Why The U.S. Is Right And The Rest Of The World Is Wrong About Gun Ownership

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You’ve no doubt heard many people argue that Americans are crazy as evidenced by so many of us fanatically holding on to our guns, and they would argue that a kinder, gentler way of living in our world can only happen when there are fewer guns. The people arguing this typically are either non-Americans or take the idea from non-Americans.

The problem with all of these arguments is that they are wrong. They don’t understand what gun ownership is about at it’s most fundamental level. Anti-gunners say that gun ownership is about wanting to hurt other people. Aside from the fact that these people have, apparently, never actually had a conversation with a gun owner (or they would know that gun owners aren’t looking for excuses to shoot people), anti-gunners misunderstand where the 2nd Amendment right to own guns comes from. Fortunately, someone named Dennis Pratt brilliantly answered a question on Quora.com about this. The question read:

Why does the U.S. think gun ownership is an inalienable right given that literally all of the developed world doesn’t feel the same way?

Pratt answered:

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The Fundamental Right is Self Ownership, Not Gun Ownership
Gun ownership is not a fundamental human ethic [because it has not existed from the beginning of time], but a derived right from a universal human ethic — the right of self-ownership.

Think about that for a minute. Gun ownership is about the right to prevent someone, whether a common thief or robber, would-be assailant, or our own government from taking from you or your family your very lives, liberty, or property (possessions, not just land). In fact, Pratt continues by saying that “In fact, if I do not have the right to defend what I own, I do not actually own it!”

Oh, and for those who still want to argue that we should do it like they do in other parts of the world because… they do it that way in other parts of the world, Pratt has this to say,

Now, the [Original Poster] points out that there are many people in many countries who disagree that we humans have the right to effectively defend our own bodies from anyone, let alone from our rulers! The implication is that, because so many people disagree with us, we must therefore follow their lead and turn over our right to defend ourselves wholly to our rulers.

The thing about universal human rights is that they are true no matter how many people violate them.

Even if everyone in the world succumbed to government indoctrination and sophistry to believe that we do not own ourselves, but that our rulers do, it would still not change fundamental, universal human ethics.

But that’s not the case right now. And we’re just happy that one small part of the world still grudgingly recognizes our human right to defend the most important thing that we own — ourselves.

And we are not particularly interested in giving that up.

And that’s one of the basic things that this site is about: as human beings, you have the right to defend yourself, your loved ones, your liberty, and your property from those who would abuse or take that from you, and that means that you have the right to use whatever means are necessary in that situation even if that means firing a gun. Because, sometimes, that is exactly what it takes to stop violence and oppression.

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37 COMMENTS

  1. What is the result of civilian gun ownership? Crime reduction. Prof. John Lott compared gun ownership with violent crime in every county in the U.S. His study was published by the University of Chicago with the title “More Guns, Less Crime”. After all, what does a criminal prefer, a victim who he knows is unarmed, or a victim who may be armed? Examples: Britain has the strictest gun laws in Europe. It also has the highest violent crime rate in Europe. On the other hand, Switzerland encourages every household to have a gun. It has the lowest violent crime rate in Europe.

    • Proven out by statistics on home invasions when residents are home: US 13%, GB 62%

  2. Look at all the problems that exist in the rest of the world and someone has the audacity to question our ethics, morals, or values. The important question is how come they all wish they were us!

  3. Yeah that is like back in 2004, when an Indian member of the U.N. actually said that people don’t have rights, Only Governments have rights! Unquote. The u.n. Should be told to get their asses out of this country! As they see themselves as the rulers of the entire world! A LONG WAY FROM THEIR ORIGINAL MISSION, OF NEGOTIATING WITH HOSTILES TO TRY TO PREVENT ANOTHER MAJOR WAR! DIPLOMATS ARE NOT BLOODY RULERS! JUST LITTE MICE! TIME TO LET THE CAT HUNT!!!

