Guns

(CALGARY, Alberta) - Guns exist for one reason and one reason only—to kill other living creatures. The killing of animals for food and furs has always been necessary and justifiable. But the killing of other human beings is not.

Yet to hear many Americans boast, the Second Amendment is equivalent to the Eleventh Commandment, giving them freedoms that no one else on earth has. The one freedom it gives them is the freedom to be the most violent of the industrialized nations and if only other countries would adopt such craziness then they, too, can be free like Americans.

(See the graph at the right—(page 10 of the link) the homicide rate by gun violence in the U.S. is up to six times higher than any other industrialized nation.)

I’ve heard one theory that the American Constitution was carried down from Mt. Sinai by Moses, along with the Commandments but in the kafuffle over the golden calf, the Constitution tablets were lost and not recovered until someone dug them in New York. (Or was that another American myth?)

In the last week of April, about 250 police chiefs from around the country gathered in Washington to discuss the issue of gun violence around the nation. It was sponsored by Police Executive Research Forum, a nonprofit police research group that sponsored the session as part of its two-day annual meeting. They compared five American cities over the same week in 2011—Philadelphia, San Diego, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Austin, Tex., and Toronto in Canada.

Here’s the punchline: Americans believe they are governed (however dysfunctionally that may at times be) by their elected representatives. That turns out not to be true.

Police Chief Edward A. Flynn of Milwaukee told of pleading with a state senator to include a provision in Wisconsin’s concealed weapons law that would ban habitual criminal offenders from obtaining permits. The senator, he said, told him, “Here’s the phone number of the National Rifle Association lobbyist in Washington, D.C. If it’s O.K. with him, it will be O.K. with us.” The provision was not included.

So it turns out that America is governed by the N.R.A. Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey of Philadelphia said to the gathering, “Our streets are bleeding, and they’re bleeding profusely.”

Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Daniel Johnson as a teenager aspired to be a writer. Always a voracious reader, he reads more books in a month than many people read in a lifetime. He also reads 100+ online articles per week. He knew early that in order to be a writer, you have to be a reader.

He has always been concerned about fairness in the world and the plight of the underprivileged/underdog.

As a professional writer he sold his first paid article in 1974 and, while employed at other jobs, started selling a few pieces in assorted places.

Over the next 15 years, Daniel eked out a living as a writer doing, among other things, national writing and both radio and TV broadcasting for the CBC, Maclean’s (the national newsmagazine) and a wide variety of smaller publications. Interweaved throughout this period was soul-killing corporate and public relations writing.

It was through the 1960s and 1970s that he got his university experience. In his first year at the University of Calgary, he majored in psychology/mathematics; in his second year he switched to physics/mathematics. He then learned of an independent study program at the University of Lethbridge where he attended the next two years, studying philosophy and economics. In the end he attended university over nine years (four full time) but never qualified for a degree because he didn't have the right number of courses in any particular field.

In 1990 he published his first (and so far, only) book: Practical History: A guide to Will and Ariel Durant’s “The Story of Civilization” (Polymath Press, Calgary)

Newly appointed as the Deputy Executive Editor in August 2011, he has been writing exclusively for Salem-News.com since March 2009 and, as of spring 2012, has published more than 190 stories.

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Jeff King May 7, 2012 1:38 pm (Pacific time)

Natalie said, "you don’t strike me as a chronic optimist. That’s not good. Sure, I can agree, if you’ll agree that you are in the same team with Saddam Hussein. You obviously distance yourself from pacifists; must be placing yourself with those “conservatives” that you mentioned. You forgot one more: Bin Laden, but I hear he’s dead, too… can’t be very helpful in building a nation." Chronic signifies disease and your are right that is not good, so I walk a middle path. Can't cop to being like Saddam Hussein. All my minions are well tempered. I think when it came to Saddam Hussein there was no 'team.' Kinda like there's no "I' in team. Either you are for Saddam or you are in a cell awaiting your daily appointment for torture. You are remarkably perceptive stating Osama Bin Laden was a nation builder. His collective helped control the takeover of Afghanistan and would have pursued more if that regime had not been stopped. If he had won we would be reading his history books. The names provided are just the tip of the iceberg of man's inhumanity to man. Stay tuned - our future is sure to provide many more. Thanks for the dialogue. I am going off line for the next 10 days. . visiting friends and family. . . so any absence of reply should not be considered a brush off.

