I think the American Constitution has a part that says the citizens have the right to overthrow an authoritarian government…it is what I have heard, not sure if it is true or not.
But in China, that is not possible, and the key is that the character of the people is not there yet. If firearms were available for sale in China, then we’d probably have to wear bullet-proof vests in order to go out.
Reading the comments can provide some very interesting insight into the minds of others. I bet China would be different if the citizens could arm themselves.
For all the things wrong with USA, we are a mostly free people.
For the people of China - I bet that gun ownership would equate to much more freedom.
For the US - I was not implying that we are free simply because we can own guns. For all the complaining that I/we do - we still have the power to vote. We are not (yet) merciless at the hands of a few ruling elite. That’s the freedom I was referring to.
It absolutely equals freedom at the core of the USA because the British tried to restrict us from having guns and we needed and used guns to physically fight or our independence as a country. If we did not have guns as a society we would not have been able to be free.
That’s an Americanism that the rest of the western free world doesn’t understand either, especially since the USA has the highest number of gun related deaths in the western world.
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It absolutely equals freedom at the core of the USA because the British tried to restrict us from having guns and we needed and used guns to physically fight or our independence as a country. If we did not have guns as a society we would not have been able to be free.
Yeah, if we didn’t have guns, we’d be like Canada, Australia, India, etc., and we’d never be free!"
Guns for a “well regulated militia” made sense in the 18th century. I doubt that guns for virtually anyone with a credit card at Walmart is what they had in mind when they wrote the Second Amendment.
the claim that wasn’t actually made, but was being questioned was: guns = freedom
the claim was not: guns = fewer gun deaths
a society might have more freedom AND more gun deaths. that is not a contradiction, necessarily.
"I do not understand how owning a gun=freedom "
That’s an Americanism that the rest of the western free world doesn’t understand either, especially since the USA has the highest number of gun related deaths in the western world.
I hate to break it to you but you can own guns in Canada, Australia, and India.
in fact I believe canada has similar guns per capita, perhaps more, than the USA, and much fewer gun deaths per capita.
as to why this is, I’m not sure if there is a clear answer. In bowling for columbine which everyone thought was anti-gun, the thesis presented was really anti-media. But it could be other causes like climate, demographics, culture, who knows?
in fact I believe canada has similar guns per capita, perhaps more, than the USA, and much fewer gun deaths per capita.
as to why this is, I’m not sure if there is a clear answer. In bowling for columbine which everyone thought was anti-gun, the thesis presented was really anti-media. But it could be other causes like climate, demographics, culture, who knows?
anyone know?
I am Canadian but lived and worked in the U.S for 5 years and tried to determine the answer to this question.
Yes, Canada has at least as many or more guns per capital but we tend to use them for hunting, not for killing people. I think the reason there are fewer gun deaths is the same reason we have far lower crime rates and also adopt a more socialist government.
Part of the reason is history, you have a far more violent history. But mainly I think it is the stronger sense of independence. The idea that you have to work hard and take care of yourself first, look out for #1. Once individuals work hard and build some wealth, there is a sense that they did it on their own so they then take the steps necessary to protect their assets. They buy guns and are willing to kill others to keep their hard earned wealth.
There is a also a long tradition of putting the Military on a pedestal. We don’t have the same reverence for soldiers that seems to be ingrained in Americans at a young age. With the military and use of weapons being considered in such high regard, you seem to have a people more accepting of using weapons to accomplish something so using a gun to defend yourself is thought of as normal and we really don’t think that way at all.
I hate to break it to you but you can own guns in Canada, Australia, and India.
Duh.
“I do not understand how owning a gun=freedom”
** “It absolutely equals freedom at the core of the USA because the British tried to restrict us from having guns and we needed and used guns to physically fight or our independence as a country. If we did not have guns as a society we would not have been able to be free.”
Please fill us in on how the Canadians, Australians, Indians, etc. (i.e. all of the other countries that were colonies of Great Britain) used their guns to become free?
So it seems empirical evidence would suggest that it is possible for some colonies of that era to become free without guns.
Could america have done so?
Even if we could, it so happens that we did use guns, so American’s culturally believe we needed them, and it certainly would have taken longer had we not used them.
discuss
I hate to break it to you but you can own guns in Canada, Australia, and India.
Duh.
“I do not understand how owning a gun=freedom”
** “It absolutely equals freedom at the core of the USA because the British tried to restrict us from having guns and we needed and used guns to physically fight or our independence as a country. If we did not have guns as a society we would not have been able to be free.”
Please fill us in on how the Canadians, Australians, Indians, etc. (i.e. all of the other countries that were colonies of Great Britain) used their guns to become free?
It absolutely equals freedom at the core of the USA because the British tried to restrict us from having guns and we needed and used guns to physically fight or our independence as a country. If we did not have guns as a society we would not have been able to be free.
Once that the people got organised, independence was inevitable since logistically America was undefendable by Britain, nor did Britain have the wealth or rersources to do so.