  4. What other people don’t understand about American gun ownership is the fact that we have a strong military but that is not all we have, if a hostile nation were to invade America they would be fighting our military and the average citizen who owns a gun we would not be helpless like other countries that do not have private gun owners, sure we would be facing soldiers but we would not be gunned down without a fight, when someone is shooting at you whether it is civilians or soldiers you have a tendency of taking them seriously so instead of being slaughtered we have a chance by owning a gun of living. That is why Japan did not try to invade during WW11 they knew private citizens had guns and would use them

    • another reason we have got to keep our guns, our own government is selling us down the drain
      Beware the Useful Idiots
      submitted by Garret Geer
      Recall that Hillary did her college thesis on his writings and Obama writes about him in his books.
      Saul Alinsky died about 43 years ago, but his writings influenced those in political control of our nation today.
      Died: June 12, 1972, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

      Education: University of Chicago
      Spouse: Irene Alinsky
      Books: Rules for Radicals, Reveille for Radicals
      Anyone out there think that this stuff isn’t happening today in the U.S.?
      All eight rules are currently in play.
      How to create a social state by Saul Alinsky:
      There are eight levels of control that must be obtained before you are able to create a social state. The first is the most important.
      1) Healthcare – Control healthcare and you control the people.
      2) Poverty – Increase the Poverty level as high as possible; poor people are easier to control and will not fight back if you are providing everything for them to live.
      3) Debt – Increase the debt to an unsustainable level. That way you are able to increase taxes, and this will produce more poverty.
      4) Gun Control– Remove the ability to defend themselves from the government. That way you are able to create a police state.
      5) Welfare – Take control of every aspect of their lives (Food, Housing, and Income).
      6) Education – Take control of what people read and listen to – take control of what children learn in school.
      7) Religion – Remove the belief in the God from the government and schools.
      8) Class Warfare – Divide the people into the wealthy and the poor. This will cause more discontent, and it will be easier to take (tax) the wealthy with the support of the poor.
      Does any of this sound like what is happening to the United States?
      Alinsky merely simplified Vladimir Lenin’s original scheme for world conquest by communism, under Russian rule. Stalin described his converts as “Useful Idiots.”
      The Useful Idiots have destroyed every nation in which they have seized power and control. It is presently happening at an alarming rate in the U.S.
      “It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.”

      • You’ve got that right… Time to take OUR country back! It belongs to we the people.. Not the government!! The time is now. Militias will rise again… And free its people once again!!

    • Why did Japan bomb Pearl Harbor instead of California? Because they said there would be a gun behind every blade of grass. that is just one reason we have guns the other is to stop our government from taking over like Stalin and Hitler did. take away our guns and we cannot fight back. keep our guns and they would not dare.

  5. I compare guns to automobiles = one loose NUT( drunk or terrorist ) behind the wheel can and dose cause disasters= one loose NUT behind the trigger of any gun can do the same = remove ALL guns period. “Military to be included FIRST”. – DO YOU DARE! That would include all the BIG boy toys like BOMBS & cannons and tanks too. ANY thing that includes the Means of mass DESTRUCTION !! When you rid the world of that FIRST then I would give up my gun willingly.

  6. Where in the 2nd Amendment does it GIVE us the RIGHT to keep and bear arms?!?! IT DOESN’T!!

    Read the text and explanation below and you will see that the 2nd Amendment RESTRICTS (PROTECTS US FROM) the gubbermint from INFRINGING on our ALREADY God given right to self defense!!

    Text of the 2nd Amendment:
    A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
    And you gun grabbers conveniently disregard what the 2nd Amendment ACTUALLY MEANS!!!!
    What part of “…[t]he right of THE PEOPLE to keep (have/possess) and bear (CARRY) Arms, shall not be infringed.” do YOU NOT understand. The right of the people means, THE INDIVIDUAL has the right, NOT referring to an army (collective right).
    Research what was meant by the founding fathers when they referred to “A well regulated Militia”. Back then, they meant EVERY able-bodied man who knew how to handle a gun (meaning well trained) WAS the Militia!
    You must remember that the founding fathers used the meanings of the words when they wrote them, NOT THE MEANINGS USED TODAY!
    Considering the fact that if a man wanted his family to have MEAT, he had to go HUNTING to KILL an animal, USUALLY WITH A GUN/RIFLE! (You DO realize that back in the 1700’s, there were NO grocery stores with REFRIGERATED meat displays, where the woman of the house could go to buy a steak or roast to fix for dinner that night!?!?) SO MOST men WERE well trained, therefore WERE “well regulated” the Militia!

