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America’s Gun Madness, as Seen From Europe
NY Times ^ | OCT. 7, 2015 | MIRA KAMDAR

Posted on 10/07/2015 6:28:55 PM PDT by 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.

*

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.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: banglist
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To: TroutStalker
"Limits on gun possession in France means that people can go about their daily lives without fear of dying at the hands of shooters at school, stores or movie theaters."

Je suis Charlie Hebdo, einstein.

41 posted on 10/07/2015 6:57:47 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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To: Red in Blue PA
From the Net:

To put things in proper order, and to compare French and American crime rates for 2011

The United States crime total was 10,266,737 for a rate of 3,295 crimes per 100,000 population.

France’s overall crime total was 4,020,000 for a rate of 6151.5 per 100,000 population.

The United States violent crime total (murder,rape,robbery,assault only) was 1,203,564 for a rate of 386.3 per 100,000

France’s violent crime total (murder, rape, robbery, assault only) was 1,110,950, for a rate of 1,700.

The United States forcible rape total was 83,425, for a forcible rape rate of 26.8 per 100,000.

France’s forcible rape total was 20,327, for a forcible rape rate of 31.1.

The United States murder total was 12,664 murders, for a murder rate of 4.1 per 100,000.

France’s murder total, including Roma and other minorities, was 3,509, for a murder rate of 5.4.

*****************************

Some will say (rightfully so in some cases) that the stats can't be compared equally. Rape in the U.S. might mean penetration occurred, whereas in France it might just mean “touching”. But - the murder rate would be pretty hard to nuance like that!

42 posted on 10/07/2015 6:59:01 PM PDT by 21twelve (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2185147/posts It is happening again.)
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To: TroutStalker

They are gonna wish they had my guns when the jihadists start beheading them.


43 posted on 10/07/2015 7:00:42 PM PDT by jwalsh07 (.)
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To: TroutStalker

They might want to worry about the illegal alien invasion that is overrunning them at this time. We’ll worry about the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights ourselves.


44 posted on 10/07/2015 7:01:47 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Normal people don't vote Democrat.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Exactly.


45 posted on 10/07/2015 7:02:42 PM PDT by MarMema
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To: TroutStalker

As seen from the New York Times


46 posted on 10/07/2015 7:05:20 PM PDT by stocksthatgoup
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To: TroutStalker

As seen from the New York Times


47 posted on 10/07/2015 7:05:22 PM PDT by stocksthatgoup
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To: TroutStalker

A bit self-righteous for the frenchies we bailed out at least once. I like guns on the people with me at the supermarket. Yes I do.


48 posted on 10/07/2015 7:05:42 PM PDT by MarMema
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To: TroutStalker

I don’t care what the stupid Frogs think of us. They just gave their country away to the Mooslims.


49 posted on 10/07/2015 7:10:01 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Is the Pope Catholic?)
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To: TroutStalker

Liberal hoplophobes have an irrational fear of guns.

In places like Roseburg, guns are a part of the culture.

Democrats look down on the hayseed hicks in flyover country and despise their way of life.

Telling them their guns will be confiscated for their own good doesn’t help.

Its not background checks they demand; that’s simply an excuse.

And they turn a real human tragedy into a shtick to justify their anti-gun agenda.

Which thankfully, is going nowhere.


50 posted on 10/07/2015 7:10:28 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: TroutStalker

You know, I totally don’t care what Europe thinks. My ancestors left that cesspool of inbreeding 200 years ago and I am grateful for their wisdom and courage.


51 posted on 10/07/2015 7:10:33 PM PDT by Bryanw92 (Sic semper tyrannis)
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To: MeshugeMikey

>>Who knew guns circulated? This is news to me ‘ll tell ya.

You’ve never bought or sold a used gun?


52 posted on 10/07/2015 7:12:48 PM PDT by Bryanw92 (Sic semper tyrannis)
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To: dsrtsage
Definitely not to diminish the tragic deaths in Roseburg, but since the time of the shooting, almost 1000 people have died in car wrecks in the USA alone.

Another way to look at this...9 people were killed in Roseburg, and 90 people died on our highways that same day (daily average).

216 homicides in Chicago the first six months of 2015.

Hey, you politicizing piece of evil muzzie feces, take your dog and pony show to your old stomping grounds, Chicago, and leave the people of Roseburg alone!

And as for the Friggin' Frogs, God help 'em now that they are overrun by the muzzie terrorist types!

53 posted on 10/07/2015 7:13:26 PM PDT by GGpaX4DumpedTea (I am a Tea Party descendant...steeped in the Constitutional Republic given to us by the Founders)
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To: minnesota_bound


54 posted on 10/07/2015 7:13:41 PM PDT by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -w- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: minnesota_bound

And Europe is a slave (socialistic) culture-—adult males having to “ask” for permission from their masters for almost everything, and not having the ability to protect their women and children from invasion. It is truly emasculation and dehumanization.


55 posted on 10/07/2015 7:16:01 PM PDT by savagesusie (Right Reason According to Nature = Just Law)
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To: minnesota_bound

We will see when the weapon embargo on the French citizen is all cool when they get massacred like the Croates underthe same fate at the hands of Serbs and Albanians.
You know what, no more arming a french resistance if they then spit on the idea of a militia afterwards. Screw thesepeol. They can live 1000 years under Putin, fck ‘em


56 posted on 10/07/2015 7:16:13 PM PDT by lavaroise (A well regulated gun being necessary to the state, the rights of the militia shall no)
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To: TroutStalker

“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.”

And, THAT, dear FRiends, is why we’ve had to bail out their sorry asses twice in the last 100 years of so.


57 posted on 10/07/2015 7:17:27 PM PDT by PubliusMM (RKBA; a matter of fact, not opinion. 01-20-2017; I pray we make it that long.)
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To: Chode

ROFL!!!


58 posted on 10/07/2015 7:18:14 PM PDT by MarMema
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To: TroutStalker

The story I want to read is “Europe’s Immigration Madness, As Seen From America.”


59 posted on 10/07/2015 7:27:41 PM PDT by AlaskaErik (I served and protected my country for 31 years. Progressives spent that time trying to destroy it.)
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To: Opinionated Blowhard

BINGO!


60 posted on 10/07/2015 7:29:20 PM PDT by Sioux-san
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