"Assault" is a verb, an action. It is defined as: To make a physical attack on. Therefore ANY weapon or ANYTHING for that matter that is used to facilitate the attack is, by definition, an assault weapon.
There really is no "epidemic." Yes, anyone losing their lives is tragic, and I am not trying to belittle that. But let's put it into perspective. 74% of all deaths in America can be attributed to 10 things according to the CDC.
Total deaths 2017...2,813,503
Diseases of heart . . . 647,000
Malignant neoplasms . . . 599,000
Accidents (unintentional injuries) . . . 170,000
Chronic lower respiratory diseases . . . 160,000
Cerebrovascular diseases . . . 146,000
Alzheimer disease . . . 121,000
Diabetes mellitus . . . 83,000
Influenza and pneumonia . . .55,000
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis . . .50,000
Intentional self-harm (suicide) . . .47,000
The media and the sheeple LOVE to throw around terms and catch phrases. "Epidemic" has been used to describe recent attacks. But the CDC's official definition of an epidemic is: “The occurrence of more cases of disease than expected in a given area or among a specific group of people over a particular period of time.”
Again, innocent lives struck down is abhorrent and is a tragedy, but nowhere near an "epidemic."
More people will be killed on the Federal Highways this year than with a firearm. More will be killed abusing prescription drugs. More will be killed by medical mistakes.
But those things don't sell advertising time on the air or internet.
The media perpetuates these myths so that they can sell air time and make ad revenues. The anti's seize onto these buzz words and catch phrases to further their anti agenda's.
The rock was the assault weapon of it's time when all cavemen had were their hands.
The bow was the assault weapon of it's time when man was using sticks and rocks.
The muzzleloader was the assault weapon of it's time against bows.
The lever action was the assault weapon of it's day against muzzleloaders.
The Gatling gun was the assault weapon against lever guns.
The Maxim against the Gatling.
The Garand against the bolt action.
The AR-15 is just one of the latest in technological advances.
A gun is an inanimate object. It is neither good nor evil. It is the ACTIONS of MAN that are good or evil. But the anti's can't admit that. Because evil is hard to spot. it can and does look like any of us.
Picture1 by
Jason Mosler, on Flickr
Does that look like the face of evil? Because that walked among the public all the while it was slaughtering innocent women. It's name was Ted Bundy. It was an assault man.