(no subject)
Here in Belgium, I often buy the daily newspaper to improve my French comprehension. It’s always interesting to get a European perspective on world events, especially things that go on in the U.S. (and especially funny to see their blatant leftist portrayals of Dubya that would never fly in a paper where we’re from.)
After hearing about what happened at Virginia Tech, I said to myself “Oh god, here we go,” knowing that I was going to get a lot of shit about crazy Americans shooting each other just like any other day. I was glad (and I hesitate to use any word like “glad” in talking about an unnecessary tragedy as such) to hear that the shooter was not in fact American, but yet a foreign student. That way, when some fuckhead European approaches me wanting to condemn me and my country for mass murder, I can at least defend myself in saying he wasn’t American. However, I do share the question and anger of many Americans- How come it’s so easy, even for a foreign exchange student, to obtain weapons like this?
I found an article yesterday on the issue. I’ve translated it for your reading pleasure, but not just that (because I’m sure y’all have been exposed to much more media coverage than me). I’m posting the translated article to give you an example of how a European may come across not just this event, but many issues in the world and in the U.S.
---La culture de l’arme à feu (The firearm culture) : Laurent Tourneux
A 23 year old student who kills 32 people at his university. It was April 16, on an American campus. An of course, it wasn’t the first time…
Never has a myth been so close to reality. Last week, the killing of Blackburg threw in the face of the world the image of the easy shooting American cowboy. And emotion is filling the country. This tragedy reawakens the debate for a legislation that, in every occidental state, is the most permissive of them all. But, how is it that in the United States it is so easy to obtain firearms?
Flashback. In the 17 century, pioneers armed themselves to hunt food: they hunted wild turkeys. Then, there was the settlement of the West: it was about defending themselves from the dangers of nature and Native Americans. Finally, during a very long period, America didn’t have an army: to protect themselves, the people constituted militias. It’s in this logic that they adopted, in 1791, the second amendment of the American Constitution. It allows citizens to own guns. But this was 200 years ago! And the text hasn’t been revisited since.
The National Rifle Association
Back to 2007. For every tragedy like this in America, and this isn’t the first, the public opinion rises to say “No!” to firearms and calls for a new legislation. New laws have already been proposed, but nothing happens. Why?
At this point, you must understand what “lobby” is. It’s a group, an organization, or an association that defends their interests, finances, polices, or professionals, by using pressure on lawmakers or influential people. And in the United States, there are a lot of lobbies.
The NRA is made up of people who own guns. They protect and invoke strenuously the 2nd amendment. But above all, their financial power allows them to influence many candidates’ electoral campaigns. Thus, all the while being citizens with guns in their pockets, they are as just as equally the political men and women of the country. Result: whenever there are legislative debates, the new law propositions against firearms are often rejected or stripped of their content. In all, they become ineffective.
Of course, this doesn’t explain everything. Massacres like this are the work of unbalanced minds. But the law makes the act much easier. The 23 year old student who killed 32 people, just before killing himself, spent some time in a psychiatric hospital in December 2005.
And in Belgium?
In the United States, all citizens have the right to bear arms. In Belgium, we have to give an example.
On December 29, 2006, a stop was put into effect of the contents the law of 1933, concerning the owning of firearms. Those who want to own a gun have to:
1. present different hunting permits and licenses.
2. show a necessity to own a gun.
3. prove that they have already taken every reliable measure for their personal safety.
4. show the historic, folkloric, cultural, or scientific meaning of the firearm and intent to use it only for those purposes.---
After hearing about what happened at Virginia Tech, I said to myself “Oh god, here we go,” knowing that I was going to get a lot of shit about crazy Americans shooting each other just like any other day. I was glad (and I hesitate to use any word like “glad” in talking about an unnecessary tragedy as such) to hear that the shooter was not in fact American, but yet a foreign student. That way, when some fuckhead European approaches me wanting to condemn me and my country for mass murder, I can at least defend myself in saying he wasn’t American. However, I do share the question and anger of many Americans- How come it’s so easy, even for a foreign exchange student, to obtain weapons like this?
I found an article yesterday on the issue. I’ve translated it for your reading pleasure, but not just that (because I’m sure y’all have been exposed to much more media coverage than me). I’m posting the translated article to give you an example of how a European may come across not just this event, but many issues in the world and in the U.S.
---La culture de l’arme à feu (The firearm culture) : Laurent Tourneux
A 23 year old student who kills 32 people at his university. It was April 16, on an American campus. An of course, it wasn’t the first time…
Never has a myth been so close to reality. Last week, the killing of Blackburg threw in the face of the world the image of the easy shooting American cowboy. And emotion is filling the country. This tragedy reawakens the debate for a legislation that, in every occidental state, is the most permissive of them all. But, how is it that in the United States it is so easy to obtain firearms?
Flashback. In the 17 century, pioneers armed themselves to hunt food: they hunted wild turkeys. Then, there was the settlement of the West: it was about defending themselves from the dangers of nature and Native Americans. Finally, during a very long period, America didn’t have an army: to protect themselves, the people constituted militias. It’s in this logic that they adopted, in 1791, the second amendment of the American Constitution. It allows citizens to own guns. But this was 200 years ago! And the text hasn’t been revisited since.
The National Rifle Association
Back to 2007. For every tragedy like this in America, and this isn’t the first, the public opinion rises to say “No!” to firearms and calls for a new legislation. New laws have already been proposed, but nothing happens. Why?
At this point, you must understand what “lobby” is. It’s a group, an organization, or an association that defends their interests, finances, polices, or professionals, by using pressure on lawmakers or influential people. And in the United States, there are a lot of lobbies.
The NRA is made up of people who own guns. They protect and invoke strenuously the 2nd amendment. But above all, their financial power allows them to influence many candidates’ electoral campaigns. Thus, all the while being citizens with guns in their pockets, they are as just as equally the political men and women of the country. Result: whenever there are legislative debates, the new law propositions against firearms are often rejected or stripped of their content. In all, they become ineffective.
Of course, this doesn’t explain everything. Massacres like this are the work of unbalanced minds. But the law makes the act much easier. The 23 year old student who killed 32 people, just before killing himself, spent some time in a psychiatric hospital in December 2005.
And in Belgium?
In the United States, all citizens have the right to bear arms. In Belgium, we have to give an example.
On December 29, 2006, a stop was put into effect of the contents the law of 1933, concerning the owning of firearms. Those who want to own a gun have to:
1. present different hunting permits and licenses.
2. show a necessity to own a gun.
3. prove that they have already taken every reliable measure for their personal safety.
4. show the historic, folkloric, cultural, or scientific meaning of the firearm and intent to use it only for those purposes.---