Illinois Democrat ad tells lies about guns
The political ad posted below is from the campaign of Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. See if you can find what’s wrong with it:
Here’s my own list:
1. The 30-second ad states that “In the time it takes to watch this ad assault weapon with a high capacity ammunition clip can spray a room with over 350 deadly bullets.” The term “high capacity ammunition clip” (‘magazine’ should properly be used in place of ‘clip’ in this case) implies that the weapon in question is magazine fed. 350 rounds fired in 30 seconds with a magazine fed rifle is a practical impossibility. The largest magazines made for AR-15 type rifles are 120 round drums, and you would need three of them to fire that many rounds. 350 rounds in 30 seconds is a practical impossibility given the need to change magazines.
Thus the ad proposes a scenario that is as a practical matter impossible.
2. ‘Assault weapon’ is a term that is only applied in law to semi-automatic firearms (for the most part rifles). 350 rounds in 30 seconds is only possible with a full-automatic firearm. Fully automatic firearms are NOT legal for civilian ownership in Illinois and Bruce Rauner has never proposed changing that legal situation. What Rauner did do was oppose an ‘Assault Weapons ban’ proposed by Pat Quinn.
The ad therefore faults Rauner for opposing a ban on a class of firearm that are NOT capable of putting out the rate of fire its attributes to them. The conflation of semi-auto ‘Assault Weapons’ with full-auto ‘Assault Rifles’ has been called out too many times (including here on LGF) for those making said conflation in a campaign ad to be given the benefit of the doubt. One can only conclude the conflation is an excercise in deliberate dishonesty.
3. The ad states that ‘Assault Weapons’ have only one purpose: To kill people.” Given the use of many rifles and shotguns that are called ‘Assault Weapons’ in target shooting and hunting, this contention is clearly false and can only be considered a flat-out lie.
4. While Chicago has a far-too-high murder rate (which the ad hints at when it says “lives are being lost”), the vast majority of such murders involving guns are committed with handguns. ‘Assault Weapons’ are very rarely used in crimes in this state. The ad implies otherwise and is therefore guilty of dishonesty by omission.
Regardless of what you think of guns or Republicans, dishonest ads like this one poison American politics. Pat Quinn should be ashamed of the lies told on his behalf.
Comments are welcome but no “What Republicans do is worse.” stuff. This kind of severe dishonesty cannot be justified by the bad actions of others.