Anonymous May 7, 2012 12:57 pm (Pacific time)

Daniel pretty confident that the majority of Americans and Canadians understand what I wrote. Those who dislike America, our culture, political system, and any other aspect can beat their drum endlessly and we will continue in our exceptional ways. You are essentially a product of Americanization, just look around at all the things you use in your daily life, it is from us, and you are very welcome.

That's the problem, the majority. As Abe said: "You can fool some of the people all of the time." You've been fooled and you don't even know it.

Natalie May 6, 2012 11:17 pm (Pacific time)

Jeff King, you don’t strike me as a chronic optimist. That’s not good. Sure, I can agree, if you’ll agree that you are in the same team with Saddam Hussein. You obviously distance yourself from pacifists; must be placing yourself with those “conservatives” that you mentioned. You forgot one more: Bin Laden, but I hear he’s dead, too… can’t be very helpful in building a nation.

Jeff King May 6, 2012 9:33 pm (Pacific time)

Natalie said, "should I assume then that war-mongering is for conservatives?" Sure, if you'll agree that Saddam Hussein was a conservative. As I said before, "the killing of humans by humans seems a manifest destiny of the human ego. War mongering is nation building. Napoleon, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and their like have filled our history pages with their violent personal ambitions. Our world has all the glittery trappings of civilization, but with racism, religious intolerance, commercial exploitation, wealth aggrandizement and a whole slew of human foibles, our world is not middle aged, but is indeed a modern swamp.

Natalie May 6, 2012 8:12 pm (Pacific time)

Jeff King, should I assume then that war-mongering is for conservatives? It's your logic, not mine. I'm just a person who has another opinion on a specific issue. That's about it. Different opinions is what moves the world forward. Otherwise, it would be a middle ages swamp.

Anonymous May 6, 2012 6:37 pm (Pacific time)

"I don't see those estimates as "facts" at all." Did you go to some of the links Daniel? Most of the data is based on U.S. Justice Department (FBI) data which is primary source stats. As far as the estimates ain regards to those crimes guns have stopped you must keep in mind that it's not a priority for someone to call the police and tell them what they did in [possibly] stopping a crime, it would open a big can of worms for them, so the data is extrapolated. The statistical methodology to get these estimates is based on sophisticated math that is beyond my level of explaining it, but I have had it explained to those who do have that level of understanding and they told me it was sound. Of course the links provided are pretty rock solid. I have not seen any gun crime data for Canada, but then we are not talking about Canada are we? Thanks. As per the 2nd Amendment, here is another more non-secular opinion, which has a foundation of philosophical thought going back to the ancient Greeks: "Ultimately, we don’t have rights because the Bill of Rights says so. Rather, the Bill of Rights says so because we have rights intrinsic to our very beings: rights with which we were endowed by our Creator.

One of the reasons academics don’t teach students about natural law anymore is that they don’t want students to understand that long before the U.S. government existed, God had endowed his creatures with rights.

These rights were explained and defended at length by men like John Locke and William Blackstone long before ideas like the U.S. Constitution or the Bill of Rights were even passing thoughts. American students in the better schools have been educated about American history, those who have not been, are pretty easy to spot."

Your argument suggests that the purchase of more guns makes society safer based on unverifiable mathematical assumptions used in order to construct your model. But the opposite model--the purchase of fewer guns actually reduces violence is demonstrated in the real world as shown by the actual situations of Canada and the western European nations on the graph.

The other fallacy in your argument is that for the rights you declare, you assume that a god, specifically the Christian god, exists to hand down those rights. Those rights, then, do not exist for atheists or non-Christians. The Second Amendment was valid in the 18th century and is valid today only if you assume that same 18th century worldview. As I've remarked before, time has moved on, the United States hasn't.

Jeff King May 6, 2012 3:23 pm (Pacific time)

I've been at the 'wrong" end of a gun (strong arm robbery of me). Trust my words, "martial art don't mean a thing." One lucky hit by your opponent and you could be unable to continue your defense. What about being attacked by a group? And YOU are gonna master Martial Arts?!? Like when? You're watching too much Hollywood. The only reason why I am able to type these words is that the bad guy did not pull the trigger. And don't worry, bad guys don't care about no stinkin' gun control laws. Now if YOU ABOLISH weapons (or just guns) worldwide, now you're talking. My Father who was infantry in WWII would dispute your sniper story. Once you see an extermination camp, you know every one you killed to free those victims was right, proper and justified in being terminated with prejudice. Pacifism is for liberals.

