Quote:
Originally posted by bhutocracy
JOH don't even think of talking about Australia's gun control laws. The two countries are incredibly different on this issue.
I used to think that because we had so few murders and so few guns that gun control in America would work and championed it as a good thing. The fact is, you guys are crazy about guns to a degree not seen here.
Here it's always been really ABNORMAL to own a gun, only farmers really had them, I'd estimate that 80%-90% of people outside of rural areas have never even seen a gun owned by another person (not a policeman). I've never seen a handgun even though I grew up in a semi-rural area around shotguns and rifles (I still have an air-rifle illegally). We really don't feel the need for them. The idea of selling guns in the sports section of walmart or whatever would seem proposterous to us.
Also the culture is too different here to compare. While i'd agree that banning guns would reduce gun deaths as a generality, it's really only in the massacre/passion/accident situation. Normal gun crime and deaths would still occur.
It comes far more down to culture.. look at Canada, heaps of guns, not many gun deaths. They're just not as quick to settle the argument with violence, not as many people below the poverty line committing violent crime. It's much more a societal thing.
Arguing about the Australian situation also undercuts the thrust of your argument - you maintain that gun ownership is a crime deterrant. Well in Australia most people don't own guns so you could walk up to 99.9% of people on the street of Sydney before the gun laws were passed and they wouldn't be armed. Taking them away in '96 didn't make it any easier for crims to mug someone.. no-one had 'em on them anyways.
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The Australia's gun control policies took farmers and recreational shooters , as well as, gun collectors to hand over guns to be destroyed or registered. Tell me if that is factual!!!! Nothin' to do with Canada, Australia, and differance between countries social cultures.
Facts! Give me them!!