America’s Gun Madness, as Seen From Europe

NY Times ^ | OCT. 7, 2015 | MIRA KAMDAR

[TroutStalker]

PANTIN, France — My mother lives near Roseburg, Ore. Her part of the world isn’t often in the news in France. But when I woke up last Friday morning, the mass shooting on the Umpqua Community College campus in Roseburg had made the French morning television news. There was video of a landscape I know well, of distressed local citizens, and of President Obama delivering his solemn remarks.

Viewed from France, everything about the United States looms large. Still, the numbers the newscasters ticked off — more than 300 million guns in circulation, mass shootings occurring at a rate of nearly one per day, thousands of victims of gun-related deaths — were shocking in their magnitude.

Guns are highly regulated in France. Hunting is a popular sport, but a hunting license is required before a rifle can be purchased. Guns can be bought for use at firing ranges, but only after an application has been filed and approved by the police. All gun buyers must provide a medical certificate of mental and physical fitness to own a weapon, and all guns must be registered. It is illegal to possess military-grade weapons. That the Oregon shooter, Christopher Harper-Mercer, was equipped with five handguns, a semiautomatic pistol and several magazines of ammunition — all purchased legally — is unimaginable here.

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Terrorists in Europe typically obtain their weapons illegally, and arms trafficking, a serious problem, is growing worse. In 2012, France increased fines and jail terms for possession and trafficking of illegal guns, but it’s unclear if that has had much effect.

[lastchance]

Why do you think they have magazines?

[vpintheak]

Pardon me while I don’t give a crap!

[ADemocratNoMore]

Even worse, If I recall correctly the Brit govt ordered the sales stopped when they got wind of what was going on and I also seem to recall that some of those citizens who used those bats to defend themselves were arrested!

[Nebr FAL owner]

Also the home/birthplace of Marxism, Fascism,Stalinism,Nazism,assorted purges /pogroms and the “Final Solution to the Jewish Question” the Armenian Genocide.Europe is not without its own nasty habits.

[octex]

Don’t come looking to America to save your butts next time ...have a feeling we’ll be a little “too busy”
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By the time the Obama regime ends, our Defense Dept. will be without sufficient funds or assets to help our OWN country!

[Liberty Valance]

[Liberty Valance]

[FrankR]

I thought it was decided that we DIDN’T want to like Europe back in 1776...or even 1492.

[Chode]

pretty much

[Natty Bumppo@frontier.net]

“It is almost unimaginable thinking about France actually winning a war....”

France can only win a war when they are led by a woman or a Corsican. ;-)

[Jack Black]

Dear Gun Hating LibTards, Bernie Sanders Supporters, Socialists:

PLEASE MOVE.

America is a special place, with our own traditions and laws. Many of us have no intention or interest in being "more like France", "more like Sweden", or more like anywhere else. We like the USA the way it is, or in some cases, the way it was and can be again. Our intention is to return our nation to our authentic roots, restoring and supporting our traditions of liberty, free markets, personal responsibility, faith, self-reliance, self-improvement and voluntary association.

We are done compromising with you, so if you find American traditions and beliefs make you uncomfortable please seriously consider moving.

The truth is that America is different. As the current debate demonstrates, if you want to live in a country with no civilian ownership of guns you have hundreds to choose from, everything from China to Belgium. We essentially have only America.

Your choice is to move to someplace that is already much more like what you say you want. Our choice is to either fight to maintain our nation, or be left nationless.

We choose to fight. We choose to stand on our beliefs, and refuse to surrender another inch of our culture to leftist and Euro-loving socialists.

To be blunt, we get America and, as another writer so eloquently put it.

You. Get. Nothing.

For your own happiness, and to avoid the truly monumental conflict your endless whining is driving us to:

PLEASE MOVE.

[MeshugeMikey]

my first exposure to circulation..

[Straight Vermonter]

The rate of murder by white Americans is on par with the murder rate in Europe despite their gun laws.

[Straight Vermonter]

Terrorists in Europe typically obtain their weapons illegally, and arms trafficking, a serious problem, is growing worse.

So more gun laws will accomplish what exactly?

[GenXteacher]

Real Americans have nothing but contempt for the opinions of shackled lickspittle socialist slaves living in the has-been rump states of Europe, pretending that their exercise of a meaningless franchise constitutes liberty.

[xp38]

How do we view vehicular madness?

[kitchen]

Thanks for the links. I randomly picked several and read the supporting documents. They all looked like drug/gang turf war activity, maybe some kid making his initiation bones. Of course, the victims also included far too many of the inevitable innocent bystander.

[stevio]

Europe does not suck — it’s the people who occupy that beautiful continent that suck.

Very true. When I look out on this beautiful nation, I need to forgot who runs it.

[353FMG]

I feel safest at any gun show. Those bulges under the jackets are very reassuring. Of course, the beef jerky stands are also pleasant to visit.

[MarMema]

Same here.