Comparing America's ultra-permissive gun laws with other nations

How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries

The breakdown is interesting. The vast majority of the developed world says the buyer actually has to show just cause. Most countries say you have to prove you need one, and they pretty much all have complete gun registries. The NRA has prevented that in America, which radically reduces the effectiveness of any sort of background check, or gun violence study, which the NRA pushed the GOP-led Congress to outlaw anyway. See the Dickey Amendment.

To me, it’s completely insane to treat guns as if the consumer is ordering from Burger King, and it’s “Have it your way.” A sane society puts the onus on the consumer to demonstrate the need for a gun, and keeps track of the whole deal, limits the number — Israel says one gun per person, btw — limits the firepower, forces gun safety at home, or no guns, etc. etc.

I also think the whole “We shouldn’t punish law-abiding citizens for the acts of a few” thing is ludicrous. In no other sphere of law do we take that into consideration when we craft them. We don’t loosen any other kind of civil structure because MOST people don’t break the laws in question. And with guns, the fact is, EVERYONE with a gun is a potential threat, cuz humans get angry and they snap. It only takes one moment of anger for that “law abiding citizen” to shift from that to killer. And the more guns in circulation, the most guns for criminals too. Radically reduce them, radically reduce their firepower, and you, by definition, radically reduce the chances criminals have them.

America is “exceptional” all right. Exceptionally crazy.