Posted on 04/20/2007 7:55:32 AM PDT by ZGuy
In response to the horrible mass shooting at Virginia Tech on Monday, overseas leaders as well as many Americans have condemned the "gun culture" of the United States. Perhaps these overseas leaders and American citizens would be less hard on our country if we discuss what has been happening in other countries.
Major news outlets reported on April 18 about the shooting deaths of at least 19 gang members in Rio de Janeiro by rival gangs and police. These shootouts occurred despite Brazil's strict gun control laws.
Also in Wednesday's newspapers are reports about Tuesday's shooting death of the mayor of Nagasaki, Japan. Japan has some of the strictest anti-gun laws in the industrialized world.
In Scotland authorities are enacting knife control policies because violent crime has continued to climb (with knives as a weapon of choice) in the wake of the nation's gun bans. Should Americans speak contemptuously of Scotland's "blade and booze" culture?
Last November in Emsdetten, Germany, a teenager shot and wounded more than a dozen persons before killing himself. In 2002 in a school in Erfurt, Germany, a gunman killed 17 people and himself.
Five years ago I did research for an article on mass shootings. Here are a few of the headlines I came across:
"8 slain at council meeting"
"Teen wounds 5 in tech school"
"Suspected gang shooting leaves 4 dead, 2 injured"
"Man kills ex-bosses, principal, himself"
"Gunman kills self, 7 others"
The incidents these headlines describe occurred in France, the Netherlands, Japan, Germany and Italy, respectively. In the five years since that research, crime rates have continued to climb in many other countries with far stricter gun control laws than those in the United States.
In 1996 in Port Arthur, Australia, a crazed man shot and killed more than 30 people. After learning of the mass shooting at Virginia Tech, Australian Prime Minister John Howard told reporters this about his nation's response to the Port Arthur horror: "We took action to limit the availability of guns and we showed a national resolve that the gun culture that is such a negative in the United States would never become a negative in our country."
Prime Minister Howard neglected to say anything about the "culture" in Australia that prompted a man to commit a mass shooting. He also neglected to mention Australian government figures that show five years after the Port Arthur-inspired gun crackdowns, homicides had climbed 3.2 percent, assaults had gone up 8.6 percent, and, astoundingly, armed robberies had soared 45 percent. Crime rates remain high in Australia despite the confiscation of hundreds of thousands of firearms, and gun bans.
On September 28, 2001, in peaceful Switzerland, a man shot and killed 14 people, including 11 members of a local canton council.
In the 2002 presidential election in France, many political observers cited soaring crime as the Number 1 issue. Nationwide strikes by thousands of France's police officers a few months before the election heightened the issue. The strikes came in response to what police said are growing dangers from gun-wielding criminals. They had strong evidence to cite, including the recent shooting deaths of two police officers during an armed robbery in a Paris suburb.
I've heard people say "only in America" in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings. Clearly, though, it's not only in America. Terrible incidents like these have occurred and are occurring in countries across the world, including countries that severely restrict or ban the private ownership of firearms, and countries with a reputation of peace and harmony.
Praise God, and pass the ammunition.
Exactly.
Screw them.
It would be interesting to see the gun laws where all the incidents occured as well.
Criminals could care less about gun laws... or any other law.
If they can’t get ‘Thou shalt not kill’, or even recognize it could happen to them or a member of their family... it’s moot.
Interesting... I always thought that Switzerland was one of the most armed societies in the world.
What a bunch of hypocrits who critize the USA when we have a major gun massacre.
Well the Europeans are living in the post and anti-Christian age.
TODAY in Ole Mexico, flags are at half mast. When I asked the Police they said it was in respect for the incident in Blackburg Virginia
Dontcha just LOVE how the Euroweenies give US advice?
These are the same clowns who have permitted the increasing Islamification of their societies.
And if they think the muslim hoardes will simply leave them alone or go away if they hurl a few crepes or street weenies at them, they’d better think again.
At some point, if the muslim thrust is to be parried by the dozen or so French, Spanish or German people who MIGHT remain to resist or wish to keep their heads — LITERALLY — THEY WILL REQUIRE FIREARMS!
And if WE continue to allow them to proliferate here, SO WILL WE!!
Prime Minister Howard neglected to say anything about the "culture" in Australia that prompted a man to commit a mass shooting. He also neglected to mention Australian government figures that show five years after the Port Arthur-inspired gun crackdowns, homicides had climbed 3.2 percent, assaults had gone up 8.6 percent, and, astoundingly, armed robberies had soared 45 percent. Crime rates remain high in Australia despite the confiscation of hundreds of thousands of firearms, and gun bans.
Selective memory is not exclusivele an American failing.
Now, if we cared enough to keep track of crime statistics in second and third-rate countries, we could probably find dozens more of such examples.
Envy and posturing --- a sad combination.
Liberals need to maintain this myth; it’s unkind to wake them from it.
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