Anonymous May 6, 2012 12:00 pm (Pacific time)

Daniel, et al, as for America’s current global influence, and economic health, the recession exposed serious problems. Entitlement spending is unsustainable. And the country’s debt, bulging from 38 percent of GDP in 2008 to 63 percent in 2010 to 85 percent today, has entered a danger zone. But these are solvable problems that policymakers have the tools, if not the will, to tackle. The systemic and demographic problems facing much of Asia and Europe may not be solvable. Many countries would be thrilled to have our debt-to-GDP ratio: Japan’s public debt is 199 percent of GDP; Britain’s external debt is 413 percent of GDP, France’s 250 percent, Germany’s 185 percent, Australia’s 138 percent. Despite its economic challenges, the United States remains the engine of the global economy. It boasts 18 of the 50 largest companies on earth – three times as many as the closest challenger. The United States is home to the world’s largest aerospace (Boeing), biotech (Amgen), pharmaceutical (Pfizer), retail (Walmart), petroleum (ExxonMobil), software (Microsoft), technology hardware (HP), computer services (IBM), communications equipment (Cisco) and heavy equipment (Caterpillar) firms. Rather than simply mass-producing, reverse-engineering or pirating what others create – like China’s state-controlled industries – these corporations are shaping the future and propelling globalization. Some argue that globalization is just another word for Americanization, and they may be right. Indeed, it is in the wake of globalization that we begin to glimpse the full breadth of U.S. power: •The Libyan people are clamoring for iPhones, Nikes, Ford Mustangs and Eminem CDs. •Cubans and Iranians are erecting illegal satellite dishes to catch a glimpse of U.S. television. •Thanks to Yao Ming, some of the NBA’s biggest fans are in China. Beijing honored the now-retired basketball star as its 2005 “vanguard worker,” an award once reserved for Maoist revolutionaries. •Seventy percent of Coke drinkers live outside North America. Half of all McDonald’s restaurants are somewhere other than the United States. Walmart has 2,700 stores outside the United States. •Ninety percent of all PCs run Microsoft software. •The United States claims six of the world’s top 10 universities. •The United States accounts for more than one-third of all international patent filings. The converse simply does not hold. Americans are not buying Afri-Cola, watching Chinese basketball, tuning in to Castro’s state-run TV, surfing the Web with Chinese software or European PCs, or opening research labs in foreign lands. Speaking of foreign lands, the U.S. military provides a security umbrella to about half the world’s landmass, polices the world’s toughest neighborhoods, and serves as the world’s first responder and last line of defense. No other military could attempt such a feat of global multitasking. Because of the U.S. military’s restraint, foreign governments invite it onto their territory: Kosovo, Korea and Kuwait want U.S. troops to maintain regional stability. From Germany to Georgia, those who remember a Europe of concrete walls and iron curtains want U.S. forces on their soil as a hedge against Russia. And those who fear China’s rise are strengthening their U.S. ties. As to the charge that America is “overstretched,” consider that in the 1950s, the United States had 3.4 million troops on active duty, a sizable 2.1 percent of the country’s 160 million population at the time. In the 1960s, the country had a million troops stationed overseas. During the Cold War, America spent 6 to 10 percent of its GDP on defense. Today, the United States has 1.4 million troops on active duty (out of a population of 313 million); 70 percent of U.S. forces are based in the United States and its territories; and America spends 4 percent of its GDP on defense, about one half of what we spent in the 1960's.

Anonymous May 6, 2012 11:56 am (Pacific time)

FACT: Guns prevent an estimated 2.5 million crimes a year, or 6,849 per day. * Gary Kleck, Criminologist, Florida State Univ.
Often the gun is never fired and no blood (including the criminals) is shed.
FOR MANY MORE {HIGHLY INFORMATIVE} STATS SEE BELOW LINKS, http://www.gunblast.com/Gun_Facts.htm /
http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp#politics / http://www.gallup.com/poll/117361/recent-shootings-gun-control-support-fading.aspx

/http://www.gallup.com/poll/150353/self-reported-gun-ownership-highest-1993.aspx "New Research Shows Gun Purchases By Women On The Rise"

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/02/06/seen-at-11-new-research-shows-gun-purchases-by-women-on-the-rise/

I don't see those estimates as "facts" at all. Here in Canada we have almost no gun ownership at all. So the "fact" in Canada--non purchase of guns prevents millions of crimes.

