Hello @dancingwolves, I live in New Zealand, far from the US. In my country you have to have a firearms license to own or use a firearm. There are restrictions on the type of firearms you can buy and use.
So an AR-15 with a high capacity magazine - maybe fun to play with, but of not really value here for hunting etc.
But a high powered hunting rifle is not problem. I use to own an M1 jungle carbine in my younger days for hunting wild pigs.
But the lat time I went to renew my firearms license the rules had changed. i now needed a gun safe and it needed to be checked and verified by Police before the licence could be re-issued.
I didn't have a gun safe, nor did I own a rifle any longer. I didn't want to pay for a gun safe, just so I could keep my licence, so I surrendered my licence.
I don't feel less safe because of it. I don't feel the government has more control because of it.
We have very little gun crime in my country, and while the police have ready access to firearms, they are not an armed constabulary. i.e. you won't see a cop walking down the street with a firearm unless he / she is responding to an incident that requires a firearm. (at least that's the theory).
We look at your lack of gun control, and your mass shootings, and accidental shootings and just wonder what it will take for you to wake up and realize that the mix of ignorance and guns is not good for anyone.
I think the biggest question that Americans need to look in the mirror and ask themselves is: We have the right to have and bear arms - why?
Why do you need the right to bear arms enshrined in your constitution?
Why do you need to carry weapons on a daily basis?
Why do you fear the government so much that you need to stockpile weapons?
Why?
Please don't think I am being preachy or condescending. That is not my intent. But this fear that someone will come and take your guns away just baffles me.
Why? Because democide is the number one cause of death this last century.
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yes, thank you thank you thank you. why do people always fail to take this into account??
and the the 2nd amendment is there for a reason. it's not some add=on afterthought whatever. it's RIGHT AFTER the first amendment because it's the only thing that has a chance of enforcing it and ensuring its survival.
you say why do we fear the government? why are they killing so many of us?
do you realize that the only reason you're enjoying the rights that you take for granted are because people before you paid for it with their blood? if most other western countries have forgotten that and freely give up their arms, that's their business. as much as i bitch about the US, our gun ownership is one of the things i am THE MOST PROUD OF.
i guess you're lucky you live in new zealand--i don't know much about it (but would love to, looks like a beautiful place). maybe your physical isolation allows you greater ease in retaining your sovereignty. but let's take a look at europe. brussels has become the de facto capitol of the european continent. a lot of people in europe have no idea who their EU reps are, or how to go about preventing or rescinding undesirable legislation! it might not matter much of the time, i agree. but look at the immigration fiasco. what do the men there say to their women who were raped or to their children that can't go out at night safely anymore? that they just need to wait a few more years to vote someone else in, who might or might not respond to the demands of their people? by the way, the same people in office have the guns, not the people.
there's a lot of historical evidence that shows us how people in power always drift towards corruption and control. i don't know if it's human nature or what, but the fact still stands. if you're lucky, you might not have to experience the consequences of it during your lifetime, but it doesn't require any imagination to see how governments can enact, and continue to carry out policies against the wishes and well-being of the people, simply because they cannot be opposed.
sorry if i'm coming across as harsh, but i do feel very strongly about this. many people alive today have relatives who have died during oppressive regimes, or continue to live under them, with absolutely no recourse, so the concept of armed citizenry is not a mere abstraction to them.
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And so again the same question - why?
Why is your government killing so many of you?
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Not our govern-cement, ALL GOVERN-CEMENTS.
You are either really really ignorant, or are really really trolling.
So, answer this, why did Hitler kill all those Jews?
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Hello @builderofcastles sorry for not relying earlier. We are dealing with an ongoing swarm or earthquakes here, and a large damaging storm.
Say what you like, but you can't say it is dull here ;-)
I've been out with my emergency response team assessing damage and doing what we can to support the city.
So now I am really tired and can't give the thought to this debate that it deserves.
So let's have this discussion another day. :-)
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I am aware.
And I am glad that you have power and internet back up.
This is a conversation that has been happening for at least half a century. It isn't going anywhere. It'll be here when you get back.
Wish you luck putting things back together.
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