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Why Brits Hate Americans with Guns

Robert Farago - comments No comments

Because they’re elitists. Brits view Americans as unstable boors whose collective economic and military might — and personal access to firearms — make us inherently dangerous. In fact, as Dan Baum’s Gun Guys explains, American gun culture is based on moral principles. “We’re equality freaks. We endlessly congratulate ourselves for our Equal Protection Clause and our founding mythology of a classless society. If equal is good, and guns make us equal, then by extension guns are good. They make us sovereign and inviolate. An armed man is a little republic unto himself.” Dan was being both insightful and sarcastic (as is his wont). But there’s no getting around it: there’s a reason our forefathers revolted against Britain’s condescending collectivists and it’s got less to do with tea than gunpowder.

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Robert Farago

Robert Farago is the former publisher of The Truth About Guns (TTAG). He started the site to explore the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns.

0 thoughts on “Why Brits Hate Americans with Guns”

  1. I told my brother this time last year that if President Obama was reelected that we would see a strong gun ban push. Over the last year I did buy some ammo for my hand guns and ARs. I also bought magazines. After the Presidential debates I bought more ammo and magazines because I thought Romney would not pull it off.

    You would think after all that planning that I would be set. Not really. I could use more ammo, more magazines, a couple bolt carrier groups and a hand full of other guns that were impossible to buy before all this happened.

    Hoping this all gets somewhat back to normal very soon. In the mean time I am not panic buying, but I am putting my name on lists and back ordering things I need. I am not going overboard. Slow and easy.

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  2. There was never any real consideration for taking him in alive to stand trial, this sort of confirms that. On a side note, what kind of gun is the officer in the foreground holding? Looks like an AR with a mossberg-esque marinecoat. I kinda like it. Any of you well-informed AI have any input?

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  3. I wonder if one of the goals for such attacks by DHS is intended indirectly to spread to pro 2A blogs and for the news to spread to pro Liberty Americans hoping to intimidate us.

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  4. Sounds like a murder investigation is warranted. On top of that, if your first resort is to set fire to a rinky dink flimsy cabin, filled with what you have good reason to believe is a cache of ammo and explosives, then the entire California law enforcement community just qualified for irresponsible gun owner of the day.

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    • Who here had any doubt of this outcome? I know the playbook; many of you do also. Goes back how far – Attica? No… at least 11/22/63, when we changed forms of government.

      I was thinking a couple hours ago about George Jackson’s supposed “attempted prison break”. They said he ran across the yard, and was GOING TO SCALE THE WALL.

      Only it got better: THEY SAID HE TOOK A HANDGUN OUT OF HIS ‘FRO!!!!

      They think THEY can define reality; we’ll see about that.

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  5. A good one to include would have been the M&P 15 Sport, since a lot of first time (and budget minded) buyers go with that one. I did, and for less than $100, had an AR platform set up exactly how I wanted it.

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  6. Answer: No, you woke up in Fascist USA which is the same as Communist Russia.
    Better to move to your most hated UK.
    There, at least, suspect do not end burned.
    Or maybe Norway, or German, whatever.

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  7. Here in South Florida we had an entire apartment building burned down by Broward Sheriffs when a man holed up in his apartment. BSO shot in tear gas and killed the man inside as the building burned. They deny that that there was any chance that the tear gas caught the fire and insisted that that man did himself to commit suicide.

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  8. Some far more meaningful statistics are available than Gallup polls

    The FBI Crime Report (Table 20 – Weapons) for 2011 shows that about 2 ¼ times more murders were committed by “hands and feet” than by “rifles”.

    Limiting the definition of “rifles” to so-called “assault rifles” (a misnomer) would increase the ratio still further.

    We are being told that we need a return of the senseless AWB because . . .?

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  9. There is also the Eighth Amendment prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment. Even if it was legal to kill him based on the facts and circumstances, nonetheless, intentionally burning him alive, or even threatening to burn him alive probably violates the Eighth Amendment.

    This raises questions about what alternatives were available and explored before resorting to what, on the surface, may have been blatantly unconstitutional.

    I would note that officers of the state have “qualified immunity” when it comes to civil rights claims. They are immune if a reasonable officer in the same position might have thought the actions were constitutional. But if any reasonable officer would have known the acts were unconstitutional, the immunity is pierced.

    Again, without all the facts and circumstances yet known it is hard to judge. But I find it extremely difficult to believe or understand how trained officers could believe that using fire as either a direct or indirect weapon would be constitutional. If it is known that these “burners” will start a fire, and you think that’s ok, then why not just allow the police to be more direct, and use a flamethrower? At some point, this must have occurred to someone….

