Accidents happen | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Sen. Mike Lee testified before Congress that semi-automatic assault rifles and large magazines are necessary for self-defense against multiple intruders and should not be banned ("Sen. Mike Lee says gun bills would hamper self-defense," Tribune, Feb. 28).

Truth is, in order to properly defend our homes against the marauding Mexican gangs that the National Rifle Association's Wayne LaPierre warned us about, we'll need automatic rifles to become effective at killing. The NRA needs to demand that Congress legalize automatic rifles, too.

Imagine looking outside your home and seeing a gang approaching. It would take only seconds to wipe out the entire gang with an automatic rifle. But using only a semi-automatic rifle gives them time to take cover.

Or imagine waking up in the night and seeing movements in the shadows of your bedroom. Taking single shots won't cut it, but sweeping shots with a machine gun will kill everyone in its path.

Will there be innocent casualties? Yes, but there always are in war, and the NRA has made it clear — we are at war! A few mistakes, like accidentally killing a family member, should be acceptable as long as we can kill all the bad guys.

Carlyle Potter

St. George