    • this is why we need our guns. so that we can not be taken over by our government from with in. Like Hitler did to Germany take away our guns and they can walk in and take over, AND they are almost there guns is all they have left to take.
      Beware the Useful Idiots
      submitted by Garret Geer
      Recall that Hillary did her college thesis on his writings and Obama writes about him in his books.
      Saul Alinsky died about 43 years ago, but his writings influenced those in political control of our nation today.
      Died: June 12, 1972, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

      Education: University of Chicago
      Spouse: Irene Alinsky
      Books: Rules for Radicals, Reveille for Radicals
      Anyone out there think that this stuff isn’t happening today in the U.S.?
      All eight rules are currently in play.
      How to create a social state by Saul Alinsky:
      There are eight levels of control that must be obtained before you are able to create a social state. The first is the most important.
      1) Healthcare – Control healthcare and you control the people.
      2) Poverty – Increase the Poverty level as high as possible; poor people are easier to control and will not fight back if you are providing everything for them to live.
      3) Debt – Increase the debt to an unsustainable level. That way you are able to increase taxes, and this will produce more poverty.
      4) Gun Control– Remove the ability to defend themselves from the government. That way you are able to create a police state.
      5) Welfare – Take control of every aspect of their lives (Food, Housing, and Income).
      6) Education – Take control of what people read and listen to – take control of what children learn in school.
      7) Religion – Remove the belief in the God from the government and schools.
      8) Class Warfare – Divide the people into the wealthy and the poor. This will cause more discontent, and it will be easier to take (tax) the wealthy with the support of the poor.
      Does any of this sound like what is happening to the United States?
      Alinsky merely simplified Vladimir Lenin’s original scheme for world conquest by communism, under Russian rule. Stalin described his converts as “Useful Idiots.”
      The Useful Idiots have destroyed every nation in which they have seized power and control. It is presently happening at an alarming rate in the U.S.
      “It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.”

    • Don’t forget that “the militia” was composed of every able bodied man in the colony, NOT just the “Paid professional” soldier. Lots of Libtards, would be happy to define Militia as the armed forces, ie National Guard, US Army, Navy, etc. That is NOT the intent of the 2nd Amendment. The militia back when the Constitution was formulated, was composed of every single, able-bodied citizen of the country.

  7. It was always taught to me when I was in school it was to prevent our Government from taking our rights away and to preserve our Constitution. Also to have a militia to stop invaders! I still believe in both of those statements. There was and I don’t know if it still exist what they called the home guard!

  8. Despite what others might say, the above makes sense to me. Of course, being hard headed and old fashioned, I still hold to the premise that 2+2=4, it not having been demonstrated to be otherwise.

  9. In America, we are sovereign citizens. We are not subjects of the State! If our Gov’t fears an armed populace, good, that is as it should be, they work for us, not the other way around!

  10. The People are the well from which The Militia is drawn.
    The words “…well regulated…” in 18th Century parlance meant, and still means, “supplied/provisioned and trained”; most definitely NOT “constricted in word and deed by government bureaucratic laws, rules and regulations”.
    World News Today:
    The Czech Republic, alone among EU member states, may soon amend it’s constitution by including something very close to our Second Amendment. This, in light of terroristic predation that occurs too close for comfort and the clear, reasonable and sane realization that their armed citizenry constitute a domestic militia, a first line of defense vs. Clear And Present Danger.
    Predictably, the Nation Wreckers in Brussels don’t like this because…well, the scum are nation wreckers.
    Tensions between the EU and Czech Republic/Poland/Hungary and Slovakia re: their brilliant refusal to admit the Migrant Mudslide may well lead to an Eastern Euro version of BREXIT; only without the Central Governments thwarting the will and intent of The People, as is the offensive case in Globalist Stooge ruled UK.
    The Czech example re: personal weapons, if also emulated by other Eastern AND Western Euro nations AND The UK…which had that freedom taken away historically recently… would be validation of the core principle…jammed right into the sniveling faces of Statist Totalitarians throughout Europe, and The World.

