Child Calling for Gun Control Fails to Realize the Truth Behind Purchasing Guns
A student survivor of the deadly shooting attack earlier this month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, appeared to claim that an AR-15 can be purchased for $130.
Addressing state lawmakers and members of the media last week, 17-year-old senior Delaney Tarr called for increased gun control regulations in the aftermath of the shooting, which left 17 people dead.
“We know what we want,” she stated. “We want gun reform. We want common-sense gun laws. We want stronger mental health checks and background checks to work in conjunction. We want a better age limit.”
Then, calling for regulations on private gun sales, she made a claim about how much it costs to buy an AR-15.
“We want privatized selling to be completely reformed so you can’t just walk into a building with $130 and walk out with an AR-15,” Tarr stated.
Tarr’s concerns over the AR-15 stem from the fact that the suspected gunman in the Florida school shooting did indeed use that type of semi-automatic firearm to murder his victims.
AR-15s are popular in the United States, and in Florida, there is no waiting period to purchase one. However, Tarr was vastly understating how much they normally cost.
According to Alain Stephens, a military veteran who currently serves as a criminal justice expert for NPR, some AR-15s can cost thousands of dollars. Even if a would-be buyer wanted to purchase a basic model at a local sporting goods store, he or she would be looking at spending at least $800.
As noted by Time magazine, many AR-15s cost less than $1,000. But that doesn’t take into account the hundreds of dollars one might spend on ammunition, extra magazines and additional accessories.
Regardless, it’s difficult to buy any gun for as little as $130, let alone an AR-15.
Though it’s unclear as to where Tarr got her facts regarding AR-15 prices, she admitted during the same speech that the movement to tighten gun control laws in the aftermath of the Florida shooting is “based on emotion.”
“This movement, created by students, led by students, is based on emotion,” she stated. “It is based on passion and it is based on pain. Our biggest flaws — our tendency to be a bit too aggressive, our tendency to lash out, things that you expect from a normal teenager — these are our strengths.”
“The only reason that we’ve gotten so far is that we are not afraid of losing money, we’re not afraid of getting reelected or not getting reelected, we have nothing to lose. The only thing we have to gain at this point is our safety,” she added, according to Quartz Media.
Though Tarr is not yet legally old enough to vote, she warned that she and her fellow students are “coming after” lawmakers who refuse to act.
“To every lawmaker out there: No longer can you take money from the NRA. No longer can you fly under the radar doing whatever it is that you want to do,” she stated, as reported by CNN. “We are coming after every single one of you and demanding that you take action.”
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