Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83 (MC840302); site erix.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!hao!seismo!mcvax!enea!erix!mike From: mike@erix.UUCP (Mike Williams) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Bastille... actually about gun control Message-ID: <702@erix.UUCP> Date: Fri, 7-Dec-84 07:31:31 EST Article-I.D.: erix.702 Posted: Fri Dec 7 07:31:31 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 10-Dec-84 02:18:04 EST References: <128@decwrl.UUCP> Reply-To: mike@erix.UUCP (Mike Williams) Organization: L M Ericsson, Stockholm, Sweden Lines: 17 Summary: Most countries in Western Europe have restrictions concerning the private ownership of guns. In some countries (eg Britain) even the police don't carry guns. The result of this is that statistics show that far fewer people die by shooting in Europe than do in the USA. To most Europeans the restrictions on gun ownership seems sane and sensible. There may be people in Europe who advocate the private ownership of guns but I am sure that they represent a small minority. Most Western Europeans regard the semi religious fury with which the gun lobbies in the USA defend the right of private individuals to own guns with bewilderment. The only explanation which I can see for this religious fervour is that violence is culturaly more acceptable in the USA than it is in Europe. Can this really be true? I know many Americans and they don't seem to be more violent than the average European. If it is true then I am even more frightened about the possibility of nuclear war than I am already. If a country is culturaly prepared to accept violence then the possibility of their using nuclear weapons is higher.