--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The so-called assault weapons ban is a…" description: "\"The so-called assault weapons ban is a hoax. It is a political appeal to the ignorant. The guns it supposedly banned have been illegal for 78 years. Di..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/918/david-mamet-1178_addresses_the-so-called-assault-weapons-ban-is-a-h_1166479.jpg" --- # The so-called assault weapons ban is a hoax. It is a… ![“The so-called assault weapons ban is a hoax. It is a political appeal to the ignorant. The guns it supposedly banned have been illegal for 78 years. Did the ban make them 'more' illegal? The ban addresses only the appearance of weapons, not their operation.” quote by David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/918/david-mamet-1178_addresses_the-so-called-assault-weapons-ban-is-a-h_1166479.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/918/david-mamet-1178_addresses_the-so-called-assault-weapons-ban-is-a-h_1166479.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/918/david-mamet-1178_addresses_the-so-called-assault-weapons-ban-is-a-h_1166479.jpg) > “The so-called assault weapons ban is a hoax. It is a political appeal to the ignorant. The guns it supposedly banned have been illegal for 78 years. Did the ban make them 'more' illegal? The ban addresses only the appearance of weapons, not their operation.” [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The claim that assault weapons bans are hoaxes argues that such bans target appearances, not functionality, and have long‑standing legal precedents. **In simple terms:** The ban focuses on weapon looks, not operation, and is not new. Key Takeaway Critically assess the actual impact of weapon bans. Themes politics law gun control public policy Mood critical skeptical Type analytical controversial When to use this quote - legislative debate - public safety - media commentary - legal research Key Concepts legal history policy analysis Questions to Reflect On - What evidence shows the ban’s effect on safety? - How do appearance‑based regulations influence behavior? A Different Perspective The argument may oversimplify complex safety and legal issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amendment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amendment/) [Assault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assault/) [Assault weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assault-weapons/) [Assault weapons ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assault-weapons-ban/) [Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun/) [Guns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guns/) [Hoaxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hoaxes/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/) ## Related quotes > [Passing a law like the assault weapons ban is a symbolic - purely symbolic - move in that direction. Its only real justification is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/passing-a-law-like-the-assault-weapons-ban-is-a-symbolic-purely/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [The fights I fought... cost a lot --the fight for the assault-weapons ban cost 20 members their seats in Congress. The NRA is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/the-fights-i-fought-cost-a-lot-the-fight-for-the-assault-weapons-ban/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [The Assault Weapons Ban deals with a fictional distinction. You have guns that are exactly the same guns as are banned, in function, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/the-assault-weapons-ban-deals-with-a-fictional-distinction-you-have/) [Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/) > [Our supportfor assault weapons ban is very broad...I think we've got all the police, we have all the mayors virtually - the conference of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianne-feinstein/our-supportfor-assault-weapons-ban-is-very-broad-i-think-we-ve-got/) [Dianne Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianne-feinstein/) > [I've come to the conclusion that military style weapons really don't have any place in our society. We ought to reinstate the assault weapons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-udall/i-ve-come-to-the-conclusion-that-military-style-weapons-really-don-t/) [Mark Udall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-udall/) > [Assault weapons ban reintroduced...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/assault-weapons-ban-reintroduced/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [President Bush said he didn't want to renew the Assault Weapons Ban because it might 'infringe on hunters' rights'. Who needs an AK-47 machine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elayne-boosler/president-bush-said-he-didn-t-want-to-renew-the-assault-weapons-ban/) [Elayne Boosler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elayne-boosler/) > [This is a matter of vital importance to the public safety ... While we recognize that assault-weapon legislation will not stop all assault-weapon crime,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/this-is-a-matter-of-vital-importance-to-the-public-safety-while-we/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Impeach President Reagan retroactively for agreeing with Obama on the assault weapons ban.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fugelsang/impeach-president-reagan-retroactively-for-agreeing-with-obama-on-the/) [John Fugelsang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fugelsang/) > [ I think that we should ban so-called junk guns. I think we should ban assault weapons like the weapons used here \[in Fort Worth\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/i-think-that-we-should-ban-so-called-junk-guns-i-think-we-should-ban/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [And it's time as a country that we have an assault weapon ban.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahm-emanuel/and-it-s-time-as-a-country-that-we-have-an-assault-weapon-ban/) [Rahm Emanuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahm-emanuel/) > [I supported the assault weapon ban.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-supported-the-assault-weapon-ban/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [Reinstating the federal assault weapons ban that was in effect from 1994 to 2004 would prohibit manufacture and sales, but it would not affect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-swalwell/reinstating-the-federal-assault-weapons-ban-that-was-in-effect-from/) [Eric Swalwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-swalwell/) > [I don't support any gun-control legislation - the effort for a new assault-weapons ban, with a ban on semiautomatic weapons, is something I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-don-t-support-any-gun-control-legislation-the-effort-for-a-new/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [What we do in Connecticut is ban assault weapons. We ban high-capacity magazines. We have true universal background checks, and we require everybody to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-murphy/what-we-do-in-connecticut-is-ban-assault-weapons-we-ban-high-capacity/) [Chris Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-murphy/) ## More by David Mamet > [If, indeed, a firearm were more dangerous to its possessors than to potential aggressors, would it not make sense for the government to arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/if-indeed-a-firearm-were-more-dangerous-to-its-possessors-than-to/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [Culture exists and evolves to relegate to habit categories of interactions the constant conscious reference to which would make human interaction impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/culture-exists-and-evolves-to-relegate-to-habit-categories-of/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [When I started out I was a failed actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/when-i-started-out-i-was-a-failed-actor/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [We must have a pie. 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