‘PERFECT COMBINATION’

Judge Tosses California Ban on Assault Weapons, Saying AR-15 Is ‘Like the Swiss Army Knife’

Roger Benitez wrote, “Like the Swiss Army Knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment.”

A federal judge in California ruled Friday that the state’s ban on assault weapons violated the Second Amendment. The ban had been law for more than 30 years; Judge Roger Benitez of the Southern District of California called it “a failed experiment.” Benitez compared an AR-15 assault rifle to a Swiss Army Knife while also citing statistics saying murders by knife were far more common than by rifle. He wrote, “The banned ‘assault weapons’ are not bazookas, howitzers, or machine guns. Those arms are dangerous and solely useful for military purposes. Instead, the firearms deemed ‘assault weapons’ are fairly ordinary, popular, modern rifles… Like the Swiss Army Knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment.” California’s attorney general said he will appeal the ruling within the next 30 days before it takes effect. Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to the ruling on Twitter: “Overturning CA’s assault weapon ban and comparing an AR-15 to a SWISS ARMY KNIFE is a disgusting slap in the face to those who have lost loved ones to gun violence.”