Spats, yes the issue is really the outlandish claims of the anti-Second Amendment crowd. It seems a part of their strategy to spin the tall tale that semi-automatic rifles are no different than the weapons used by our military. We see this disinformation presented in different ways by Bloomberg, Cuomo, Piers Morgan and numerous others. Of course, being the slave to hyperbole that he is, Mr. Jackson had to take that strategy to new levels.
To folks unfamiliar with firearms, and who just don't know any better, it is believable that a semi-automatic rifle that looks like a military weapon would function in the same way. All gun enthusiasts need to be part-time educators for those folks who are simply unaware of the truth. We have a wealth of knowledge and experience with firearms, that must be shared with those good folks, many of whom would support us if they knew the truth.