The US sure could take some pointers from other countries on the subject of gun control. The US sure can use all the help they can get in regards to guns
Okay... being gentle... I suggest you take an honest, open-eyed view of the topic and culture. You voice a bias, present some statistics, then conflate stats with your bias as if you've made the case. You fail to address deep cultural differences, social drivers of violence in general, a growing lack of morals (in the U.S.), a massive influx of 3rd-world/crime-and-violence-prone individuals into the U.S. (and much of Europe), and largely your lack of understanding that's compounded by an apparent lack of any desire to learn about what you disdain. I teach marksmanship training for women. Many mention once having the same bias as yours and it's interesting to see many progress to sport, target and competitive shooting. You might take a class, talk to some women who once shared your views, and maybe learn something new.
I don't really care that they have a lower rate, that also means they have less freedom, to me. Also, you take out the top 10 worst Ameeican cities, and the US isn't so bad.
Surprised because you have sacred-cow beliefs? I too live in Portugal and also shoot. I am not surprised because I am aware that you may own firearms throughout the EU. The rules are different but please recall, European firearms sports have existed in Europe before the discovery of America.
Given that Europe is much more densely populated and developed. the restrictions on licensure, ownership and use are different. Just as in Highly populated New York State, where deer hunting is not permitted with Rifles. Lots of people and long range bullets don't work.
Most of the rules for licensure are rational here. You need a psych eval. You need a immovable gun safe and must use it. These are both sensible. Annual renewal on the other hand is merely bureaucratic.
Announcing shock exposes your bias. Instead of sitting down and ANALYZING what works and determining what is knee jerk gun-nuts or abolition would actually move things forward. Instead we are stuck...intransigent...which is what people do.
I have degrees in Social Science and Sociology. I am a retired LEO and am now a real estate investor. I have seen it from the sewers to the high rises. From the dregs to the ivory towers.
Diversity in population without assimilation is the root cause of crime. This is mostly through the natural resentment of one for the other due to the inability or unwillingness to change. and or accept. Crime is also due to the perpetual insistence of the poor to be lifted up to a higher standard of living than they are willing or able to achieve. When the lower don't get there way, they often resort in violent behavior. Our political representatives thank they can fix this by giving them what the don't achieve on their own. OR the politicians promise the have less peoples more money and serveries and often don't follow through because it was either a false promise for votes or the promise was never deliverable. LBJ manipulated our country into slowly becoming a caste system by condemning generation to poverty with the promise of money for kids from mothers with no education and no fathers for the children to look up to. One generation of that class is now pretty much locked into the same life as the previous generation.
Gun control can't fix that problem. Most of the low crime countries are almost always 80 to 90 percent of the same demographic. Neither do they allow immigrants into their country that have no means of self support.
Small correction, certain types of semi-automatics are legal in the UK.
e.g. a Semi-auto shotgun, or a .22LR semi auto rifle. Despite popular belief, handguns are legal however they have to be a certain length which rules out almost all handguns except for long barrel revolvers and semi-auto pistols with fixed wrist braces.
I’m Portuguese and honestly I find it’s best to find out from authorized local gun shop or contact an authorized gun advocate lawyer. They can help to obtain the correct information on what is legal firearms you can transport . The Government in Portugal requires certain permits and licenses for transfers and possession. They recognize that owning and possessing firearms is an important part of being a free country. But unfortunately the Armalite sporting rifles may be the only one that may not qualify. But they do have other options and alternative rifles that are also great for hunting and sporting.
If you're from the rougher areas of Portugal, you'll know Portugal lies A LOT to media.
I've seen countless guns, even AKs, which are completely banned. (There are some loopholes such as removing the automatic mode and registering your AK as a deer hunting rifle)
Portugal is the gateway to Europe. This makes it a prime drop-off location for South American cartels, Moroccan drug dealers, etc...
Pair that with the low wages and high cost of living, police would be inclined to take bribes and turn a blind eye.
What I'm trying to get at is Portugal's government plays down the amount of illegal guns in the country. More than half are illegal, maybe even 2 thirds.
Great Idea! so long as the Citizen-Criminal Remembers the guns in their possession are
for: "hunting, target shooting, pest control, and collecting"
Meanwhile the innocent by-stander that obeys this law pays with their life:
"Self-defense is not considered a legal reason for owning a firearm"
Its the Same Problem that gets ignored over & over with anti-gun logic.
Instead they Lane Change to whatever suits their position, no matter the consequence or sacrifice to the individuals that see 2A not just as a Right, but a responsibility to defend themselves and others if needed.
Thank you for raising a critical issue once again! Enforcement of current laws is a start. As an individual who was born and raised in Canada, a model for 'sporting firearms' has stood for years. The unlawful ownership of firearms is the underpin to the morbidity and mortality in North America.
Nice illustration of causation versus correlation. As a former professor, I used to teach this concept on a regular basis. One aspect of US gun violence that is often omitted in these discussions is the number of gun deaths related to illegal ownership versus legal ownership of guns. A very high proportion of deaths are related to illegal ownership. Better enforcement of current gun laws would go a long way toward reducing the number of gun deaths as opposed to enacting new gun laws. If laws are not enforced, it does not matter how many new laws we enact.
Much more interested in the general assault and murder rates than strictly the "gun" death rates.
I don't like being murdered by knives and blunt objects too, you know.