Anonymous May 6, 2012 10:29 am (Pacific time)

The spark of the American Revolution on April 19th 1775: gun confiscation by an oppressive government. Those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it. Daniel are you familiar with the below organizations? International firearm ownership is increasing, and will continue in that direction: "Russian Gun Group Joins IAPCAR's Global Gun Rights Coalition." International Association for the Protection of Civilian Arms Rights (IAPCAR) added Russia's The Right to Arms as its newest member working to protect and expand the right to keep and bear arms around the globe. Right to Arms joins a coalition of 20 other groups from 11 countries on five different continents that represent millions of firearm owners and citizens concerned about civilian arms rights..."IAPCAR strongly opposes any U.N. Arms Trade Treaty that infringes on national sovereignty and civilian arms rights for self-defense," said SAF's Versnel...The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. SOURCE Second Amendment Foundation. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/russian-gun-group-joins-iapcars-global-gun-rights-coalition- 150236725.html

Anonymous May 6, 2012 9:20 am (Pacific time)

As far as America's global influence, including weaponry creation/distribution, is a given, and the world is far better off because of our influence. Just make one of those

positive/negative lists regarding our contribution, and compile it on one of those devices our tech created. Of course having a [competent] background in world history

would aid understanding our beneficial influence/contribution. The whole world, including communist China, Russia, Cuba, etc., marches to our cultural and technical

contributions. In fact Global Economics reflects our influence, and that is easily proven. As far as the NRA dictating our legislation, outside of influencing a very tiny

part dealing with the 2nd Amendment (actually Gunowners of America has a greater back channel influnce in this area) is a myth perpertrated by gun control sympathizers

whose agenda has proven to be irrelevant. The evidence of that: increasing gun sales and lower gun crime rates. Actually if you want to see what had the most major

political influence in our government process (not the NRA!) in the last 80 years, look back to the 2010 election and the seachange that happened from the national to state

levels...it was the Tea Party. I sure would like to see a source that says the majority of Americans want gun control (aka eventual confiscation), because the structure of

the questions found in such a poll would need to be evaluated. The Gallup Poll provided a stat that approximately 70% of Americans believe in private gun ownership, and it

has been increasing. Then of course we have the scientific data about guns and crimes, and that's where the left finds itself in the tall weeds. People can write all they

want opining for gun control, it will never happen. Recall the so-called "Assault Weapons ban" that sunsetted and was not renewed? Well gun crime went down, just the

opposite of what the anti-gun fanatics said would happen. Increased issuance of CHL's was suppose to increase homicides in those areas where issued, it went down. Americans

know that criminals do not follow laws, and it is those criminals that cause the majority of gun crimes. The police cannot save us from them, so those who have experienced

violence, know why we will always be armed far into the future. This summer will be a very violent one in the projections I have seen, and we will never see the media put

out the stats of how many crimes were stopped by gunowners, and on a daily level it is far more than the crimes committed. Ponder that reality. There are scientific stats on all the above assertions- Provided on request.

We would like to see those stats, please.

Douglas Benson May 6, 2012 3:11 am (Pacific time)

So lets say you got your wish and our government decided to ban firearms .That would start an instant armed rebellion .Is that what you want?

As a society, the U.S. is broken and dysfunctional and its cultural poison spreads around the world. This is because the American people have lost any semblance of control over its own government. Some sort of revolt is necessary. Belief in the need for firearms is like a flat earth. There was a time when everyone believed the earth was flat. Similarly many Americans believe that guns are necessary in society. What the people don't realize is that they are the only developed nation with that idiosyncratic belief. Not that long ago the police in the U.K. were not armed until the spread of weapons (the spread originated in and is maintained by the U.S.) which contributed to increasing violence is the rest of the world..

I don't have a source at my fingertips but I've read that a majority of Americans are in favour of gun control. As I remarked at the end of my article, it is a testament to the governmental power of the NRA that prevents citizen advocacy.

One of the other commenters said that "true gun owners see the NRA as traitors to t he constitution." I've never heard of that before. Do yo have any thoughts on that?

