Thanks so much for a cogent response!
So many people on Freerepublic reply to threads like this with insults to the subject and no content - so I appreciate your response very much.
Can I ask (because this is what we are asked) why someone needs or wants a semi automatic weapon ? That would help so much in the daily ongoing battle for our existing rights. So far, I cannot come up with anything.
The answer to that question depends very much on why one thinks the second amendment exists. If you think it exists just so people can hunt, then there's no verbal defense for a semi-automatic weapon. If you think it exists for self-protection, then it's a different debate, and some will say that you can protect yourself with a lesser weapon. If, however, you believe the second amendment exists for the same reason we have term limits - because you can't trust unchecked power in the hands of human beings, then you can make a case for the need.
IMHO, this issue, the need to prevent tyranny, is going to become much more difficult, because technology is advancing rapidly. I personally believe that there will be development of weapons that will make all the science fiction movies we've seen seem unimaginative. Who will have these weapons? Who will control them? O'Brien’s mantra is based on a naive and simplistic world view, unfortunately, and IMHO entirely misses the facts surrounding this case.