Armed teachers. Kids safe. Works for me.
Posted on 12/16/2012 5:40:20 AM PST by CommieCutter
My post “12 facts about guns and mass shootings” included a mention of Israel and Switzerland, societies where guns are reputed to be widely available, but where gun violence is rare. Janet Rosenbaum, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health at the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center School, has actually researched this question, and she wrote to tell me I had it wrong. We spoke shortly thereafter on the phone. A lightly edited transcript of our conversation follows.
Ricky Carioti — The Washington Post
Ezra Klein: Israel and Switzerland are often mentioned as countries that prove that high rates of gun ownership don’t necessarily lead to high rates of gun crime. In fact, I wrote that on Friday. But you say your research shows that’s not true.
Janet Rosenbaum: First of all, because they don’t have high levels of gun ownership. The gun ownership in Israel and Switzerland has decreased.
For instance, in Israel, they’re very limited in who is able to own a gun. There are only a few tens of thousands of legal guns in Israel, and the only people allowed to own them legally live in the settlements, do business in the settlements, or are in professions at risk of violence.
Both countries require you to have a reason to have a gun. There isn’t this idea that you have a right to a gun. You need a reason. And then you need to go back to the permitting authority every six months or so to assure them the reason is still valid.
The second thing is that there’s this widespread misunderstanding that Israel and Switzerland promote gun ownership. They don’t.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
The Washington Compost doesn’t bust myths, it makes them.
Let's talk about where I live, the United States of America, where the Constitution recognizes my God given rights to own a gun and it's none of the government's business whether I have a "reason" or not.
If people in other countries want to allow their governments to deny them their God given rights, that's their problem.
Guns cannot be legal or illegal no more than a chainsaw, a lawnmower, pruning shears, or kitchen knives can be considered one or the other. People can commit legal or illegal acts. People can adhere to or break laws. When a mentally deranged man steals a firearm from a law- abiding man or woman, he commits a crime, he breaks the law. That gun is no more legal or illegal than the intent to use it. A gun might provide motive or opportunity, but it cannot prove intent or malice of forethought.
The left is attempting to control the narrative on firearms. They are attempting to anthropomorphize firearms into legal entities with rights and responsibilities, but until they have intellect, cognizance, or sentience, they are still nothing more than tools in the hands of humans who can use them in a legal or illegal manner.
And when Government removes "God" from the equation...
However...teachers ARE armed...defeating Ezra Klein’s propaganda attempt.
Unless things have changed drastically in Israel..... The last time I was there in 1995, everybody was walking around with an M16. There were lots of reservists walking around with their weapons slung muzzle down at bus stops, restaurants, and playgrounds. In Jerusalem, I saw a school play ground where, while the kids were playing on the jungle jim, there was an adult with PRC-77 radio and an m16a2 (again slung administratively over the shoulder) vigilantly watching the young students. I am going to call this article B.S.
Armed teachers. Kids safe. Works for me.
Yep. I was there in 1987 (granted a very long time ago.) And went on a bus tour. The driver had a pistol in his pocket and a guy at the back of the bus had an Uzi and a Medical kit (and was a trained paramedic.) Soldiers on leave were wondering around town with the Uzi’s hanging over their shoulders. Those are facts. How these people obtained the guns is really irrelevant - guns were FAR more pervasive and present there than here in the US.
I think these people who live in big-city, lib bubbles have to get out more. When deer hunting season arrives around my part of the country, it’s common to see numerous orange-clad hunters carrying their rifles. There are tons of guns around where I live, but few violent acts with firearms. It’s not the weapon, it’s the person. There’s no way to stop a deranged individual armed with a butcher knife from slaughtering young school kids out with teachers on some field trip.
Also, may I point out. That Switzerland is the only place that I have been with gun racks in restraunts. Which makes sense, you really don’t want the patrons leaning them against the walls. That’s just not safe.
Knowing disinformation. According to the far-left gunpolicy.org, there are 500,000 legal private firearms in Israel, self-defense, hunting and sport-shooting are also legitimate reasons for ownership, and there are no restrictions on open or concealed carry for legal gun owners.
Amen but the liberals here are to stupid to wise up to a logical idea.
Bull crap.
Switzerland requires young people, upon reaching 18 years, to get military firearms training and they keep the H&K rifle when they are finished.
I would say that is pretty much the definition of 'promoting gun ownership'.
Israel is surrounded by homicidal maniacs, and it is hard to construct a utopia in such surroundings.
Switzerland, however, is on to something that works.
It is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual society without the turmoil that usually comes with that.
Their secret is a weak central government and highly devolved, decentralized powers - and with well-armed responsible citizens who would never tolerate the loss of their liberty.
This is a bunch of hooey. My brother is in Israel - not in the territories - and has a gun...as do virtually all of his neighbors.
Who cares about Israel and Switzerland? I don’t care how they do things in foreign countries.
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