Douglas Benson May 6, 2012 3:05 am (Pacific time)

You may like the new order far less ,so lets try a more peacefull solution first and keep the weapons just in case.

Natalie May 5, 2012 10:51 pm (Pacific time)

People who brag about killing others know nothing about what it feels like to live with the thought that you had to kill another human being because it was "either me or him" situation. Those are the words of a person who was a sniper during WW2. I don't want to have the same feeling as he did. Re eficiency, that was very thoughtful of you, thanks a lot, but I don't see people as my enemies, and feel quite comfortable around them, so not buying a gun is probably the most eficient way. I would consider mastering Martial Arts, though. It can be no less effective than having a gun,and it's something that can't be turned against you. Totally in your control.

Jeff King May 5, 2012 9:29 pm (Pacific time)

One last add: THOM SHANKER in the NY Times (May 5, 2012) "Honduras is the latest focal point in America’s drug war. As Mexico puts the squeeze on narcotics barons using its territory as a transit hub, more than 90 percent of the cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela bound for the United States passes through Central America. More than a third of those narcotics make their way through Honduras, a country with vast ungoverned areas — and one of the highest per capita homicide rates in the world." Now I'm sure that the homicides are not all gun related, but the killing of humans by humans seems a manifest destiny of the human ego. You may take away one killing tool, but the massacre shall not abide, (dude).

Jeff King May 5, 2012 7:19 pm (Pacific time)

I think a great lesson can be learned from the "Arab Spring" regardless of its future political/social outcome. There may come a time for an "American Spring." Then the 2nd Amendment will be worshiped. And those rebelling Americans of the future may seek assistance from a future Arab League of Nations for military intervention. 'Land of the free' is a misnomer. A Public Relation flack's slogan. The very nature of United States of America implies government regulations. People were migrating West from the beginning to escape this land of the free. States even warred civilly. Now as the 'Big Brother' culture is established world wide, a wee bit of suppression will let the medicine go down.

Jeff King May 5, 2012 7:01 pm (Pacific time)

Natalie said: "I don’t know… I would rather not live than live in a constant fear of other people. Seeing a monster behind every bush sounds like a miserable life. Why continue it?" Geeez Natalie, if that's the way you feel, having a gun is a most efficient way to go.

Anonymous May 5, 2012 6:19 pm (Pacific time)

True gun owners see the NRA as traitors to the constitution.

Natalie May 5, 2012 12:36 pm (Pacific time)

I do understand why you would want to carry a gun in cases when you can be a potential target, like if you are somebody who closes the store with cash in your pocket, or a person returning home from a late-night shift. What I don’t get is the reason for carrying a gun at all times. I don’t know… I would rather not live than live in a constant fear of other people. Seeing a monster behind every bush sounds like a miserable life. Why continue it? Whatever’s meant to be, will happen, anyway.

Roger E. Bütow May 5, 2012 7:35 am (Pacific time)

