Advantages And Disadvantages Of Ar 15 Essay

Recently, there has been a lot of controversy around the ArmaLite rifle (AR 15), a modern sporting rifle that is legal to own in all 50 states (NSSF Sport Foundation). The public policy question raised is whether the AR 15 should be banned from citizens. Yack stated that “Discussions of the advantages and disadvantages of alternative actions natural leads to assertions of standards of mutual obligation.” By analyzing the telos and virtues associated with the AR 15, I hope to be able to clearly identify what is at stake and be able to understand right from wrong. In order to explain whether the AR 15 should be banned, the “telos” must first be stated. The AR 15 is often known as the “civilian version” of the military’s M16 rifle (The Atlantic).

Aristotle believes that everyone has a specific role in society. Similarly, everyone has a specific role when it comes to gun control. For example, guns are regulated by keeping track of who buys what gun. However, sometimes the people who cause devastating events such as the mass shooting in Florida is not the person who the gun is registered under. In this case, the AR 15 seems to go against the ultimate goal of protecting people. Therefore, Aristotle would ask who should have sole responsibility of the purchased AR 15 gun? Should the person who purchased the gun also be punished for not keeping a close eye on their gun?

In weighing these three aspects, I believe that Aristotle would not have been able to make a decision of whether AR 15’s should be banned. Instead, I think he would have tried to figure out what the “mean between extremes.” The AR 15 should be able to shoot far enough where the civilians can protect themselves from a distance, but not so far that the gun can be used to hurt someone on purpose. The AR 15 should have enough rounds to protect someone from multiple people, but not enough to kill more than needed. The weapon’s owner should be responsible for their AR 15, but to what