The US sure could take some pointers from other countries on the subject of gun control. The US sure can use all the help they can get in regards to guns
Okay... being gentle... I suggest you take an honest, open-eyed view of the topic and culture. You voice a bias, present some statistics, then conflate stats with your bias as if you've made the case. You fail to address deep cultural differences, social drivers of violence in general, a growing lack of morals (in the U.S.), a massive influx of 3rd-world/crime-and-violence-prone individuals into the U.S. (and much of Europe), and largely your lack of understanding that's compounded by an apparent lack of any desire to learn about what you disdain. I teach marksmanship training for women. Many mention once having the same bias as yours and it's interesting to see many progress to sport, target and competitive shooting. You might take a class, talk to some women who once shared your views, and maybe learn something new.
I don't really care that they have a lower rate, that also means they have less freedom, to me. Also, you take out the top 10 worst Ameeican cities, and the US isn't so bad.
Surprised because you have sacred-cow beliefs? I too live in Portugal and also shoot. I am not surprised because I am aware that you may own firearms throughout the EU. The rules are different but please recall, European firearms sports have existed in Europe before the discovery of America.
Given that Europe is much more densely populated and developed. the restrictions on licensure, ownership and use are different. Just as in Highly populated New York State, where deer hunting is not permitted with Rifles. Lots of people and long range bullets don't work.
Most of the rules for licensure are rational here. You need a psych eval. You need a immovable gun safe and must use it. These are both sensible. Annual renewal on the other hand is merely bureaucratic.
Announcing shock exposes your bias. Instead of sitting down and ANALYZING what works and determining what is knee jerk gun-nuts or abolition would actually move things forward. Instead we are stuck...intransigent...which is what people do.
I have degrees in Social Science and Sociology. I am a retired LEO and am now a real estate investor. I have seen it from the sewers to the high rises. From the dregs to the ivory towers.
Diversity in population without assimilation is the root cause of crime. This is mostly through the natural resentment of one for the other due to the inability or unwillingness to change. and or accept. Crime is also due to the perpetual insistence of the poor to be lifted up to a higher standard of living than they are willing or able to achieve. When the lower don't get there way, they often resort in violent behavior. Our political representatives thank they can fix this by giving them what the don't achieve on their own. OR the politicians promise the have less peoples more money and serveries and often don't follow through because it was either a false promise for votes or the promise was never deliverable. LBJ manipulated our country into slowly becoming a caste system by condemning generation to poverty with the promise of money for kids from mothers with no education and no fathers for the children to look up to. One generation of that class is now pretty much locked into the same life as the previous generation.
Gun control can't fix that problem. Most of the low crime countries are almost always 80 to 90 percent of the same demographic. Neither do they allow immigrants into their country that have no means of self support.
Small correction, certain types of semi-automatics are legal in the UK.
e.g. a Semi-auto shotgun, or a .22LR semi auto rifle. Despite popular belief, handguns are legal however they have to be a certain length which rules out almost all handguns except for long barrel revolvers and semi-auto pistols with fixed wrist braces.
I’m Portuguese and honestly I find it’s best to find out from authorized local gun shop or contact an authorized gun advocate lawyer. They can help to obtain the correct information on what is legal firearms you can transport . The Government in Portugal requires certain permits and licenses for transfers and possession. They recognize that owning and possessing firearms is an important part of being a free country. But unfortunately the Armalite sporting rifles may be the only one that may not qualify. But they do have other options and alternative rifles that are also great for hunting and sporting.
If you're from the rougher areas of Portugal, you'll know Portugal lies A LOT to media.
I've seen countless guns, even AKs, which are completely banned. (There are some loopholes such as removing the automatic mode and registering your AK as a deer hunting rifle)
Portugal is the gateway to Europe. This makes it a prime drop-off location for South American cartels, Moroccan drug dealers, etc...
Pair that with the low wages and high cost of living, police would be inclined to take bribes and turn a blind eye.
What I'm trying to get at is Portugal's government plays down the amount of illegal guns in the country. More than half are illegal, maybe even 2 thirds.
Thanks for the add. Learning more about Portugal and will visit next yr to see if we can find a small town that suits us.
Great Idea! so long as the Citizen-Criminal Remembers the guns in their possession are
for: "hunting, target shooting, pest control, and collecting"
Meanwhile the innocent by-stander that obeys this law pays with their life:
"Self-defense is not considered a legal reason for owning a firearm"
Its the Same Problem that gets ignored over & over with anti-gun logic.
Instead they Lane Change to whatever suits their position, no matter the consequence or sacrifice to the individuals that see 2A not just as a Right, but a responsibility to defend themselves and others if needed.
Great article filled with facts! I can only hope that things will improve in the United States!
Thank you for raising a critical issue once again! Enforcement of current laws is a start. As an individual who was born and raised in Canada, a model for 'sporting firearms' has stood for years. The unlawful ownership of firearms is the underpin to the morbidity and mortality in North America.
Nice illustration of causation versus correlation. As a former professor, I used to teach this concept on a regular basis. One aspect of US gun violence that is often omitted in these discussions is the number of gun deaths related to illegal ownership versus legal ownership of guns. A very high proportion of deaths are related to illegal ownership. Better enforcement of current gun laws would go a long way toward reducing the number of gun deaths as opposed to enacting new gun laws. If laws are not enforced, it does not matter how many new laws we enact.