Re: Have guns, will travel
Posted by Vimm on .
It does seem like education has a lot to do with it. Perhaps the more educated gun owners are, the less likely their gun is to shoot somebody. You need a license to drive a car so why not a gun? After all, which machine is more deadly?
Well, I'm from Canada. We play the same games and watch a lot of the same TV shows and movies. But we don't have the epidemic of shootings the US has. You're right, we do have guns. The difference is how you get them and what they're used for. You can legally possess a shotgun or hunting rifle only if you take a training course, pass the exam and get your firearms acquisition license (FAC). From there you can take another course and exam, which allows you to buy restricted guns such as handguns. Assault weapons are illegal. Guns are only used for sport, and must be stored properly when not in use (trigger locks, gun safes). Another difference is our history. When we wanted independence from Britain in 1867, we merely asked for it. The US fought for it, and the fighting mentality seems to have stuck around.