Colion Noir Revisits 2021 AR-15 Debate With Stop Handgun Violence Co-Founder

Colion Noir returns to his 2021 Newsweek-moderated debate with John Rosenthal, a co-founder of Stop Handgun Violence, to break down their exchange over AR-15s, the purpose of the Second Amendment and the claim that civilian rifles are no match for nuclear weapons.

Snapshot

Colion Noir replays his 2021 debate with Rosenthal, covering the assault weapon label, what the Second Amendment is for, the role of handguns in most gun murders, and the claim that rifles are useless against a government with nuclear arms. Noir's central argument is that ban supporters contradict themselves by describing one rifle as both too deadly for civilians and too feeble to matter against a modern military.

Key points

• The opponent: Rosenthal, whom the video describes as a key figure behind Massachusetts gun laws, called himself a Second Amendment supporter who still wants AR-15s banned. He labeled them "military-style assault weapons," said they are not hunting guns, and acknowledged they make up a small share of gun violence.
• The label: Noir argued that "military-style" blurs the difference between a civilian semi-automatic rifle and the select-fire rifles issued to troops.
• The purpose: Noir said the Second Amendment exists so the government never holds a monopoly on force, rather than mainly for hunting or defense against criminals.
• Handguns: Noir pointed out that most gun murders in the U.S. involve handguns, not rifles.
• The nukes moment: Rosenthal argued AR-15s would be useless against a government with nuclear weapons, tanks and B-52 bombers, while also saying the rifles can outgun police. Noir said both claims cannot be true at once.

Quick take

Noir's view is that ban supporters cast the same rifle as too dangerous for civilians and too weak to matter, depending on the argument at hand. The video also notes that the debate's moderator pointed to door-to-door confiscation, not nuclear strikes, as the more realistic scenario.

Watch the full video: Colion Noir