When the Paris terrorist attacks occurred on Friday, the article that got the most traffic on TTAG was this this one about French gun laws. Tens of thousands read it and they learned that France has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world. Just about all the guns the jihadis used and everything they did was illegal. Semi-auto rifles require a special license which, you’ll be surprised to learn, the terrorists didn’t have. You can only transport a gun to and from approved ranges, which the terrorists most definitely did not. And the list goes on. So now given the success of French gun laws at preventing the carnage, the European Union is apparently preparing to enact more gun control measures, specifically an “assault weapons ban” based solely on cosmetic features . . .
From UK Shooting News:
A Polish newspaper article (in Polish) reveals that a source referred to as “PAP” – evidently some kind of shooters’ association, though its exact identity is lost in translation – disclosed the proposals yesterday.
Central to the proposal is a ban on all semi-automatic rifles “similar to that used by the military”. While UK Shooting News is relying on Google Translate, translations of this concept from other reports on the same topic seem to indicate that the EU wants to go down the American route of banning firearms from civilian ownership depending on their looks.
(Read the entire EU proposal here.)
In the wake of mass murder, EU is preparing a knee-jerk reaction to the Paris attacks, impotently lashing out in the only way they know how: by further restricting law abiding citizens without actually going after criminals.
The concept of an “assault weapons” ban has pretty much been proven to be completely ineffective. In 2013 even the assiduously anti-gun Obama Administration Department of Justice issued a memo detailing why an “assault weapons” ban would do exactly nothing to stop criminals and “mass shooters.” There’s no reason to believe a similar law would be any more effective in Europe.
No one is saying that the attacks in Paris weren’t heinous, and that something must be done to combat the terrorist threat. The difference is in how to go about it. The EU parliament seems to think that further punishing their citizens and restricting their ability to defend themselves is the best way to fight jihadi-perpetrated attacks. A better solution would be to actually go after the people responsible. Or allowing Europeans to defend themselves using deadly force. But no one expects anything that drastic any time soon.
Double ban all guns! And make murder super illegal.
And KEEP GUNS LOUD! /sarc too
This sounds particularly bad in that it is a potential “EU Wide Ban on Weapons”, not simply a national one. The Czech’s for example have pretty decent gun laws. I suppose this sort of ban would wipe that out, and put them on par with the rest of the disarmed European subjects.
It is similar to California, Hawaii, and NY trying to force their gun laws onto Idaho, Montana, and Florida.
You forgot Colorado.
“After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn’t do it. I sure as hell wouldn’t want to live in a society where the only people allowed guns are the police and the military.”
–William S. Burroughs; Grand Street, no. 37 & The War Universe (1992)
Double ban all guns AND put them on double secret probation. That should fix it. NOT.
It’s called: This is what it looks like when your neighbors want you dead. This is what it looks like when someone disarms you for the next civil war.
This is it. They aren’t doing this to protect French citizens form Jihadis. They are doing the to protect the EU oligarchs from French citizens.
“… Just about all the guns the jihadis used and everything they did was illegal. ”
Obviously what they did wasn’t illegal enough. Just a few more laws making killing people illegaler will do the trick!
“Illegaler”
Great word, I’m surprised it isn’t used daily in the Antis arguments.
This won’t stop until all these weapons are made illegalest!!!! That’ll certainly do the trick!
Illegalest times infinity with no take-backsies! That will show a culture based around hate for the “infadell”. Yep keep trying lefties.
In the light of this latest carnage the EU should also pass regs limiting the use of C4, Semtex and hand grenades. The fact that murder has been considered anti-social and illegal for millennia eludes them.
Information is what they need! We need to educate the terrorists that violence is not acceptable. Books, not bombs!
Yep–ban the suicide vests and make sure that you discourage harsh language too. It might offend someone.
Furtil ground for smuggled guns from Croatia and Serbia. Concerned German citizens get them from that pipeline.
This +1..they have an excellent supply system over there. Croatia, Serbia.and experience.
Going after the people responsible for these attacks is one thing… which governments will do poorly, stepping on as many innocent individuals as they deem necessary. On the other hand, there isn’t a chance that any of them will repeal any of the barriers to individuals who would seek to take responsibility for their own safety, whether through obtaining adequate arms or otherwise.
Unfortunately, most of the EU folks have been carefully conditioned for centuries to make that last very unlikely, even if all of the governments collapsed tomorrow. They’d still be victims, unprepared to deal with much of anything on their own. Even more unfortunately, there are a great many people in America with the same problem.
