Gun control out of control, England

[stephenw]

Originally Posted by Reverend Rick

Your country sounds more civilized than the United States and I understand the mentality of letting the authorities take care of problems instead of dealing with them personally.

Civilization is an illusion however. What if you call the authorities and get the busy signal? Perhaps your emergency needs imediate attention and is a life or death situation.

Some people want to be prepared for anything. You may be anti-gun, but you probably might welcome someone with a gun if a dog where chewing your child's leg off.

I don't think it's about being a young country Rick, this country is only independent for 86 odd years, there's still idiots from the CIRA and RIRA determined to kill and yet the police in the South are in the main unarmed as is the vast majority of the population.
There seems to be (from the outside) an inexplicable level of fear in the US that doesn't exist in Europe, yet your country hasn't experienced conflict in an awful long time.
Why do you think Americans cherish gun ownership so much more than say, Europeans?

[Reverend Rick]

Originally Posted by stephenw

I don't think it's about being a young country Rick, this country is only independent for 86 odd years, there's still idiots from the CIRA and RIRA determined to kill and yet the police in the South are in the main unarmed as is the vast majority of the population.
There seems to be (from the outside) an inexplicable level of fear in the US that doesn't exist in Europe, yet your country hasn't experienced conflict in an awful long time.
Why do you think Americans cherish gun ownership so much more than say, Europeans?

Because we have the power to take control of a situation any time we choose. It's not the act that is so precious to us, it is the ability to act.

We are truly free and believe as law abiding citizens, we should be trusted in exactly the same way you trust the military or the police with guns.

[stephenw]

Originally Posted by Reverend Rick

Because we have the power to take control of a situation any time we choose. It's not the act that is so precious to us, it is the ability to act.

We are truly free and believe as law abiding citizens, we should be trusted in exactly the same way you trust the military or the police with guns.

Let me preface by saying that although personally I don't like guns I'm not trying to argue (yet! )
But seriously, on the face of it Europeans and Americans have a lot in common, but I don't get the guns.
If we compare countries, it seems to me that Irish people would be no less keen to act than Americans in a given situation, I think we' consider ourselves free and law abiding but generally people don't want to be armed. Why is there this difference, could it be a left over from the wild west or something?

[Reverend Rick]

I don't know, do you all have animals that would eat you in your country?

[stephenw]

By the way, when we're talking about 'guns', I'm thinking of the small ones that a person holds with one hand, that's what most people over there own isn't it?

[Reverend Rick]

Originally Posted by stephenw

By the way, when we're talking about 'guns', I'm thinking of the small ones that a person holds with one hand, that's what most people over there own isn't it?

No, not most. Most people have a rifle or a shotgun that their father or grandfather gave them one free man to the other.

[stephenw]

Originally Posted by Reverend Rick

I don't know, do you all have animals that would eat you in your country?

No.
This is as close as we ever got to one of those. 'The Claw'


Maybe that's it. It would account for the lesser perception of a need for something to defend ourselves with would it not?
Good thinking!

[kai]

come on !we are not talking hunting rifles here are we ,we are talking handguns and assault rifles, its just an anomaly, no one in Europe understands it and i guess we never will. i tell you what ---i just dont get it.