This whole national trend of AW ownership really goes back to a combination of two things for me: the sunset provision in the '94-'04 national AWB that was allowed to expire combined with the War on Terror that kicked off in late '01. It made owning an AW the "cool thing" at a time when national xenophobia and military/veteran-worship wa…
This whole national trend of AW ownership really goes back to a combination of two things for me: the sunset provision in the '94-'04 national AWB that was allowed to expire combined with the War on Terror that kicked off in late '01. It made owning an AW the "cool thing" at a time when national xenophobia and military/veteran-worship was on the rise. I don't think you get to where we are on national AW ownership without those dynamics present.
Worth noting that the national AW ban was in effect when Columbine happened and the perpetrators still got their hands on them via illegal straw buys at the Tanner Gun Show. The same could be said of the North Hollywood Shooting of '97--google that one because holy shit--and the DC Sniper(s) of '02 who used a Bushmaster AR-15.
This whole national trend of AW ownership really goes back to a combination of two things for me: the sunset provision in the '94-'04 national AWB that was allowed to expire combined with the War on Terror that kicked off in late '01. It made owning an AW the "cool thing" at a time when national xenophobia and military/veteran-worship was on the rise. I don't think you get to where we are on national AW ownership without those dynamics present.
Worth noting that the national AW ban was in effect when Columbine happened and the perpetrators still got their hands on them via illegal straw buys at the Tanner Gun Show. The same could be said of the North Hollywood Shooting of '97--google that one because holy shit--and the DC Sniper(s) of '02 who used a Bushmaster AR-15.