Glocks and Nazi memorabilia: I'd get in trouble at home for what I saw at a US gun show

The Austrian reporter linked below writes about the stark differences between his country, ironically the maker of the Glock, and the US. It's a short article about the differences between the countries, including Nazi memorabilia (still illegal to sell or display in Germany and Austria), and his thoughts on it. Funnily, he sees the Nazi stuff and asks about White Supremacists. The seller responds "they lose interest when they hear the prices". A real Nazi dagger goes for $6K, so all those carried by the White Supremacists are most likely fakes. As much bullshit as they are.

What attracted me to the article was the "I'd get in trouble at home" comment. Anti-gun Democrats keep wanting to turn the US into "the old country", to be just like Europe. What they fail to understand is that the US is different from both the "old country" and all other former English colonies: We're the only one to revolt, kick out the King and forge our own nation. Although Austria, like many Euro nations, is a Republic, they still have royaly running around. Canada still puts the Queen of England on their money as does Australia. The US? No royalty and the Queen is just a nice old lady who hands out knighthoods to actors. Although the human world probably will come closer as time, the regional histories and cultures of many parts of the world will still remain with the local populations.

So, will Americans still be more independent and willing to fight for that independence in another 100 years? I believe so. It's part of our historical and cultural tapestry no matter how many Democrats seek to erase it and make us more like the Europeans they seek us to become.

FWIW, that might explain some of our affinity for the Israelis; they're fiercely independent and willing to go it alone despite all odds because they know what happens if they have to depend upon others for their own lives.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opin...ow-felt-forbidden-austrian-column/1662691002/
...My reaction may seem ironic to many Americans aware that I come from the country that produces the most popular handgun in the U.S. — the Glock. Yet, it would be nearly impossible for me to own a Glock or any handgun in Austria.

Austria has very strict gun regulations. In a country of 8.8 million people, only 306,000 own guns (compared to nearly 400 million guns owned in the U.S.)....

 

400 mil. guns in the US? That is more than one (1) gun per person. And subtracting the kids and those sitting in jails and nurseries, it is more like three guns per able- bodied American!!! Is it any wonder they start shooting each other?

 

Yes about more guns than people. Is that a problem? Hunters often need more than one type of gun depending upon what is being hunted and where just like fishermen need different types of rods, reels and lures/bait. Others may collect handguns, especially old ones. I have a small collection of older military bolt action rifles.

Because liberals can't control gang violence in their own cities, why do you want to deprive me of my gun collection?

 

How does that make any logical sense?

 

I forgot the hunting part. Just as we own more than one knife.
O.k., enjoy your gun collection

 

It makes sense from a gun-grabbing, sodapop banning liberal point of view.

 

Thanks, I will.....of course I like to hunt hogs with AKs and SKSs soooooo......this is correct.

 

Makes a lot of sense!
The estimation is that about 1,000 people get shot worldwide each day. About 250-350 shootings a day occur in the US.
Every day, 96 Americans are killed with guns and hundreds more are shot and injured.

 

All true. How many are murdered vs. how many are committing suicide? If the suicides didn't have a gun would that cure them? They wouldn't try to kill themselves?

How many Americans are killed each year in auto accidents? About 3-4 times as many of those who are murdered by guns.

 

The bulk of those killed in the US are suicides and lawful self defense.

 

Sadly, it's Liberal gang-bangers who do the rest.

 

Did someone forget about the former British colony of India?

 

Ahhhhh! No!


Although suicide is a significant proportion of gun deaths lawful self defence is miniscule

 

Ahhh! This is the one I need

 

You would reduce your suicide rate

 

Europe has a terrible history in the way they treat each other. Not sure we (conservatives) want to emulate that.

 

I have a bunch of guns. None of them have killed anyone, even left unsupervised. They have strict orders to behave.

 

Who? The guns or the dogs??

 

Don't have any dogs. I have many guns. I have a pile of guns. Damn near an arsenal. Lots of ammo too. The wife and I were discussing buying a pair of pistols tonight. She read an article about a new pistol that has come out. She likes guns too. My guns are inanimate objects. They don't do anything unless I do it. It's already illegal for criminals to own weapons. It's already illegal for people to assault people with guns. Murder is already legal. Maybe passing another law will work. Yeah, that's it. Make shooting an innocent person twice as illegal. Oh, then there's the double jeopardy thing. That won't work. You to you propose to cut gun crimes? We have 10s of millions of people that own guns that have never committed a crime.

Don't know where you got dogs from since I didn't mention dogs.

 

I bet you can't figure out what is missing from your little graph?

 

Your graph doesnt even show self defense (unless its grouping self defense in with 'assault')...

You'll notice I said suicide and self defense. As in both.
Neither is a legitimate worry for the average law abiding citizen to be injured or die from.

 

The whole of western Europe needs to adopt the Swiss model of gun ownership.

The Swiss don't seem to have a problem with guns.

 

They didn't revolt and toss out the Brits; they followed peaceful civil disobedience and the Brits gave up and left. Let's not forget that it was also 1947 and the British Empire was a shell of its former self. Devastated by WWII with a global death tally of over 70 million, it was also the era of Israel rising and the rise of the Soviet Empire into a nuclear power.

There's a notable difference between being given one's independence by the British Parliament signing a piece of paper and forcing the King's General to surrender his army and hand over his sword. This, IMO, is why Canucks and Aussies don't understand Americans; it's a fundamental cultural difference in how their nations began.

 

Agreed although in my case, my two Mosin-Nagants and SKSs may have been used by Soviet allies to kill Westerners. No way to know for sure. OTOH, none of my firearms have ever harmed anyone while in my possession.

 

Agreed they have over 2000 years of butchering each other and also agreed it's not a model to follow; neither the history of violence nor the willingness to bow down to a totalitarian leader such as a monarchy, a communist politburo or a fascist leader.

OTOH, "modern conservatives" treat the half of voting Americans who disagree with them much like the Euros treat each other.