Letters

Column Repeated Common Misconception That the AR-15 is an Assault Rifle

Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.

We are part of The Trust Project

I read Mr. Gold’s column in last week’s edition (“Who Are the Men Behind the Guns That Result in All These Deaths?”) It is one thing to take literary license, but Mr. Gold was wrong on a key matter. The fact that Mr. Gold has been published elsewhere does not give him license to tell an untruth. At the start of his column, he stated “The AR-15 military assault rifle…”

The AR-15 is NOT an assault rifle and is NOT used by the military. The AR-15 is named after the original manufacturer, Armalite, and does not mean assault rifle. Military assault rifles are capable of firing in an automatic mode while AR-15s are not. Calling an AR-15 an assault rifle is no different than calling Bezos’ yacht a battleship since they can both float on water.

Mr. Gold is entitled to his opinions, but not his own facts.

Jay Kopstein
Yorktown Heights

We'd love for you to support our work by joining as a free, partial access subscriber, or by registering as a full access member. Members get full access to all of our content, and receive a variety of bonus perks like free show tickets. Learn more here.