Fine. Let's take the fight to them; calmly reminding everyone of what those who created the Federal Government had to say about the issue; reminding all who will listen, also, that George Washington urged the Swiss system, which put military grade rifles into the hands of the teenaged boys; and reminding them of his clear understanding of the psychological value & public benefit of the move, because it illustrates, concretely, just how far from being somehow radical, is the Cruz position. (See Right & Duty To Keep & Ber Arms)
I wonder, if confronted whether Salon's writer could explain why Switzerland, for generations, had an incredibly low crime rate? The why is no great mystery to anyone who understands the psycholgical benefit of having a responsible citizenry.
Agreed totally. In Canada, until 1979 (Firearms Acquisition Certificates were required from then on), anyone over age 16 could simply walk into a decent sporting goods store and buy themselves a decent hunting rifle or shotgun and ammunition and no questions were asked. Violent crime was virtually unheard of for many years until about the early to mid 1970s when it went on an upswing (like most other places in the Western world, but still lower than New York City or DC or Chicago). My great uncle who died in 1984 aged 93 kept his guns in full view in the old family farmhouse and as a kid visiting there, I was quite captivated by them and liked learning about them. No eyebrows were raised at all over this at the time.
I think about things like this whenever I hear shallow, sanctimonious talk about how Canada is distinct from the U.S. because gun ownership is not a right up here. What utter garbage. Particularly when you consider, as you say quite rightly, the “psychological benefit of having a responsible citizenry”.