So, it seems a bit silly to me to even discuss what governments might do – regardless of how silly this “gun control” thing is. Guns are only a small part of what the governments want to control… their true goal is total control, and the guns are simply a barrier to them.
The only answer to any of it is: NO. I will not comply. Your move…
There is a BIG difference between the EU and the US. Here, most of us have a choice. A choice to arm ourselves or not. Go watch the Westgate Mall shooting video. I can tell you with absolute certainty that every single one of their victims who were systematically hunted down and murdered was praying to God to save them and wishing they had a gun. Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. And what you can do is carry every day everywhere. We are the first responders.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
^^THIS.
We will NOT be disarmed, we will NOT commit cultural suicide in the name of submissive political correctness (which at its very core is an ideology based on total capitulation), and we will NOT go quietly into that good night.
Buy a gun. Train. Buy your friend a gun and have him train with you.
.
Get ready. Its coming.
Word.
“Islam”, from the Arabic, means “submission”.
Political Correctness means: submission
Fascism means: submission.
Words mean things. Pay attention to who is using them and in what context.
+100.
‘Do not go gentle into that good night’
Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_not_go_gentle_into_that_good_night
Some french politician must have heard somebody utter the words ” self defense “.. France can’t have any resistance when Islam has them on the ropes.
More Europeans will die because of their own lack of wisdom.
Unfortunately, some Europeans will die because of some other Europeans’ lack of wisdom.
Yep the shooters community in my country (CZ) is all soo happy with this EU drivel.
It’s a EUthanasia of people’s freedom…
I like your post.
That’s very EU …
Something is illegal and happens anyway ?? Oh ok, let’s make it more illegal, so it doesn’t happen anymore …
I can’t understand this logic.
Honestly, I don’t like that either pro gun (which I am as a gun owner) and anti gun use what happened in Paris to promote their political agendas. But I do think that if there was more rifles on the windows than smartphones, things maybe a little different.
I’m not saying that the problem will be fixed if everybody had weapons, but it will make it harder for the terrorists to achieve such a high number of victims.
Making weapons illegal based on their look is stupid. AKs are illegal in France. Full auto AKs are even more illegal. Did it prevent the attacks to happens ? No. So why do they think that making it more more more illegal will prevent anything, even more taking in account that most of them blew up themselves ?? Looks like the guys don’t care about what they can face after they commit their crimes !!
That’s pure politics. Trying to push news laws to give the impression that they’re doing something useful when all they’re doing is promote themselves using people fear and emotional state.
I’m living in Switzerland, and this is not happening here. We have a strong weapons culture, and I hope it won’t change. But if this changes, is there any chances that you guys in the US accept a couple of Swiss guys in your country as political refugees ?? Don’t worry, we’re honest and hard workers, not criminals or lazy guys ! Plus we like guns as much as you 🙂
I think I can safely say that you’d be very welcome in Wyoming. 🙂 Cost of living is fairly low, low taxes, and almost everyone has and loves guns. Thing is… don’t wait until things deteriorate too far there… you might not make it out.
Could sure use a couple of nice, friendly and industrious Swiss folks as neighbors here. 🙂
It’s good to know that we are welcome 🙂 I’ll keep that in mind !
You’re welcome here as long as you bring the knives and clocks.
and lots of CHOCOLATE!
And as much 7.5 Swiss as you can carry.
@Rokurota: THIS! More 7.5x55mm please!
No problem ! We’ve got lots of chocolate ! Very good chocolates. I always bring lots of chocolates when I go visit my friends in Philly 😀
That’s fun because I just realized that the two countries in EU that share passion for chocolate share passion for weapons. Belgium have really good chocolate too, and as everybody knows, nice weapons too 🙂
Oh no, don’t say that. Next, progressives are going to ban chocolate because of the _obvious_ (spurious) correlation.
Ok, both things are easy to find here around ! Even if I have the typical swiss army knife (which by the way is grey and not red :D) I like some of the ones made in the us by your knife makers ! They’re just awesome and very well crafted, exactly the kind of thing that could have been made here in Switzerland !
REAL “Swiss Army Knives” are made by Victorinox AG or Wenger SA: both in Schweizerische. Wenger is now part of Victorinox.
Actually, there’s two versions (or at least, there use to be two versions). A grey one, in aluminium that is nearly identical to the “pioneer” model you can find on their website, and a bigger one that is green and black, really different from the “traditional” look of the swiss army knife and that is the one you get(since 2008 i guess), article number is : 0.8461.MWCH.