DJ:
Read my posting again....I made it plain that I was playing a role as a straw man or Devil's Advocate, postulated and put myself in the position of the always-anticipated BLOG TROLLS.
You failed to answer the questions I threw out in that challenge, so let's get try again:.
Perhaps, to be proactive/preemptive re those BTs you'll share the thousands of negatively critical words you've written about Canada? And where exactly were they published, what was the general tone of feedback from your people, etc.
See, you're not answering the main question: "What is the frequency, Daniel?"
What motivates you to keep heaping shit on our heads down here, is it just gravity that makes it flow south? How does your constant criticism differ from our own home grown ones? How does it affect change, alter anything?
How do/would Canadians feel about an American journalist who refused to go there, yet seeking and finding endless fault in Canada, posting those shortcomings week after week after week on a popular American website??
Why is it YOUR calling, YOUR niche, the purpose of a foreign journalist who doesn't personally and physically socialize with us, to continually point out our faults? Who ordained that, why is it even necessary?
Whenever there's a world-wide natural disaster, we're ALWAYS among the 1st to respond with MILLIONS of $$$ in immediate emergency response. We never ask to be paid back---Our non-profits are excellent in that way.
We have been the major $$$ partner in helping former world stability enemies like Germany and Japan rebuild afterwards. You don't really believe that these Axis powers were going to be forces of good will, right?
We are a tribal nation, a country patched together, consisting of semi-tribal regions/races, and in a sense ALL modern nations are such quilts. You go after one square, one patch (like the NRA), as if THAT defines America.
Your nation's historical treatment of its indigenous tribes is shameful and still continues. Whoring your natural resources to China and Asia could help them overpower the West, plus pollutes and denudes your landscape, how does that feel? Are the Chinese, so repressive themselves, great buddies?
I keep a handgun, I'm being realistic about having one by firing then cleaning it from time to time, the biggest problem is people with little or no knowledge keeping them around for mischief.
To totally disarm everyone when criminals have weapons for home invasions is nutty. I'm single, so keeping one around loaded isn't so risky----And living in place that has been described as having fearful ecologies (fires, floods, earthquakes), here in So Cal we're just one a major catastrophe away from 100% indefinite isolation.
I'll hunt my food if I have to, our communities could be cut off from electricity, water, gas and such for weeks if the San Andreas Fault opens up.
Since you're an avowed logician, you should know the metaphor regarding those who think that the tail created the cat. We're both more generous and free, our Statue of Liberty welcomes those seeking, yearning for shelter......yet paradoxically repressive about morality due to our tribes, especially our Christian history. You think we don't get that?
What human endeavor, especially a relatively young nation, ever without growing pains and flaws?
You only seem to find what's wrong with us and then put it under a microscope, churn it, the bitter butter floats to the top and you skim that for column topic grist.
I'd LOVE to read just one feature length, very detailed column by you on the deficiencies of Calgary.
And I'm not being sensitive, I'm asking you why you're not. I'm asking legitimate questions that arise every time I see your byline.
You pick fights, that's obvious, then sit back and make fun of , act superior and arrogant towards American commentators----then lecture us about our country.
I get the part where you take us to task about being a more responsible and accountable country because we have, or have the potential, to make such great global impacts.When one has much, much is expected, a higher standard applies because that's our creed.
With that power should come a need to be reasonable, restraining ourselves from interfering yet honor our founding principles.
We're ALWAYS going to be a work in progress, we're an experiment, we probably look messy and confused, but this isn't Greece circa 500 BC....And DJ, we KNOW that we're not a true/pure democracy but rather a representative form of governance, hello?
Bullies pick fights, and herein you have a bully pulpit. Maybe YOU should be more responsible if you believe that's one of our shortcomings. Alienating by simply attacking seems counter-intuitive, counter-productive.

Sorry Roger, but you're missing the point and committing the logical fallacy of the "irrelevant conclusion", diverting attention away from the facts presented, rather than addressing them directly. That's why I ignore troll commentary.

But you did make one comment that needs to be addressed. You wrote: " we KNOW that we're not a true/pure democracy but rather a representative form of governance, hello?"

Read the conclusion to my article. You do not have a representative form of government. The point of my article is that it is the NRA that is in charge, not your elected reps. That's my point and why I wrote the article in the first place. Address that reality and we have something to talk about.

COLLI May 5, 2012 5:14 am (Pacific time)

Do you really believe that you are up to the mark to second-guess the founders Daniel? Do you really have such a high opinion of yourself? Please consider the reason the founders included the second amendment in the first place. Your opinion that "most Americans don't agree with the Bill of Rights in toto except for isolated issues on which they personally approve" is interesting. What do you base that opinion on? Most individuals I know would certainly not fit into that opinion.

I live in the 21st century, not the 18th. See my Feb 7 article for elaboration: http://www.salem-news.com/articles/february072012/constitution_dj.php

Roger E. Bütow May 4, 2012 7:34 pm (Pacific time)

DJ:

You're just jealous because you're stuck in 2nd place. :+) :+)

Does anyone else notice that the UK and its English-speaking, knightly heritage spawn are the leaders in your graph? Maybe it's the language that determines cultural memes?

As for what Americans really think, I'm sure that one of the 20-30 trolls that use ANONYMOUS is going to ask something, so I'll play blog troll and inquire:

How do you, an avowed anti-American, someone who doesn't travel here and boycotts us, punishes us endlessly over our shortcomings, know what or how we think? I hope it isn't by watching our TV media, and to beg the question, hopefully not via online sources either.

You don't or won't come here, you safely attack us on the web, but your opinions are based upon what? What about my country exactly HAVE you personally experienced?

After all is said and done, DJ, you might be helping to bury us but you write for an American-based online, they give you that exalted title Deputy Executive Editor position and allow, empower YOU in a US-based forum.

