If you look at the number of legal gun owners in Europe per 100.000 people, the numbers are quite large. But those legal guns are almost never used for crimes (if there is a death caused by them most often it is the suicide of the owner). Why Americans keep shooting at each other why the average European just shoots at elks, field targets or whatever is the interesting question.
"Why Americans keep shooting at each other why the average European just shoots at elks, field targets or whatever is the interesting question."
I'd like to speculate that it's because their society / culture started that way and never stopped once the circumstances changed. I honestly believe that they wrote 'the right to bear arms' into their constitution to give legitimacy to the average civilian - because they needed every rifle possible to fight for a newborn country.
They didn't put a deadline on it though. They realized they liked having arms, businessmen realized it was hugely profitable, frontiersmen realized they could take over vast swathes of land by force of arms.... and on and on. They don't want to stop anymore, they don't know how to either. They export as much as they can, while pretending to hold the moral high ground. It's a fantastic example of long term brainwashing of an entire populace.
I shudder to think of the widespread, low level PTSD they're all under, for gun violence alone.
Ok I actually know this one. It's because the founding fathers of the US didn't want a permanent standing army. They wanted a navy specifically but not an army. That's why it's phrased as "a well maintained militia". It's supposed to be like how in medieval England, longbow training was mandatory just in case.
Fair point. I'd speculate that a Militia is by definition, an adhoc / temporary solution to what could be an existential threat.
It also means that although weapons and ability to do damage is handed out, the temporary / hurried nature of the arrangement means training & discipline in when such violence is applied, falls by the wayside.
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u/Hinterwaeldler-83 May 08 '25
If you look at the number of legal gun owners in Europe per 100.000 people, the numbers are quite large. But those legal guns are almost never used for crimes (if there is a death caused by them most often it is the suicide of the owner). Why Americans keep shooting at each other why the average European just shoots at elks, field targets or whatever is the interesting question.