One of the things that make the swiss army knifes different from the ones you can find in shops is that they never have cork drivers as you’re not supposed to drink while in the army 😀
And one of their screw drivers can be use to start the Puch (our “jeep”) …
Other than this, all products from either victorInox or Wenger are very good 🙂
Based on my limited experience 20+ years ago with trying to get a work visa for a Canadian doctor (which we could not accomplish even with a call to a Congressman with 20 years seniority!) I would say that you would probably have to sneak in with the illegals. Preferably with a few jihadists in the car. Then our government would welcome you.
Hmmm, ok …
I could sneak in, with the jihadist. In the trunk. With a whole bunch of venomous snakes. That’s the only way I’ll share a car with these guys. And if they’re still alive, we can study the ballistics of our 7.5 (GP11) 😀
C’mon over… not to stereotype, but if you slip some good cheese into your luggage you’ll be even more welcome, and we can barter for guns and ammo 🙂
No problem, I’ll bring cheese with me. But I have a problem … I can’t bring raw milk (non pasteurized) cheese to the US. That’s sad because this are the best cheese ! Good milk from cows living in the mountains at 2000m (around 6500 feet). If you guys come to Switzerland, send me a message, I’ll make sure you have some of these cheese !
any chances that you guys in the US accept a couple of Swiss guys in your country as political refugees ? You would fit right in moving to Berne Indiana.
Sprechen Sie Schweizerdeutsch?
Ich spreche ein wenig Schweizerdeutsch aber nicht sehr gut ! I’m living in the French speaking part of Switzerland, but we all learned a bit of Schweitzerdeutsch while in the army 🙂
You cannot understand the logic because the motives of the EU are not as they state.
I personally would love to have you. But if you apply, I’d advise you not to say the things you said on your application. I don’t think our current administration would find you desirable. T
Say you hate America, hate the West, hate Christians, and vow to destroy all we stand for. That should get you fast-tracked.
They would do better to ban Islam, since its the one thing all the terrorists have in common.
Why not pass a law banning wars? If only the French had known that in 1939 they could have saved themselves all that trouble with the Germans.
That’s it! Remove the AK vending machines from the Brussels train station.
Or clean up the parks–since the attacker, er, misguided youth just happened to stumble across one there and brought it along on his trip to Paris.
Right. I’m sure terrorists will take the time to learn how to properly convert semi auto guns to fully auto instead of just using the black market. This is clearly an expectation grounded in reality. (facepalm)
Why hasn’t anyone outlawed Suicide Vests?!?!!? You guys are missing an obvious one. Ban those Suicide Vests and you remove the terrorists’ favorite weapon. I don’t know why the EU hasn’t enacted Common Sense suicide vest control.
“Why hasn’t anyone outlawed Suicide Vests?”
Because it’s a part of jihadi ‘culture’ that we, as the ‘politically correct’, must respect.
*gag*
It’s the liberal mindset of ignorance, they were shot with guns so guns are bad so we must ban guns. No more thought needed.
“Inside every Liberal is a Tyrant screaming to get out… Tyrants don’t have to justify anything. True Liberals shouldn’t have to justify anything either, so there…”
–Fractals ‘R Us, Mar 24, 2014
It’ll pass too, as the Europeans are used to being told what to do.
Already voting citizens please register and refrain from further violence. We stand with you… Incoming refugees, we’ll take your word on it…
What is the definition of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. It’s a shame given the rich history of old Europe, but the continent is lost. What happened in Paris will happen again and again in Europe. European leaders refuse to change the calculus that led to Paris instead preferring to appear to do something while doing nothing since it makes the feel good.
Good ole “progressive” gov’t; keeping you weak and reliant on them, making it so you need them and so you keep them in power.
Someone should let them know progressing into tyranny isn’t progress.
I guess when it comes to gun-control mentality, nothing succeeds like utter failure.
This just happened to be the EXACT solution I came up with to help France out of this jam.
When I served a year in OEF, under a NATO Command, I had the privilege of working with several French Officers and the French Army. Two the guys were French Foreign Legion and the other was the son of a Legionaire in French IndoChina. I have found the French Army to be among the most professional and bad ass militaries in the world and I have great admiration for them. They are much different than the much maligned forces of WW1 and WW2. The key point here is that the French Military is highly conservative politically. Its the French political leadership that has always been liberal and totally FUBAR. Its the politicians that are responsible for the disarmed civilian populace. Its the same as here. The civilians in the cities are the liberal sheep and the rest of the country is pretty conservative and would be as well armed as the Swiss if they had the opportunity.
I laughed so hard when I read the headline that my wife thought I lost it. It’s so stupid it’s hilarious. It’s funnier than every comedy movie ever made combined.
