…