  11. A well armed citicen is whay keeps away a radical government from abusing its citicens. That is the prime reason the founding fathers wrote the 2nd Amentment. All the gun-hating politicions are afrait they get their ass blown away if they try to CONTROL every aspect of the people’s life.

  12. our own government is getting to where we will have to take up arms against them they are trying to take down our President because they are the swamp, they are so busy on taking him down they are not working for the people but themselves so their elected sear is no longer necessary and should be eliminated they are working for a global order instead of working for the USA
    Beware the Useful Idiots
    submitted by Garret Geer
    Recall that Hillary did her college thesis on his writings and Obama writes about him in his books.
    Saul Alinsky died about 43 years ago, but his writings influenced those in political control of our nation today.
    Died: June 12, 1972, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

    Education: University of Chicago
    Spouse: Irene Alinsky
    Books: Rules for Radicals, Reveille for Radicals
    Anyone out there think that this stuff isn’t happening today in the U.S.?
    All eight rules are currently in play.
    How to create a social state by Saul Alinsky:
    There are eight levels of control that must be obtained before you are able to create a social state. The first is the most important.
    1) Healthcare – Control healthcare and you control the people.
    2) Poverty – Increase the Poverty level as high as possible; poor people are easier to control and will not fight back if you are providing everything for them to live.
    3) Debt – Increase the debt to an unsustainable level. That way you are able to increase taxes, and this will produce more poverty.
    4) Gun Control– Remove the ability to defend themselves from the government. That way you are able to create a police state.
    5) Welfare – Take control of every aspect of their lives (Food, Housing, and Income).
    6) Education – Take control of what people read and listen to – take control of what children learn in school.
    7) Religion – Remove the belief in the God from the government and schools.
    8) Class Warfare – Divide the people into the wealthy and the poor. This will cause more discontent, and it will be easier to take (tax) the wealthy with the support of the poor.
    Does any of this sound like what is happening to the United States?
    Alinsky merely simplified Vladimir Lenin’s original scheme for world conquest by communism, under Russian rule. Stalin described his converts as “Useful Idiots.”
    The Useful Idiots have destroyed every nation in which they have seized power and control. It is presently happening at an alarming rate in the U.S.
    “It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.”

  13. I am retired Police Lt. from Ct. All police Officers will tell you that the public are always saying “where a policeman when you rely need one”. There are not enough policeman to protect the public. President Bush understood the need for Police Officers to always be armed to protect the public. He gave us the right to carry our guns any where in the US even after we retire. I will always be ready to protect my fellow
    man.

    • I to am a retired peace officer. After my retirement I packed a gun even though it was illegal. My thinking was that I would rather be judged by twelve than carried by six.

  14. As long as Citizens have guns we are safer. BIT! Obama’s open borders, illegal criminals and Refugees that were picked by UN, that’s run by Middle Eastern countries, the Refugees were not vetted. We can’t be overrun by countries that don’t want our culture and belief.
    The covering of the face has to go. We have no idea who is behind the cover. Refugees get Welfare, SS and Medicare. They demand more. They are not grateful for being here. Liberal professors teach hate against our Constitution. God BLESS OUR COUNTRY and TRUMP

  15. The largest potential armed Army in the world, by far, is the armed citizens who have hunting licenses in the USA. These people are armed and know how to use their guns. And there are many more citizens who are armed and know how to use their guns than just the hunters. Myself and most of the men I know in my family have never had a hunting license, and yet we all have guns. Japanese WWII General Yamamoto lived in the USA for many years, and he knew that Japan could never invade the USA – as I think he put it “There would be an armed man behind every tree.”

    The USA is not the most heavily armed nation in the world on a per capita basis – I think that honor goes to Switzerland. There every able-bodied adult male citizen is required to have a rifle. How many times has Switzerland been invaded in the last few hundred years? It seems like it is the only European country that has not been invaded in that time. Even Hitler was smart enough to leave little Switzerland alone. I don’t think there is nearly as much gun crime in Switzerland as there is in most countries.

