It goes hand in hand because the government knows criminals will get firearms regardless, thus making even more restrictions that directly effect criminals pointless. Logically the next step to"keeping them out of criminal hands" tends to be restrictions upon law-abiding citizens. Even though rifles are rarely used in firearms homicides/shootings, something like less than 5%. Seems like a lot of effort for what is in the grand scheme of crime, a small issue. Assault rifle is just a scary word, I prefer "defense rifle". The government already interferes enough in my life in regards to the freedoms I'm suppose to have by right of birth. Plus when the government takes a right, they tend to keep them. Also harder restrictions would do little to curb the James Holmes's of the world, people who have squeaky clean records, and are by all accounts intelligent, albeit disturbed.