The Pittsburgh Presbytery is a body in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that represents some 30,000 members of the Presbyterian Churches across Allegheny County. Now, the church is calling on state lawmakers to make some pretty serious changes in gun ownership laws.
The group has requested a complete ban on all “assault weapons” from any private ownership and ask that these weapons are exclusive to government authorities. They are also asking for a ban on .50 caliber rifles and “armor piercing handgun” ammunition. The Pittsburgh Presbytery even recommended that all Presbyterians should “consider destroying their assault weapons” voluntarily.
The Pittsburgh Presbytery is asking for these radical bans in lieu of the March 10, 2016, mass shooting in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, and the June 12, 2016, attack on the Orlando Pulse nightclub. There is a problem with the argument of the church’s claim, however.
In the Wilkinsburg attack, there were two gunmen and only one had a handgun. The second gunman did have an assault weapon but it was the gunman with the handgun that opened fire. The victims are fled to a nearby porch, ultimately becoming trapped. It was then that the gunman with the assault weapon began shooting the victims. The Orlando Pulse shooting was in a gun-free zone, filled with defenseless people.
In both instances, the victims were unarmed and the assailants were, rendering the victims unable to defend themselves.
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