    I also believe the citizens of Finland were heavily armed about 80 years ago because they had not had their government confiscate their weapons. When Finland was invaded by Russia, they put up a very strong resistance to the surprise of the Russians. There is a joke that someone asked a Finish military officer about the Russian invasion, and he admitted that a few hundred thousand Russians still occupied Finland. When asked where they were, the Finnish officer replied “About 6 feet under the Finish – Russian border.”

    The massacre in Las Vegas was terrible. But no one seems to bother to compare the 58 dead in Las Vegas to what happens in Chicago every month. The dead in Chicago is frequently in the 50’s many months. And Chicago has some of the strictest gun laws in the USA, and yet the bad guys still always seem to get guns.

    It still remains true that the best way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.

  16. I have always subscribed to the theory that God created man, and Samuel Colt made them equal. Until the equalization of the handgun, the strongest person or group of people was the winner in any aggressive confrontation. After the handgun, the playing field leveled.

  17. Since it’s the liberals and islamic terrorist doing all the mass shootings, they should not be aloud to own or use a firearm..

  18. I saw at the age of 11, the result, of people having no rights to defend themselves. My dad was in the occupying forces in Germany. I visited Dauchau saw the pictures of Jewish people and you could still smell death there, 8 years after WW2. Read the Diary of Anne Frank and see how a 13 year old never had her dream. That is what happens when you can’t defend from tyrants. No defense. Not all politicans are our protectors.

    • Amend that last statement, Eddie. Change it to “Not many politicians are our protectors.” Most politicians are after their own gain, whether it be power and control, money, influence, or whatever. As you can see by the swamp in Washington, DC, it doesn’t matter which party the politicians belongs to, they almost always try to increase their power and take away OUR power.

  19. You can also place a lot of the blame on our illustrious Public Education System or should I say indoctrination system in cahoots with the dept. of education.
    First they try and teach to a standard and not how to think and evaluate the information in a critical manor. Second, they force feed their political agenda on to the young minds. That is a form of genocide. I for one won’t stand for it!

  20. EACH OF THE STATMENTS IN THESE COMMENTS ARE RIGHT.THE FOREFATHER PLACED THE SECOND AMENDMENT FOR OUR,OUR RIGHT TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM A CORRUPT GOVERNMENT.WE THE PEOPLE ARE TO GOVERN AMERICA NOT THE GOVERNMENT.I THINK THIS NATION HAS GIVEN CONTROL OVER OUR NATION.THIS NATION HAS LOST THEIR MIND.HOW STUPID ARE WE?THERE ARE MORE CITIZENS IN AMERICA THAN ARE IN THIS CORRUPT GOVERNMENT.STOP BEING STUPID YES WE ARE DUMBER THAM A BOX OF ROCKS.TIME TO TAKE AMERICA BACK,RIGHT.WE CAN SET OURSELVES FREE IF WE PUT HONEST PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT,OR WE CAN KISS OUR FREDOMES BY BY. CAN I GET A WITNESS?

  21. I’m 80 years old and can no longer run; so I’ll just have to stand and fight if it comes to that. The worse thing Jimmy Carter ever did was to create the Department of Education! It should be disbanded post haste! Education is a local matter. What we are getting now is indoctrination. Thank God our daughter elected to attend a Baptist University! She only applied to one school. When I questioned her wisdom in the matter, she said, “They’ll take me.”. She was correct; they did “take her”. Of course, it did take both of us to pay off her school loans, but it was worth it. She can shoot, too!

  22. Aw, this was a really nice post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to make a great article… but
    what can I say… I procrastinate a lot and never manage to get nearly anything done.

  23. Basing rights on human philosophy is ascribing a temporary right. All of mankind is subject to change based on facts, and emotion. What is a universal human right can tomorrow become scribes as a universal human wrong.i am an American, and my founders were primarily Christian. They based their rights as inalienable because they were given by a higher authority than any that existed on this planet or any planet. To base rights on less than that, is to eventually compromise those rights because as we look less to God as the author of our rights, the less inalienable they become. Most 2nd amendment deniers are not Christian, at least not inn the sense of biblical Christianity because self defense is not compatible with most socialist world views and socialism is man attempting to replace God on earth.

Comments are closed.