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What does gun ownership have to do with freedom? If you feel the need to carry a deadly weapon around, obviously you're living in fear or a state of paranoia and are therefore not free at all.
It is the freedom to be able to do so.
Trust me - Texas is one of the US states with the tightest carry-laws in the US; tighter then some European countries.
It is the freedom to be able to do so.
Trust me - Texas is one of the US states with the tightest carry-laws in the US; tighter then some European countries.
What about my freedom to not want to live in a society where so many people feel the need to be armed, unless for hunting purposes?
I don't represent as to live in society in which the weapon considered two inch penknife or a plastic toy.
Without offenses, I have no anything personally against you, but I think that paranoia wil bring unhealthy tendency.
I think the current situation in Austria is quite good. There are basically 4 categories of weapons:
Category A (forbidden weapons and war material (military guns, ...)): weapons with silencers, fully automatic guns; generally forbidden. I think that's quite good, nobody needs silencers or automatic guns to ensure personal safety.
Category B (handguns and other semiautomatic guns/rifles): you need a special permission (Waffenbesitzkarte) to have one at home and another one to carry it with you (Waffenpass).
You get a Waffenbesitzkarte after passing a psychological test and when you have a reason for owning a gun (personal safety, sports, hunting). You get a Waffenpass, when you need your weapon for hunting or because of your occupation (police, security firms, but also taxi drivers).
Category C (bolt-, lever- or pump action): All Austrian citizens aged 18 or over can freely buy and own this type of weapon, but ownership has to be registered at a licensed dealer or gunsmith within 6 weeks of purchase. You have to get a Waffenpass to carry it in public.
Category D (non-repeating shotguns): Again, every Austrian or EEA citizen at the age of 18+ can buy and own this type of weapon without further registration or permission.
So, it's quite easy to get a weapon, but hardly anyone gets one, except hunters.
Besides that, I don't think that gun ownership is a sign or feature of freedom. It's rather depressing when everybody on the street is allowed to carry one and to know, that a good portion of society is, simply put, crazy. I also don't feel that our government is so dangerous that I have to defend myself from them. The possibility of running into a psychopath with a gun in a country with rather liberal gun ownership law seems to be higher than the establishment of another fascist regime, that oppresses its people.
If I wouldn't have read this thread on C-D, it wouldn't even have crossed my mind to connect gun ownership with the idea of personal freedom.
Last edited by viribusunitis; 11-05-2012 at 09:51 AM..
Well, then. Problem sorted Few of us in the US are scared to go out in public, and the vast majority of Brits that come visit and live here (ironically, so many choose to live in the southern states where gun laws are the most lax) aren't scared either, and chances are you walked past someone that is carrying a pistol in their pocket. It's just an afterthought to most of us here.
I believe you already do have that option, just stay right where you are. Keep in mind, not all of us want that though.
I did quick research and found Finland allows the sale and possession of sound suppressors (or silencers as the man on the street calls them) to be quite easy. Not so easy to get one in the US, I'm surprised Finland would let people get them so easily.
The possibility of running into a psychopath with a gun in a country with rather liberal gun ownership law seems to be higher than the establishment of another fascist regime, that oppresses its people.
Not absolutely so - statistically the probability of running a psychopath with the firearm is much less, than probability to meet the ordinary robber. The difference what cases with psychopaths have a big resonance in the press, but cases of usual assaults is made in tens (hundreds, thousands? - in the different countries on a miscellaneous) times more.
Not absolutely so - statistically the probability of running a psychopath with the firearm is much less, than probability to meet the ordinary robber. The difference what cases with psychopaths have a big resonance in the press, but cases of usual assaults is made in tens (hundreds, thousands? - in the different countries on a miscellaneous) times more.
Yeah, right. But what's the deal. Just hand over your wallet and in most cases (at least in Austria) an armed robber would just take your money and head off. Damage? ~50 bucks.
Pull a weapon and expect some stabbing/shooting.
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Few of us in the US are scared to go out in public, and the vast majority of Brits that come visit and live here (ironically, so many choose to live in the southern states where gun laws are the most lax) aren't scared either, and chances are you walked past someone that is carrying a pistol in their pocket. It's just an afterthought to most of us here.
