Reporter/camera man murdered.

[AFTT47]

Nap, I'll assume from that you live in the UK. You're profile is of no help as as I have no idea what "Beyond the Wall" means. Assuming you are from the UK, I can understand your befuddlement with the seeming fixation the U.S. has with firearms. We are as flummoxed by the fact that a major 21st century democratic society actually has a queen. It's a cultural thing and those things can run pretty deep.

The U.S. is NOT going to become a gun-free society anytime soon. Don't bother going there because it's not going to happen. It's about as realistic as you guys getting rid of the silly royals and your pansy soccer team and start playing REAL football.

Pissed yet? Good. Now you know how the gun lovers here feel. That's how these cultural things work. It's like religion. It's emotional. As I said up-post, I think the American infatuation with guns is even more emotionally entrenched than it is with Christianity.

The difference is that I can acknowledge how utterly unnecessary and backward the royals are, and I'm all for getting rid of them.

A lot of Americans have a problem addressing the same with their beloved guns however.

You're right it is a cultural thing, but it's still fundamentally different. One's an estabilished ruling society of people that have ruled over the country for hundreds of years. The other is an inanimate object with the sole intention of shooting things.

All in all, not a fair comparison, and another deflection from the fucking problem.

Do you seriously think this issue is remotely related to an inanimate object? It's about the PEOPLE'S right to possess the power granted to them by possession of that inanimate object. Like I said up-thread: Guns = Power to oppose oppressors. Not the government's power. MINE.

Please understand that I'm not necessarily in that camp but I understand it. I understand the mindset as a 56 year-old American that you as a 22 year-old Brit cannot. Believe me, I understand where you're coming from. You have lived all your life in a modern country where people don't feel the least bit set upon because their government doesn't allow them to own guns. You can look at statistics and see that you're safer because of it. The mindset among many people here is much different. The government limiting their personal power like that is seen as very threatening. This country was founded on the principle of primacy of the people - not the government. The government is here to serve us. As long as we are law-abiding, it should not limit us. That's why don't have anything like a queen who is not accountable to us.

This country is not going to be gun-free until the dominant gun-culture goes away and it won't go away by being pushed against. It'll go away when it is won over by trust that won't come easy.