New Euro gun laws with plenty of US bashing...

[Cosmoline]

After the atrocities Europe experienced in the last century you'd think they would want to have the ability to defend them selfs against further tyranny on a large scale, much less the ability to defend one's self as an individual from crime.

No, see, that was the fault of a few leaders and the weapons of war. We all know Hitler waged WWII single handedly from his suit of armor. I remember fighting him in Castle Wolfenstein. Individual Germans were only brought to the front and made to shoot by their evil firearms.

 

[Liko81]

Those in Britain say that gun control works; gun crime has been very low since they instituted the Section 5 ban, because the restriction is so tight that only hunting rifles are sold/imported, so even the BGs can't get many handguns.

But, anyone who knows children knows this; take away one toy and the child will scream and cry for a while, then find another toy to play with. Knife assaults per capita are many times that of the U.S., and it's gotten so bad in some places that a company has started marketing kevlar-reinforced, knife-resistant school uniforms. That's right; an English private-school child is just as much at risk of being shanked in the lunch line for looking the wrong way at someone as a U.S. prison inmate . Man, those English are sophisticated.

 

[macFarlaine]

You naughty violent Americans,always late to arrive but by george you can fight.

 

[6_gunner]

Civil liberties can be sacrificed if we can prevent people from being killed.

Ironically, when Europeans have started thinking like this in the past, they've tended to kill anyone who objects. (Soviet Russia, Nazi Germany, facist Italy...)

Gun crimes are more prevalent in the U.S. because American society is generally more violent than in Europe. Austria and Sweden have relatively permissive gun laws, for example, and the incidence of gun crime in these countries is comparatively low.

Right...since suggesting that gun control doesn't work isn't an option, the only logical conclusion is that America is bad. :banghead:

 

[macFarlaine]

The Brits don't think America is bad,we love your freedom and culture.

 

[Mannix]

America IS more violent than Europe, but it's not because we have more guns.

 

[eliphalet]

The Brits don't think America is bad,we love your freedom and culture

From my perspective the Brits are one of very few, if not America's only friend in Europe.

 

[RoadkingLarry]

Nothing long term to worry about. When your governments start murdering you by the millions again, our "gun culture" will probably bail you out.

I ain't goin'. Let 'em stew in their own juices next time. All we've gotten from most Europeans for our troubles in the past is inulsted. I don't expect 'em to kiss our butt, just not stab us in the back.

 

[Standing Wolf]

...tough new gun control rules they said they hoped would prevent Europe from becoming a gun-friendly culture like the United States.

Our gun-friendly culture saved Europe from itself not once, but twice in the last century. Socialist parasites deliberately never learn.

 

[SamTuckerMTNMAN]

standing wolf

you are always on it

 

[Big45]

Europeans hahahahaha

 

[bpsig]

Europeans more civilized ?
Well lets see before they completely rewrite history ? How many wars and continet wide fueds were started by Americans from 1400- 2000. As opposed to the civilized Europeans
How many world wars were started by Americans ?
How many times do they call on Americans to send them weapons to save themselves since they outlawed and removed them for public good. Then let the evil minded elitists take over ? So now we are back to U Americans are wrong and give us your money to do as we please and try to police the world for us but don't harm anyone don't stand up against tyrants, elitists by not going along with our plans. Do like us (civilized european people ) lose your rights and privacy, soveringty . oh yes we need to curb those knuckle dragging Americans and there freedoms . for civilizations sake. how dare they go after those poor misguided Muslems as a example of barbaric behavior.
Did some one forget that for the last 300 + years the only reason europe is like it is was people stood up and stopped letting themselves be run over ?
HOW big of a wall can we build around Europe ?
To make us safe from those civilized europeans ?

 

[joffe]

Alexander Alvaro, a legislator from the Parliament's Liberal group, which champions maximum civil liberties for individuals, added that the group drew the line at the right to bear arms.

Ha. Ha.

So what makes this right different? It's politically incorrect?

You people whine about the ACLU, at least they have the balls to represent whoever, including gun rights proponents, heck, they represented NAMBLA. I'd tell you how I really feel but then again this is called the High Road.

No norway!...dont go there, please...

Fat chance. We adopt EU legislation faster than any EU member state does. Our firearms laws are already in line with the Brussels blueprint. Whatever they squeeze out from between their buttocks, we're swallowing it raw and whole with eyes closed, grinning. We're not a member, but it doesn't matter. As long as we get to continue shooting whales they're happily adopting everything with a European seal on it.

