Dan, an assault rifle is a legitimate category of weaponry, and it is designed for killing as many people as possible in a short a time as possible, and as such, I don't see any need for them outside of warfare. I understand that there are legitimate purposes for firearms, but you do NOT need an AK-47 for any of them. So as far as "taking away our rights", I don't think that any human being has the right to arbitrarily wield such personal power. Remember, the constitution and the right to bare arms could have little idea of a weapon that could fire 600 rounds a minute and shoot through sheet steel.
I personally agree with the fact that it can be a rewarding and skilled passtime, and I also agree that they can be used for hunting, pest control etc. But there's no need for people to be armed all the time, and there's no way it should be so easy to attain a weapon.
As for "assault cutlery", knives are designed for specific purposes, and while you could explain away a chefs knife to a policeman (over here, you're not allowed to publicly carry a blade over 3" long unless you're transporting it from one place to another), but a katana or some such would be taken pretty damn seriously.
I just want to add, I know you're a cool guy Dan, and it's clear we have different views, but nothing in my post is intended to belittle you or your beliefs - but I suspect I feel as strongly about my views as you do yours, and hopefully that's what comes across.
It's bad enough that you can't get in a decent fight anymore without worrying about some little shit bumping into you again with 10 of his mates, and a guy I knew got stabbed in the heart many years ago for trying to break up a fight. But when people start carrying guns around for kicks, that's the day I get the f*ck out of dodge.
