Prohibition-Era Gang Violence Spurred Congress To Pass First Gun Law : NPR

A good listen or read.

https://www.npr.org/2016/06/30/484215890/prohibition-era-gang-violence-spurred-congress-to-pass-first-gun-law

Further, we should never forget what the 2nd amendment actually says:

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

But politicians and Supreme Court Justice Scalia just read the part after the first comma, ie, "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Which clearly has a different meaning than all of the written words in context. Of course you can argue about the absolute meaning of the whole phrase.

But in the 1930s the public outcry against "machine guns" became great and congress acted. Enter the gun lobby to alter the name calling them "assault rifles" and they get around the law!

And assault.... what, exactly?

I think their name spells out exactly what they do - assault other humans.