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Friday, August 24, 2007

Europe, et al, on America's gun culture

As should be expected, the Virginia Tech massacre has resumed the gun debate. Of course those in Europe, often critical of the US's gun culture, have weighed in, as is their right.

But a right does not guarantee a person uncritical tolerance, and I cannot give it to Europe on one very important, for me at least, issue: We, the US, are not uncivilized, barbaric, nor are we inferior to you because we have a large amount of guns, or so much, as it is seen, gun related crime.I am tired of this simple understanding of what civilized is. The conceit is appalling, and the irony is staggering. Civilized is not something only measured by consequences, it is also defined with respectful consideration of the rights of individuals, of the principles of self reliance, self defense, and trust in the populace of a nation to act well toward itself. If civilized can be defined by results, than near any method can be seen as just, so long as it is presented well enough. The irony is in the greater self reliance on neighbor and government that is consequential to more restrictive gun laws, when such trust in US government is so often seen as American naiveness.

Sadly, many in Europe and elsewhere do not respect the underlying principles of why people own guns, or support others owning them. The issue is not about agreeing with gun ownership, it is about understanding it, and not putting people down with sanctimonious, too often erroneous, assumptions about their culture and why they believe in what they do.I have always tried to make some effort to be fair, but there is only so much I can take. Europe, et al, you have never been, nor shall you ever be, more civilized than me, and my country's gun culture does not prove you right. To believe to the countrary is to prove you arrogant.

3 comments:

Q Jordon said...

I believe too many people argue about gun ownership without realizing how many of us that own guns are law biding citizens.

It takes a few crazy, drug addicted, or gang related incidents to bring the cry from the anti-gun organizations.

To me it is no different from driving a car, you will still find those that will break the laws.

Whether by speeding, driving intoxicated, or by talking on their cellphone and playing with their radio, you will find accidents that kill people because of the reasons aforementioned.

It is a simple case of responsibility. I wish more people could understand that word, and then practice it.

Q

Anonymous said...

Americans just dont get it!
I've never owned a gun and never will and am still alive.
What's with their attraction to guns? beats me!.What's with their obsessions with violence? (look at most of their stupid sitcoms and films)bang bang boom boom bang!
20 millions of these clowns are on prozac and the rest are high on crack or high on their gun ho version of christianity (The compassionate freedom loving christian right is a major driving force behind the current war on Iraq).
They still see themselves as peace and freedom loving citizens of the world (tell that to the 650.000 iraqis or so who are being slaughtered raped and pillaged at this very moment) and who hardly ever get a mention in the US media.Tell that to the million vietnamese who died not so long ago thanks to US agression, tell that to the thousands of latin american people who were tortured by CIA sponsored death squads.The list is too long....i could have mentioned Cambodia, Laos and few others African countries.....
Rationalization of gun ownership and violence thanks to powerful lobby group such as the NRA does a good job at easing their collective conscience but the facts are there for all to see.
Violence,agression and control is part of the American mindset.
Those fools are not to be trusted with guns yet their constitution allows them to own guns.
Go figure.

WFG said...

Correct rationalizations tend to win out over tirades about foreign policies you don't like, when the subject is ultimately down to rights, needs and the interpretation thereof, but you keep ranting about other issues and erronously applying them.

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