This type of amunition is completely repulsive on all levels. On the human level it is what I would call an "idiot weapon", basically no matter where it impacts it causes widespread and destructive internal damage. It is the dirty bomb of the munitions world, requires no precision and is designed to cause an agonising death, even if it were claimed that it was for hunting I would have serious concerns about any hunter who would use a round that causes so much pain and suffering. If you must take a life (human or animal) you ought to have enough respect for life to do it in the most rapid and humane way available, if you can't or don't have at least that much respect for life you have no business possessing or using a firearm.
Even though I am from a country with some of the strictest firearm laws in the world I am not averse to firearms, lol we don't even trust 60% of our police force to carry firearms (uniformed police here do not carry weapons, only detectives and they must undergo a fairly gruelling training course which both physically and psychologically evaluates their abilities and their mental suitibility). When I worked in certain countries many moons ago I carried a sidearm while working, I had to pass several extremely intensive courses which covered safety, personal security, unit tactics, the ability to discern and evaluate threat and stress tests designed to weed out those who cracked under pressure, those courses had a 50 to 60% failure rate and there was one course for each of the 3 weapon groups required (pistol, shotgun & smg). Part of the safety aspect of those courses included watching real footage of those weapons being used on human targets, autopsy photos etc., it was a real eye opener and gave me a serious respect for the responsibility attached to carrying a weapon. Just like not everyone is suited to driving big rig trucks, trains or flying planes, not everyone is suited to possessing, handling and using firearms, it's that simple. And just because you may be suitable at 20 it doesn't mean you will be at 30, 40, 50 or 60.
I have no feelings either way on the 2nd amendment, but I have strong feelings on how it is intrepreted. It is an idea which owes part its history to a tumultous time in British history, to the frontier nature of early America and to the uncertainty of the survival of the early democracy. From the middle of the 19th century on America has possessed a well armed, well trained, professional and technologically advanced army. If a tyrannical government took power with the blessing of such an army, there is very little the average civilian would be able to do change the situation, even with todays assualt rifles they would be facing an enemy who has fired thousands of rounds and undergone hundreds of hours of tactical training and they wouldn't stand a chance (sorry to any of you guys who spend a couple of hours on Saturday at the range, you are unlikely to survive against a professional soldier). If it came to that, the only hope for the people would be a well orchestrated guerrilla campaign against economic and infrastructural targets, short of an outside invasion it is predominantly economic factors that bring tyrannical rulers to the negotiating table, even some resonable democratically elected governments have been forced to negotiate with terrorists due to the pressure applied through infrastructural guerrilla campaigns.
So I believe assault rifles have no place in the home, they are designed for a single purpose - to remove the enemy from combat (it's better in a conventional war to wound enemy fighters as it places increased pressure on their battlefield resources). They are not even used in the realm of VIP protection unless wide security perimeters are being set up where there is a danger from well armed insurrectionist groups. They have no hunting application. Additionally, would you really want to be spraying Nato 5.56/7.62 FMJ from an AR15 or AK47 at an intruder? they will no doubt pass through him, but will also more than likely pass through the wall into your children's bedroom or your neighbours house, see if you can console yourself with the death of an innocent person with "I wasn't trying to kill him", it's not the intention that matters, it's the result, a dead person is still a dead person and no amount of regret is going to bring them back.
Then we arrive at pistols, the most common variation being 9mm. Again such ammunition is not required for use with a pistol, anyone with a modicum of training should understand the Mozambique Drill (I think it may be called the anti-armour drill in the US) which if practiced is more than effective in a close quarter situation. I feel if not banned outright for home possession people should have to undergo serious and regular training in their use, maintenance and safety, they should also have to demonstrate to the state (before anyone mentions the government impeding their rights, rights come with inherent responsibilities, in a democracy the state is the people/society) therefore it is only resonable that a member of society who wishes to possess something that only has one purpose and could easily be turned on other members of society, should have to demonstrate their suitability, responsibility and mental well being on a continuous basis. We have to prove we can pay a bank loan, drive a car, fly a plane, truck drivers are constantly assessed with regards to proper rest periods, yet people are allowed to purchase a weapon with much less difficulty. Shooting can be an interesting test of skill and co-ordination, so if people want to shoot pistols for sport can't they house their pistols in cabinets at their local range. I feel the home defense argument is dubious at best, allow me to play it out. It's 4am after a busy day at work, you went to bed at midnight. Your wife/husband hears a noise and wakes you (it's usually a wife, they hear things besides our snoring, it's usually cats shagging or a drunk falling over a bin, but they always nudge you awake). This time it's not feline lovemaking, there's someone climbing through your living room window. You unlock your drawer/cabinet, take your pistol, slide a loaded magazine in, attempt to quietly pull back the slide to chamber the first round and take the safety off (if your pistol is already made ready (locked and loaded in the US?) then I would question what you are doing with a pistol in your possession, particularly if you have children and if the safety is already off you shouldn't even be allowed to have metal cutlery in your house because you are an imbecile!). You make your way down the hall in a half awake but adrenaline fuelled state. What if one of your kids goes to the toilet? What if your dog comes bounding up the hall? What if you reach the living room and aim at the intruder and realise you have forgotten to take the safety off? What if you pull the trigger and you get a dead man's click because you've been too busy with other things to maintain your weapon properly and you only have it for self defense anyway? All this gives your intruder the upper hand, on top of the advantages he already possesses by being totally awake, not having to worry about shooting one of his family in error and being generally prepared for his work (yes, he invades homes for either a living or hobby, how often do you defend them?). So, even armed in your own home you are still at a disadvantage, plus in a society where the criminal knows being shot dead is a risk, he's generally going to factor that risk and shoot first. You can't protect your family if you're hemorrhaging and flailing all over your living room floor, you've a much better chance if you grab your family and retreat through another exit either to an easily defendable area or preferably to a neighbour for help (provided your neighbour doesn't mistake your plight for a gang invasion and kill you all). Call the police, it may be hard to believe, but this type of situation is in the job spec and features in the training of those blue clad doughnut munchers and they're usually much better at it than let's say the average half asleep dabbler.
2nd part in 2nd post.