Why don't you write for a Canadian-based online instead?

Tim, whatever misgivings and regret he has about the USMC still raised his hand and vowed to defend the nation, give up his life for people you apparently hate.

You admire genius, so didn't Einstein say something about insanity as repetition without changed results yet expecting different, do you think that YOU are changing who we are?

What is different about us AFTER you started bashing us exclusively and not your own nation, let alone others?

What are your metrics, how would you objectively measure the way(s) you've changed the course of events?

Like a dysfunctional family, we allow, we encourage internal reflection and criticism. You're an outsider yet act like there should be no blowback, resentment or anger.

If we're all so bad down here what is the purpose of your continual hectoring?

"What's the frequency, Kenneth?"

Little sensitive, are you Roger?

Douglas Benson May 4, 2012 7:15 pm (Pacific time)

Armed rebellion is our right ,handed down by those that were forced to do so .We will never give that up. Get over it.

Well, Doug, then rebel. That's what the U.S. needs--a second Revolution to get out of the 18th century and into the twenty-first. Times change, but the U.S. doesn't, which is a major source of global discord.

Anonymous May 4, 2012 6:23 pm (Pacific time)

"The strength of the Constitution lies entirely in the determination of each citizen to defend it. Only if every single citizen feels duty bound to do his share in this

defense are the constitutional rights secure." - Albert Einstein

The Soviet Union established "Gun Safety" in 1929. From 1929 to 1953, over 30 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.Turkey established "Gun Safety" in 1911. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Germany established "Gun Safety" in 1938. From 1939 to 1945, 13 million Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, mentally ill people, and other "mongrelized peoples," unable to defend

themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
China established "Gun Safety" in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. (some estimates of over 100 million were slaughtered).

Guatemala established "Gun Safety" in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Uganda established "Gun Safety" in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Cambodia established "Gun Safety" in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, 1 million "educated people," unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
The United States Congress expanded "Gun Safety" in 1968 in direct violation of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. In 1993, 86 members of a religious "cult" residing outside Waco, Texas were exterminated because of unsubstantiated allegations that they possessed firearms made illegal by the unconstitutional 1968 "Gun Safety" Act. Congress is currently considering passage of additional unconstitutional "Gun Safety" laws. It remains to be seen how many more innocent people those laws will kill.
Those of you familiar with Charlton Heston: His very clear analysis at this link...some of you may gain some understanding of Americans who embrace the Bill of Rights from this? http://www.varmintal.com/heston.htm

If you investigate a little, I think you'll find that most Americans don't agree with the Bill of Rights in toto except for isolated issues on which they personally approve.

I don't believe your Einstein quote is valid. Einstein is bogusly quoted on a whole range of topics. Unless you can produce a verifiable source, I think your quote is just one more of them.

stephen May 4, 2012 10:48 am (Pacific time)

Oh, and if you actually do some research, you will see the major cause for homocide is not guns, but our southern border being open. A mass flow from one culture into another is jut asking for death. I respect blacks, brown, and white, but mixing cultures too quickly is disaster, something I spoke about over a decade ago. There are other reasons also, such as the federal reserve bank de-valueing the dollar making people poor, shipping our jobs offshore, the government building a police state etc. Guns dont kill people, legislation from D.C. kills people. I bet the Palestinians wish they had a few guns right now.

Stephen May 4, 2012 10:21 am (Pacific time)

What the Chief asked for is, and has been law for at least a decade. Its basically the same in all states. So not sure where he is coming from. http://www.doj.state.wi.us/dles/cib/ConcealedCarry/concealed-carry-application-11-11.pdf And, PERF's primary sources of operating revenues are government grants and contracts...(use your imagination on how legitimate PERF is if all their money comes from the government)..

Ralph E. Stone May 4, 2012 7:23 am (Pacific time)

In his article, “America as a Gun Culture,” historian Richard Hofstadter popularized the phrase “gun culture” to describe America’s long-held affection for firearms, with many citizens embracing and celebrating the association of guns and America’s heritage. According to Hofstadter, the right to own a gun and defend oneself is considered by some, especially those in the West and South, as a central tenet of the American identity. Given America’s gun culture, it is not surprising, but regrettable in my opinion, that the Supreme Court in District of Columbia vs. Heller found that Americans have a Second Amendment right to “keep and bear arms.”

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