Here is where France, the US anti gun organizations, the student protesters, and most, if not all, left leaning groups go wrong: They do not acknowledged the terror attacks, crimes committed, insults made, and all other negatives are done on purpose. In their responses they always act as if these things can simply be taught or legislated away, that it’s just a lack of understanding, cultural sensitivity, or legal guidance. It’s not, it’s people all along the spectrum from mean to evil. You don’t fight evil by telling it what it should do in a civilized and polite society. Evil has no interest in a civilized and polite society. The left, in all its forms, fails because it thinks its tenants of the perfect world are so great everyone wants them. When someone doesn’t want their idea of utopia they are powerless because they don’t want to actually fight for what they believe in, they just everyone to agree so they can control them. Utopia only works when everyone adheres to the rules.
Yeah, that’ll fix it.
I nearly spit up my coffee when I read the title. I never though they could be that dumb.
They got the only result that could be expected from a failed gun control agenda. The problem is not explaining to the populace why this is their preferred outcome. So here comes the circular logic that the only solution is to do more of what they failed at doing from the start.
A wise man once said “if someone tries to kill you, you try to kill them right back”. Seems pretty straight forward to me.
Pity our president and the EU haven’t figured that one out yet.
THANK GOD I DON’T LIVE IN EUROPE!
Punishing the legal and law-abiding firearm owners for the actions of criminals and terrorists makes as much sense as a farmer beating his dog because a fox got into the henhouse.
Makes them briefly feel good but ultimately futile.
This is what happened in Australia after Port Arthur where decisive leadership could have made a difference. Unfortunately we had John Howard as a Prime Minister at the time.
Welcome to California.
Worst part of this is that it is removing focus from things that might actually work. That is helping IS. I hate that those incompetent politicians are indirectly helping terrorists.
This is not a surprise. Seems to be the go to method for Socialists to look like they are doing something productive while doing nothing except disarming law abiding citizens. The smoke and mirrors approach. What is really amazing is that the lemmings in these countries go along with these asinine laws.
Obumer in euroland this week. His #1 priority for the next year is gun control. Perhaps the fool has figured out not going to happen in the US without a (literal) fight. He does love him some euro/French.
Once again this crap is why I’m not altering my FB page with a French flag-And I’m half French with a French name. Europe is doomed…hey Felipe you’re welcome here but I doubt Illinois would be a good choice. Indiana is much better…
I feel like the people making these decisions have never really, actually, genuinely sat down and *thought* about whether or not banning and/or further restricting firearm possession would actually decrease the likelihood of these things happening. It just seems so obvious that it doesn’t help. I don’t understand what makes this so hard to grasp. It’s like legislators are living in a vacuum. Which, I suppose, they kind of are.
I think you are making the same error as those who call Obama incompetent. I used to do that, too. They are getting the results they desire, and I think they know exactly what they are doing going forward. That doesn’t apply to most of the poor useful idiots in Europe, but the EU has greatly weakened democracy, and the poor idiots will find they aren’t driving the bus anymore when they finally wake up.
And that’s what you get when some unelected beaurocrats, not accountable to the general public, with little or no outside scrutiny, feel the uncontrollable urge to “do something”. It’s disgusting and insulting how they treat us. The more stupidity like this, the more likely recreational shooting will be a thing of the past. And we’ll be left up with the harsh language to defend ourselves. Islamic terrorists murder innocent people in Paris and law-abiding citizens are punished. What’s next? “1984” wasn’t meant to be an instruction manual.
A small correction. Those proposals came from the European Comission. We don’t know yet what the European Parliament thinks about it. MEPs have the power to amend or block that crap. BTW, PAP stands for Polska Agencja Prasowa (Polish Press Agency).
European Union moves for more gun controls
Control of Firearms, Energy Union and Neighbourhood Policy Review
http://ec.europa.eu/news/2015/11/20151118_en.htm
European Commission strengthens control of firearms across the EU
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-6110_en.htm
Commission Proposals to strengthen control of firearms: Questions & Answers
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-15-6111_en.htm
The European Agenda on Security
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/e-library/documents/basic-documents/docs/eu_agenda_on_security_en.pdf
Please help EU law abiding gun owners: https://www.change.org/p/council-of-the-european-union-eu-you-cannot-stop-terrorism-by-restricting-legal-gun-ownership?recruiter=3319283&utm_source=share_for_starters&utm_medium=copyLink
PLease note that it is not the European Parliament that has decided this.Learn the EU’s decision-making process before making any assumptions….