American support for banning the sale of assault weapons is at its highest level since Quinnipiac University started polling on the issue after the Sandy Hook tragedy. Sixty-seven percent of respondents agreed that assault weapons, like the AR-15, should be banned in the U.S. The Editorial Board whole-heartedly agrees. Furthermore, we believe Congress has the moral obligation to act soon in order to help ensure the senseless slaughtering of school children comes to an end.

A ban on military-style assault weapons is logical, constitutional and compassionate.

Logical

Semiautomatic rifles come in a variety of makes and models. Shooters wanting to inflict the most damage in the shortest amount of time prefer weapons like the AR-15 because it is lightweight and customizable. Semiautomatic rifles were the weapon of choice for the perpetrators of the Aurora, San Bernardino, Newtown, Orlando, Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs mass shootings and more.

In 1994 President Bill Clinton helped ban military-style assault weapons as a part of the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act. President George W. Bush and Congress allowed the law to expire a decade later. In doing so we are now living with the consequences of a society that places the right to own an AR-15 above the right of a child to safely attend school.

Constitutional

The late conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is well known for his literal interpretation of the Constitution. He has operated as the proverbial and literal thorn in the sides of liberals on issues regarding abortion, campaign financing and much more. However, in District of Columbia v. Heller Justice Scalia noted that the prefatory clause of the Second Amendment — “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State…” — refers back to an individual’s potential to serve in a militia for the protection of the free society. He conceded that today’s military is highly sophisticated and “it may be true that no amount of small arms could be useful against modern-day bombers and tanks.”

Without mincing words, Scalia made it perfectly clear by adding that it is “not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.”

Compassionate

Military-style assault weapons have one place in our society — the military. These are highly dangerous weapons that have a single intention of killing people. Ordinary citizens don’t need unlimited access to these types of weapons. It is clear that these incidences of mass murder will not end with just thoughts and prayers. Let’s take a concrete step in the right direction and work on banning weapons of war from our communities.