Gun Crazy

[poliphilo]

I did a foolish thing yesterday; I let myself get drawn into a debate on gun control in a friend's LJ. Now his friends are coming after me wielding statistics.

Apparently there are more guns per head of the population in Switzerland than there are in the USA. Erm- I must say I didn't know that.

But whatever the statistics say, I stick with my gut feeling that it's a bad thing to have so many guns washing around in the culture. Before guns came along murder was pretty much a contact sport (and involved much greater immediate risk to the murderer.) Guns facilitate killing and maiming.

But the fetish for guns is one of the things about America that baffles Europeans. We don't understand why feelings run so high. We stick our snooty noses into the debate and we get trashed- as is the fate of all who interfere in family quarrels.

Minute men, Bunker Hill, the Continental Army, Davy Crockett, we fired our guns and the British kept a comin', Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, John Wayne, G Men- we know the myths and even love then at a distance, but I guess we don't feel them here (strikes chest.) We think that they can be sweetly reasoned away. Huh!

Comments

[cybersofa.livejournal.com]

I think the Swiss keep their guns as a duty rather than a right, though. (So they are possibly irrelevant to any given argument, and ideal fuel for a quarrel.)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Something to do with compulsory military service, right?

[cybersofa.livejournal.com]

Yes, as I understand it, after their service they are reservists for life, and required to keep a weapon for national defence purposes. Not quite the same thing as a right to bear arms.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

I've come to think that political argument is pretty meaningless. We all have our minds made up about most things.

Like you, I'm interested to hear how people I disagree with argue their case. I don't want to shout back at them. I want to understand their thinking and maybe find common ground. Most of all I want to be saved from demonizing them.

[currawong.livejournal.com]

True, but what a eight-wing, mean, overly neat, selfish racist little country Switzerland is. My country is also heading down that road , unfotunately, but we do at least have sane gun-laws.

Guns DO kill people,... faster, more efficiently and in greater numbers possible than by than by, for instance kmife. You don't tend to see "Crazed knifeman kills eighty people in mass-murder knife attack!" in the headlines. Selling military style firearms to the public is just obscene

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I spent time in Switzerland in my teens. I have to say I didn't fall in love with the national character. Ah, but the scenery....

That's a good point about the efficiency of fire-arms.

[currawong.livejournal.com]

and , of course, I meant right-wing, not eight -wing.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'll admit you had me puzzled there. I thought we were into some really hip Aussie street-jive.

[kaysho.livejournal.com]

If guns really had much connection to sweet reason, they wouldn't be anything like the issue they are ... or if they weren't capable of doing so much damage if misused.