Did Oregon Republican Party members raffle off an AR-15 assault rifle at the state fair?

[highplainsdem]

http://www.politifact.com/oregon/statements/2011/jan/29/suzanne-devlin/did-oregon-republican-party-members-raffle-ar-15-a/

Turner resident Suzanne Devlin recently sent a letter to the Statesman Journal, taking Sarah Palin and other Republicans to task for using gun-heavy language and then trying to distance themselves from the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and several others in Tucson, Ariz. , in early January.

"I volunteer at the Democratic booth at the state fair. Last summer, as is my custom, I walked over to the Republican booth. The differences between the two parties couldn't be better illustrated than what I encountered," she wrote. "While we were passing out free ice water, the Republicans were raffling off an AR-15 assault rifle."

A reader suggested PolitiFact Oregon take this on, and we found the topic interesting enough to tackle. Is a semiautomatic AR-15 an assault rifle? And were members of the Republican Party raffling one off at the Oregon State Fair?

We called Greg Leo, our go-to man at GOP state party headquarters, and asked about the rifle raffle. The state party spokesman said, "It is true." How we love easy confirmations.

-snip-

[doc03]

1. It depends on what your definition of (Assault Rifle) is

I suppose.

[grasswire]

5. both gun dealers and Obama have called this an "assault" rifle or weapon.

So I guess the jury is out on terminology.

Still, why is the GOP raffling off weapons at the state fair anyway?

[doc03]

6. Why not? It is our 2nd Amendment right to own a gun

they haven't broken any laws.

[grasswire]

8. nobody said they broke a law

But why pick something so controversial to raffle?

[doc03]

9. It isn't controversial to me. n/t

[grasswire]

11. you don't live in Oregon n/t

[doc03]

12. Our local fire and emergency squad has a gun raffle

every fall.

[grasswire]

13. I'm just saying that a gun raffle may be more controversial in Oregon...

...than in Ohio. I live in Oregon.

[jody]

7. Please provide a source for gun dealers or Obama calling an AR-15 an "assault rifle". To do so would

demonstrate gross ignorance bordering on stupidity or intentional misuse of a word to inflame and distract voters.

[grasswire]

10. we're both wrong

I misread the story. Obama didn't talk about the weapon. News media reporting on a man carrying an AR-15 at an Obama event called it "assault weapon" and "assault rifle".

From the story:

Still, look up the term "AR-15 assault rifle" online and you’ll find that even firearms sites describe the AR-15 as an assault rifle. When an unnamed man showed up with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle at an Obama event in Phoenix nearly two years ago, news media used both "assault weapon" and "assault rifle" to describe the firearm. (CNN here; MSNBC picking up AP here.) The Associated Press Stylebook says the correct term is assault weapon, not assault rifle.
............

So some firearms sites and news media call it assault weapon/assault rifle.

[jody]

14. I don't care what others say, I know what 18 USC 922 and 26 USC chapter 26 say and that's law. nt

[jody]

2. A semiautomatic rifle is not an "assault rifle". n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Yes it is a heck of a difference

the gungeion will politely point to you that an AR-15 is NOT an assault rifle though... I mean they cannot fire full auto fire.

Of course that is academic to me, having been downrange from both "semi Auto" and "full auto" fire.

But it points to the incredible differences, cultural and otherwise...

Oh they are here... too late...

[classof56]

4. Hmmm...have not made it over the mountains to attend the OR State Fair recently.

Thus did not see the Repub booth nor did I hear about their "rifle raffle". I do find myself wondering which one of my fellow Oregonians won the drawing. Would really like to know. Maybe the OR Rep party HQ could answer my question.

Thanks for posting this. I read the S-J online every morning but had not seen Ms. Devlin's letter. Glad she's calling attention to this.

Peace and blessings.