 

[jojosdad]

I found a great jpg poster through a link on The War on Guns http://waronguns.blogspot.com/ . Unfortunately , I'm unable to post it for some reason. Here's a link http://bp3.blogger.com/_Ll5chfz1qFU...o/GsM6p0pJVs0/s1600-h/Dr+Form+Inquiry1184.jpg
The poster says "A question for Europeans who want Americans to give up their right to keep and bear arms - Which part of Europe are you from? The part whose a$$ we saved, or the part whose a$$ we kicked?
I think it sums it up nicely.

 

[AndyC]

Socialism and political-correctness sure blinds politicians everywhere, doesn't it?

So glad I escaped Europe for Africa when I was 10 (thanks, Dad!)

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Nothing long term to worry about. When your governments start murdering you by the millions again, our "gun culture" will probably bail you out.

For the THIRD time.

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

You people whine about the ACLU, at least they have the balls to represent whoever, including gun rights proponents

Just thought I would point out that that is not actually true. The ACLU also draws the line before defending gun rights proponents.

 

[hirundo82]

Criminality is linked to social factors. Gun crimes are more prevalent in the U.S. because American society is generally more violent than in Europe.

Someone hasn't been keeping up on the news. The UN put out a report a while back on the most violent countries in the world. There is a BBC article about it here. Some highlights from the article:

Scotland has been named the most violent country in the developed world by a United Nations report.

The study found that, excluding murder, Scots were almost three times as likely to be assaulted as Americans.

The study, based on telephone interviews conducted between 1991 and 2000, said 3% of people in Scotland had suffered an assault, while the figure for England and Wales was second highest at 2.8%.

Both Australia and New Zealand had the next highest proportion of assaults among their population at 2.4%, exactly double the level reported for the United States.

Yeah, we see how much strict gun control has done to control crime. Without people being able to carry anything to use for self defense (in the case of the UK), criminals can attack without concern of their victims fighting back.

 

[hirundo82]

Just thought I would point out that that is not actually true. The ACLU also draws the line before defending gun rights proponents.

Actually, sometimes they do. The TX ACLU branch weighed in in support of the law passed this year allowing carry of handguns without a CHL in a car--see here.

I'm still not sure what was up with that. They do show either their ignorance or their real feelings with the "registered gun owner" line.

 

[BridgeWalker]

It seems to me (from my wide-ranging experience of late night internet chats with a couple Europeans ) that they don't perceive guns as unneeded to prevent tyranny. They actually percieve guns or any other form of resistance as ineffective and pointless.

Maybe because they are so crowded, and have little to no wilderness left, maybe because they don't want to have to blame their grandparents for the atrocities of the 20th c., maybe because they are just cynical. In any case, I've gotten the impression from several people that they just think the idea of being able to defend oneself against the government is hopelessly puerile.

Doesn't make much sense to me, but then here in the US I see so many more options, so much more room to breathe. Couldn't pay me enough to live in Europe, even before major anti-gun laws.

 

[rust collector]

I've enjoyed the people from Europe I've met as they cross the country on bikes. They are usually young and idealistic, and they've developed the fine art of living in very high population densities. I'd go nuts within a month living under those conditions.

They mean well, and I don't think they deserve the trashing they get here sometimes. The quoted individuals are politicians, after all, so don't necessarily reflect the values of most of their constituents.

The pendulum will swing the other way eventually.

 

[kurtmax]

How many world wars were started by Americans ?

Two... actually. Neither of the 'World Wars' were World Wars until the rest of the world joined in (the US...)

If the US hadn't joined, the two 'World Wars' would have been lost within the hundreds of petty squabbles that Europe has fought over the last 1000 yeras...

 

[Beagle-zebub]

This thread is getting pretty low-road.

Under the new rules... ...individuals aged 18 and over will be able to buy and own a firearm, provided they are not deemed a threat to public safety. Individuals under 18 will only be able to obtain a gun for hunting or target shooting under the supervision of a licensed adult.

Then they said a person could buy semi-autos if they jumped through a bunch of tiresome, but not quite prohibitive, hoops. I was under the impression that European gun laws were almost universally far more draconian, although I suppose these laws are probably only minimum standards to which nations must conform, rather than a nullification of more harsh national laws. What are the laws with respect to handguns? (That question is probably already answered in the article, but what the hell....)

 

[jpcampbell]

Now you know why they are called SUBJECTS.

 

[dcoop]

European Union...............It has a nice socialist ring to it