No-Brainer of the Day: Self-Defense is Innately Human

[Peter Green]

On these message boards, throughout the years, I have disagreed with a great many folks about a great many things. But there was only one subject upon which, not only did I disagree with the opposition, I didn't even understand its logic; to wit: The Western leftist platform (or lack thereof) on private firearm ownership.

Socialism really does seem to brainwash citizenry into serfs. In addition to the usual collectivist economic outcomes (i.e., a slim few number of very wealthy folks & tons of impoverished masses), Europeans & Canadians seem lockstep in bemoaning the idea of free, law-abiding citizens defending themselves with modern small-arms.

I know these are large populations. Without looking up the numbers, it's a safe bet that Canada & Europe, summed together, likely sport a populous that doubles that of the USA. Therefore, one would think there are some few folks in all those untold millions that would espouse enjoying their own Second Amendment.

But I have yet to encounter one....even just one....in the cyber-world.

How is that possible?

Even more curious: Do they even believe their own spiel?

In the wake of this de-facto zombie-apocalypse that is the young-muslim-male-bum-rushing-European-borders phenomenon; & in turn, the related stories of all these Europeans (particularly shotgun-purchasing Austrian females) buying guns in much the same way one might expect as resultant of a zombie-apocalypse....I have to ask again:

Do these so-called "enlightened" Europeans themselves even believe their own anti-gun party-line?

If I was a European or Canadian, no matter what the law proscribed, I'd own at least one reliable semi-automatic centerfire pistol (e.g., .45 ACP, 9mm, or the like), at least 500 rounds, at least two spare magazines; & just make sure to keep real, real quiet about it.

I wonder how many other European & Canadian citizens have been doing exactly that for over a decade?

I'd bet my last dollar that that number is also in the millions. Sadly, I'd also bet it's not high enough in the millions to ensure the survival of a free state. But I pray I'm wrong.

[Pillbug Toenibbler]

{sigh}

[Peter Green]

Are the Europeans & Canadians really as disarmed as the news-media would have me believe?

[Steve Geddes]

I know you were speaking to Europeans/Canadians, but in Australia gun ownership is also rare (outside of sporting groups, farmers, criminals or security people), so I figured I'd comment. I can't think of anyone in my circle of friends or family who have ever held a gun, let alone owned one. I think you'd consider us "as disarmed as the news-media would have you believe".

I find it perplexing to watch the US debate, as I don't see gun ownership as a moral issue - to me it's pragmatic. Societies with lots of private gun ownership have lots of gun deaths and don't have noticeably lower crime rates, so why structure society in a way where everyone is allowed to be armed? It doesn't help stop crime and it costs innocent lives.

I don't consider 'gun ownership' a right. Restrictions on what I'm allowed to do is just part of the schtick of living in a civilised society, in my opinion. Being a part of a society entails losing some freedom - I don't see it as a great affront that I have to stop at a red light. Nor is it any great infringement of some 'right' that I can't own a semi-automatic weapon.

Personally, I think we have very few rights. I suspect that's the heart of the differing perspectives.

[Scythia]

My primary issue with wide and easy availability of handgun purchase is that it feeds the criminal possession of firearms.

Through straw purchases, and theft, legally purchased guns get into the hands of criminals.

If there was some way to address this (maybe DNA imprinted smart guns, or biometric scanner smart guns), I would be all for simple and easy handgun buying. Until then, I think criminals have enough guns.

[R.A.Boettcher]

I've seen the occasional European, Canadian, and Australian bemoaning the anti-gun stance of their own nations. It happens. None of these peoples are a collection of ants.

This is just my own observations trying to put these things into perspective as an American. As such these observations are very sweeping and should be taken with a grain of salt.

At the end of the day 'Western Culture' is an umbrella term for a variety of associated cultures with often stark differences. Europe's views on firearms were formed under somewhat different circumstances than the British-descended cultures of the Anglo-sphere (which itself has sharp divides). Its as much a viceral, culturally distilled reaction as it is an exercise in logic.

Continental Europe in the past often had governments that kept a close, disapproving eye on private individuals owning weapons. Inevitably the population absorbed the same attitude and didn't object strenuously when weapons were removed from the private sphere. To them it belonged to the military or law enforcement wings of their governments. It made sense in a way...didn't want troublemakers running amuck.

Of course this often went wrong in the worst possible way. Europe went insane twice in the previous century when its governments went to war and millions died, nations were ruined. The populations came to see violence, and by association things like guns, as something that should never be allowed, an evil no matter how you justify it. A low level pacifism across Europe is the result. Guns were a caveman legacy of a violent past. Civilized people don't need them.

This is utterly different from the American experience. Violence and the necessities of survival in a frontier made guns useful tools rather than machines of pointless death. Over time guns are seen as the tools of a responsible citizen. The culture has adapted to those times when guns are used violently with its own brands of civilized codes for the use of guns (notably self-defense). The logic makes as much sense as well as being a viceral, cultural thing as the European one. It comes with its own costs of course in the form of elevated deadly violence in crime and whatnot. American society, for the most part, accepts these costs for the above reasons.

Personally I think the circumstances that allowed a European pacifism dismissive of guns is slowly coming to an end with new external pressures. The Golden Age is over.