So we're all hearing about the latest on the long list of massacres in the USA. Twenty primary school kids are dead this time.
In Australia, we have evolved differently to the USA. Yes we were both British colonies, but early Americans 'kicked out the English', where we slowly drifted away from the British, culturally. Generally, on many levels, I don't think we're that different from the USA. Although, perhaps it was those early times where the American reliance on the gun as a 'shield' to protect them from everything they didn't agree with took root. The notion "I have a gun, and I will use it" is quite powerful, we would all agree and certainly would sway many an argument in the favour of the person waving the gun around. When two people have guns though, one could argue that 'mutual distruction' is quite a deterrent to either person using them, but there are always people out there that don't think straight.
On the world stage, nuclear proliferation has resulted in somewhat of a stale mate because whoever pulls the trigger would begin an annihilation that would end up with their own country being obliterated. The people with their fingers on the button (arguably) are probably somewhat considered with their position and posturing, and think very carefully about how they use their nuclear arsenal. Normally, those people in those positions have to jump through certain hoops, over certain hurdles, and usually show their own country and the rest of the world they're not a complete nut job. If they are, usually someone in their own country, or someone from another country, makes them quickly disappear. This is very different to guns. When everyone can have guns then there are always going to be people who have them
who really shouldn't have them.
This is for the USA, that's a whole-lot of people dying by gunshot:
.
We hear a lot of the USA in our country, we hear many American commentators waxing lyrical about their country being the root of democracy, capitalism, how it is 'the home and land of the free'. But, in the aftermath of yet another massacre, what does that amount to when people are forever checking over their shoulders? Afraid because they never know when they'll be the next target of some mad man or woman with a mental problem and $30 in their pocket ready to buy a few rounds of ammo?
I don't think any sensible person could classify that as being truly 'Free', when you can't live normally because you're worried about being shot at any moment. What is freedom, without safety?
Other people in less 'open' countries may not be 'free' in the same sense that the USA sees it, but perhaps some of those people feel safer, and don't have the same fears that grip much of the American populace. Perhaps these 'less free' people are more happy?
A lot of it comes down to gun control, quite simply. That seems like such an odd notion to Australians because we have some pretty tight gun control laws now. Guns have no place in a modern globalised urban society, and it really makes the USA look very arcane in the eyes of much of the world (this is 2012, not 1812).
I guess in light of the latest American massacre, how many more kids have to die until a majority of people, or states, are willing to relinquish their grip on their right to bear arms? Moreso, how they can let it continue to happen, time after time, after time. I'm sure there are millions upon millions of Americans who want laws significantly changed/tightened.
Perhaps one day something might change, but it
doesn't look like anything will ever happen. Australia has had tragic massacres too,
but federal laws were changed and now we have some of the toughest gun ownership laws in the world - specifically implemented to reduce the chances of such events happening again.
The USA in 2009 had a gun homicide rate of
3.7 deaths per 100,000 people. Approximately 25 times higher than Australia.
I know what the government of the USA should do, our example speaks for itself, but whether it's own citizens (bizarrely) want it, is another thing.
