(December 31, 2014 at 11:12 am)Vosur Wrote:(December 31, 2014 at 10:49 am)popeyespappy Wrote: I doubt it. Canada's gun laws are very similar to Germany's.Yeah, no, not really. In the USA and Canada, anyone can acquire a firearm for reasons of self-defense. This is not possible in Germany.
Actually it is possible in Germany. Valid reasons for acquiring a firearm in Germany include hunting, target shooting, collection, personal protection (in exceptional circumstances) and security.
Quote:(December 31, 2014 at 10:49 am)popeyespappy Wrote: Plus German civilians have both more guns in raw numbers 25 million versus 10 million and more guns per person 30 per 100 persons versus 25 per 100 persons than Canadian civilians.I'll ignore the fact that you didn't cite a source for those statistics for a moment and get straight to the point: How are those numbers relevant to the conversation?
How are those numbers relevant? Fucking hell, Vosur. Those numbers are what this conversation is about. The availability of firearms and the ability to use those firearms to hurt and kill people.
Despite your protests to the contrary the laws governing the acquisition and possession of firearms in Canada and Germany are very similar. Civilians in neither country have a given right to own firearms. Despite this it is possible for people in both countries to legally acquire and keep them. Both countries require a license to do so. Individuals in both countries must undergo a background check to obtain a license. I'm not sure about Germany, but in Canada you have to supply a third party reference in order to obtain a firearms license. Both countries have restrictions on the types and number of firearms as well as the type and amount of ammunition gun owners are allowed to have.
Yes there are some differences. In Canada you aren't required to provide a valid reason to possess a firearm. In Germany you are. However the valid reasons in Germany are much the same as the reasons most Canadians would own a gun. Despite this difference Germans still have a higher number of guns per population than Canadians do. So apparently having to provide a valid reason isn't really that much of an impediment to owning a gun in Germany when compared to Canada.
As far as sources go the numbers I have been using come from gunpolicy.org. An Australian site that partners with the World Health Organisation's Global Campaign for Violence Prevention and the United Nations Program of Action on small arms. The site categorizes gun regulations in both Canada and Germany as restrictive.
Save a life. Adopt a greyhound.