After reading the list on the poll in the Wednesday BND, I see that part of the problem is that most people taking the poll do not understand some of the questions, making the poll invalid.

When asked about banning semi-automatic weapons, most people who are not gun owners think these are full-automatic firearms. They do not understand the term.

When asked about banning "assault-style weapons" they do not know that there is no such thing in the first place. The term "assault weapon" is one made up by anti-gun advocates to scare ignorant people who do not know the difference. First it was assault weapon, now it is assault-style and neither of these terms mean anything.

An assault rifle, based on one designed by Germany in 1943, is first and foremost full automatic, select fire and these are already illegal to own for most people. There are no "assault weapons."

Last week it was military style, now it is assault style and all those misleading terms mean is that the anti-gun people do not like the way it looks and are using those misleading words to encourage people to support their gun-grabbing agenda. These look items include a long magazine (they are not "clips"), a pistol grip and even most ridiculously, a bayonet lug.

Oh yes, they also don't like them because they are black. Does that sound familiar?

James Schild

Columbia