I am looking to purchase an AR-15 semi-auto rifle. Any advice on brands, calibers?

First off it has nothing to do with NEED. Our founding fathers never said any where that the law abiding citizen had to have a NEED to own a firearm, or any arms. They said things like this: "The Constitution shall never be construed to authorize congress to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens .... from keeping their own arms." - Samuel Adams "The laws that forbid the carrying of arms .... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.

Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants. They serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." - Thomas Jefferson "To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them." -Richard Henry Lee The peoples swords, and every other terrible instrument of the soldier, are the birth-right of an American. … The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people.” -Tench Coxe Feb. 20, 1788 And for those who are just to stupid to understand what was meant by those quotes, Thomas Jefferson knew that there would be idiots that couldn't understand the above, so he said it plain enough so even the most stupid could understand when he said.

"No free man shall be debarred the use of arms." But the never once mentioned that a citizen had to have a NEED to own a firearm. If I ever have to defend myself, or my loved ones from a home invader, or a car load of drunks with baseball bats, I will be in the combat of my life, and I want the most modern, and reliable firearm that money can buy.

Its the Democrats way of controlling us. The reason why we have the second amendment is to protect our constitution. We have the same right our government does except for restrictions.

We need permits for certain guns and to conceil them. The government just wants to control them so they don't end up in the wrong hands. Banning guns won't control gun violence.

The bad people that want a gun to harm people will get one some way or another.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.