I'm from Germany and just want to say that the whole "story" pertaining to mass shootings, the ensuing debates and media coverage thereof are just absolutely mind-boggling from a European point of view. Seriously, it's impossible for me and most likely the overwhelming majority of citizens in those other "1st world countries" you see in those stats to even wrap our heads around what is going on over there... common sense says: you have a problem? Well, then just f'ing fix it! Aforementioned countries seem to have sensible legislation that doesn't keep people from owning firearms and I can hardly see that impacting sales in any major fashion. It might take a few weeks longer until you get to hold that shiny new "toy" in your hands, but hey, I waited 5 months for my Nicolai frame... I survived ;)
My neighbor owns firearms for sporting purposes (German championships and shooting at the range) but he is only allowed to own a certain amount (don't know the numbers...). You can simultaneously only own one of a category (rifle, shotgun, handgun...) and they are registered to your "Waffenbesitzkarte" (WBK=weapon owning permit). He can only buy a firearm by having it registered in his WBK and if he sells one, it has to move from one WBK to another, so it is always clear in whose possession any given firearm is. Buys/sales always have to be applied in advance and need approval. He once had to sell one firearm to acquire another, because he already had maxed out his "allowance" and they said, sorry, you have enough already (there are exceptions to that but under heightened scrutiny). He has to lock the firearms in one safe, ammunition in another. Transport outside of the home is allowed only in a locked case.
I am absolutely ok with my neighbors guns and him owning them along with any of the other unknown to me owners. I never see guns in public other than on law enforcement officers, which is the way I believe it should be. I have no desire to own one myself and see no need to for self protection purposes. I believe that is the way the overwhelming majority of citizens in my country see this issue as well and the stats seem to suggest that sensible legislation can work. Yes, we have had our incidents, but on a totally different scale. There just is no 100% solution... Albeit, legislation alone is not the ultimate fix, it is just as much a mind-set and social issue. Fear mongering and divisiveness are a big part of this.
As a long time passive reader here, I just wanted to put my 2 cents out there. I really liked both of your articles and figured I could post here instead of on yt or wherever else I would just get bashed to oblivion. If you really read all of this.. well, thx! Ride and write on!
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March 8, 2018, 2:35 a.m. - gravitysurfer
I'm from Germany and just want to say that the whole "story" pertaining to mass shootings, the ensuing debates and media coverage thereof are just absolutely mind-boggling from a European point of view. Seriously, it's impossible for me and most likely the overwhelming majority of citizens in those other "1st world countries" you see in those stats to even wrap our heads around what is going on over there... common sense says: you have a problem? Well, then just f'ing fix it! Aforementioned countries seem to have sensible legislation that doesn't keep people from owning firearms and I can hardly see that impacting sales in any major fashion. It might take a few weeks longer until you get to hold that shiny new "toy" in your hands, but hey, I waited 5 months for my Nicolai frame... I survived ;) My neighbor owns firearms for sporting purposes (German championships and shooting at the range) but he is only allowed to own a certain amount (don't know the numbers...). You can simultaneously only own one of a category (rifle, shotgun, handgun...) and they are registered to your "Waffenbesitzkarte" (WBK=weapon owning permit). He can only buy a firearm by having it registered in his WBK and if he sells one, it has to move from one WBK to another, so it is always clear in whose possession any given firearm is. Buys/sales always have to be applied in advance and need approval. He once had to sell one firearm to acquire another, because he already had maxed out his "allowance" and they said, sorry, you have enough already (there are exceptions to that but under heightened scrutiny). He has to lock the firearms in one safe, ammunition in another. Transport outside of the home is allowed only in a locked case. I am absolutely ok with my neighbors guns and him owning them along with any of the other unknown to me owners. I never see guns in public other than on law enforcement officers, which is the way I believe it should be. I have no desire to own one myself and see no need to for self protection purposes. I believe that is the way the overwhelming majority of citizens in my country see this issue as well and the stats seem to suggest that sensible legislation can work. Yes, we have had our incidents, but on a totally different scale. There just is no 100% solution... Albeit, legislation alone is not the ultimate fix, it is just as much a mind-set and social issue. Fear mongering and divisiveness are a big part of this. As a long time passive reader here, I just wanted to put my 2 cents out there. I really liked both of your articles and figured I could post here instead of on yt or wherever else I would just get bashed to oblivion. If you really read all of this.. well, thx! Ride and write on! _()_