In response to Victoria Therriault’s Jan. 23 letter [“Today, only two reasons for guns”], and many other opinions, there isn’t much of a reason for anyone to own an “assault weapon.”

That term for a semi-automatic rifle was made up in the 1980s. Like a double-action revolver, these guns fire one round for each pull of the trigger; they’re not machine guns.

Most people use their own standards for a need to apply to everyone. You wouldn’t restrict a soldier to a 10-round magazine because armed people are trying to kill him. Yet, that’s exactly what you’re suggesting for ordinary citizens when they’re facing armed criminals trying to kill them.