My Answer to an Aussie

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gerhard1

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On another website, a gentleman from Australia asked this question, and got this answer from yours truly. I put it here, FWIW.
<Being Australian, I have a stupid question to ask...
Why are Americans so fascinated by firearms...?
You may know, that in Australia, the general public
can't buy guns or rifles. A lot of us down under
really can't understand, why the need to have personal
firearms.
>

It is not a stupid question at all, my friend.

It is not quite as uniquely American as your question implies that it is. Canada, I believe has a high number of firearms per capita, primarily due to the fact that a lot of Canada is still wilderness, and hunting is still very popular. In the rural areas, in particular, there are still a lot of firearms. And then there is Switzerland, where the militia tradition is still pretty strong, and a very high proportion of homes have not only sporting firearms, but military weapons.

There are other countries in Central Europe that have strong firearm traditions as well, where licenses to not only own, but to carry concealed, are easily obtained.

So, hopefully this goes to show that gun ownership is not a wholly American trait.

But the above does not answer the question as to why we are fascinated with them. In my case, the partial answer is that they are a lot of fun to own and to shoot. I have spent many an enjoyable session, both with my friends and by myself, target shooting, and in spite of my physical problems, (I have, as I have probably mentioned before, a mild case of cerebral palsy) I am really pretty good at shooting my handguns. And they are a challenge to master. I also have rifles and a few shotguns, although, I may have to restrict my rifle shooting to the smaller calibers due to the beginning of arthritis in my shoulder. Shooting is thus one of the few athletic activites that I can enjoy.

Firearms also have a utilitarian function as well. I have used one of my revolvers to dispatch an animal that was obviously in pain and beyond hope; in this case, it was a clearly-rabid skunk. I would have done it another time as well, but did not have my revolver with me. I know of rural veterinarians who use pistols to dispatch livestock, and in one case, this was done on my farm.

Then too, firearms are also useful for protection, and are used many times for this purpose. Indeed, the very features that make the so-called 'assault weapons' good for offense, also make them good for defense. They are light, handy, easy to shoot, have a high magazine capacity, and are fairly accurate as well.

Then too, many Americans, including myself, feel that our right to own firearms is one safeguard against a tyrannical government, because it provides us with the ability to resist, should our governmant become oppressive. Now, obviously, this argument has its' limitations, but I still feel that it has at least some validity.

The vast majority of guns in private hands are not misused, and such events as Newtown, (and for that matter, Hobart) as horrible as they are, are anomalies. Legislation affecting as basic a right as that of of self-defense, should not be based on anomalous events, such as these.

I recognize that you will probably not agree with many of the things that I said here, but I think that these are some of the reasons why we are reluctant to give up our guns. And I hope that even if my answer does not satisfy you completely, that it has at least given you something to think about.
 

ASP785

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Thank you for sharing.

Our 'obsession' with firearms is simply an understanding of history. We would still be ruled by a King had it not been for firearms. Hence, the 2nd amendment in the U.S. constitution.
 

HMFIC

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Being American, I have a stupid question to ask...
Why are Australians so fascinated by crocodiles, venomous snakes and other $h1t that tries to kill/eat you...?
You may know, that in America, the general public
will kill this $h1t dead on site. A lot of us up here in God's country
really can't understand, why the need to have so many
nasty critters
 

radarmonkey

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Being American, I have a stupid question to ask...
Why are Australians so fascinated by crocodiles, venomous snakes and other $h1t that tries to kill/eat you...?
You may know, that in America, the general public
will kill this $h1t dead on site. A lot of us up here in God's country
really can't understand, why the need to have so many
nasty critters

The Aussie's should ban Assualt Sting Rays like the kind that killed Steve Irwin. If not for Assualt Sting Rays, he may still be alive today and investigating other dangerous, venomous critters.
 

criticalbass

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Outside urban areas the Aussies used to be very firearm friendly folks.

I refereed at the World skeet shoots in San Antonio several times. I became friends with several shooters from Oz. Made the mistake of trying to keep up with them drink for drink one evening. Can't be done, and in those days I was a real contender.

But, much like the US, the urban areas tended toward gun control, and I believe the Tasmanian shootings were the event that resulted in their draconian approach to gun ownership. I did not know until now that the shooter was from Hobart.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Arthur_massacre_(Australia)
 

gerhard1

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So far, the gentleman has not responded to the post, but he seems to be a decent-enough guy, so I think it is ill-advised to respond in a smart-assed, or otherwise uncivilized way. Besides the fact that I am not that way, I feel that a rude response is, at the very least, impolitic.

It is unusual for me not to be courteous when I respond to someone, even when I disagree very strongly with them.

After all, I've always heard that you catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar.
 

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