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  10. And again I will say…

    Since when do criminals OBEY laws?

    If they did, they wouldn’t be criminals now, would they!

    Hey occupier in the WH…STFU!

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  11. Nothing like being specific, is there. “Make schools safer…” Isn’t that what they thought their gun-free zones were doing?

    But then no one ever says “Step 3: Make schools safer targets for violent psychopaths.”

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  12. As a longtime TTAG fan and even longer-term USA fan, I would like to say : not all Brits. I wish you every success in your pro-2a campaign.

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  13. I keep hearing “backup for your primary”…. For me, ANY firearm I carry is my backup. My primary weapon is between my ears.

    The nature of my primary job(estimator/sales) does however require lots of meet-and-greets at customer homes and I rarely have an empty pocket so with deep concealment being a MUST I choose to carry my Rossi snubbie on my ankle during the summer when I can’t otherwise hide much on my svelte frame(read beanpole). Any time I can get away with a large overshirt it stays at home and the big boy gets to take the field trip.

    Any potential customer that catches me printing or sees a slip could be a customer I don’t get. That could not only compromise my ability to pay the mortgage but may keep me from being able to afford my next gun(or ammo).

    Better something than nothing, yes, but that risk/reward assessment once again gets in the way of me carrying what I would consider to be the best tool for the job if needed.

    In a perfect world I’d have enough business to be able to tell the anti’s I don’t want their money but alas….. It’s just not the way of my world.

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  14. The reporter isn’t big on research, I see. The Constitution was ratified in 1789, not 1791. It’s the Bill of Rights that was ratified in 1791.

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  15. When I was younger I worked as an electrician in a hospital’s off sight testing lab. I was told if one of my tools stuck to the MRI, which was not turned on, it would cost 100,000+ to repair. I was on a ladder connecting lights above the machine with nines and dikes in my back pocket. It felt like a 5 year old was trying to pull me off the ladder while I was working. I always kept my pouch and bag of tools outside the room while working, the power would literally pull the tool bag against the wall from the other room.

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  16. The point is spot-on. However, I can see where people would maintain their distrust, because of this guy’s mannerisms.

    Plus, the message is very, VERY tepid in nature. How about, “if G_d gave Israel to ersatz Jews, he sure as s**t gave me the right to own and keep my firearms.”

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  17. Especially if you’re NOT a cop.

    fixed

    Like cops we are responsible for every round we send down range. Unlike cops, we don’t have an agency to put us on vaca… administrative leave, then cover for us with just a reprimand.

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  18. It’s worth noting that some police cars are available from the factory with optional ballistic door panels. I know the optional door panels Ford used in the later Crown Vics were rated at NIJ Level III and could stop some rifle rounds. It’s an expensive option though, which is why you don’t see it often.

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  19. My ass! You cannot reliably start a fire with teargas canisters. That’s the job of an incendiary – a burner – probably white phosphorous.

    They executed an American citizen on national television by immolation. I don’t care what his politics were, and I don’t care how many people he killed, justice has not been served, liberty and the Constitution have NOT been served.

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  20. It’s all part of the semantic game they are playing.
    “Assault rifle”, referring to the “assault phase” of a military attack, becomes “assault weapon” with all the connotations of a “criminal assault” on an innocent victim.
    Remember when police drew and fired their “service revolvers” while bad guys pulled robberies with “handguns”?

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  21. I don’t know why there’s outrage over this, real or feigned. I thought we wanted the media to use non-inflammatory terms like “high-powered rifle” rather than the demonized “assault rifle”. No?

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  22. I totally agree. I have met Ted, more than once(anyone who lives in Detroit, and goes to gun or archery ranges probably has too). He is more subdued in real life. But still an asshole. And rude, and dangerously ignorant. Having him on our side is not helpful. Ok, let people start insulting me now.

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  23. Reuters updated the report again. According to the newest, the warden was carrying a fluffy pink mohair bunny stuffed with Hershey’s Kisses. And the cops didn’t start the fire to kill Dorner. The were making s’mores and things just got out of hand.

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  24. I think the worry about the fence sitters is more about will they “Like” us or not. Personally I don’t give a rat’s butt if they like us. Either you are for the Bill of Rights or not. The Ted Nugent argument is about nothing more than personal like or dislike.
    Let’s get off the idea of fence sitters BTW. Who invented that concept? You mean there are people who can’t decide if the freedoms protected by the Bill of Rights are worth anything and don’t know if they want to support liberty? Who may prefer a super controlling government? I don’t believe there are any people out there like that, I believe it’s a fiction. There are 2 opposing views and the third group of apathetics who don’t think any of this means anything to them until it’s too late. If you think you can get them off their behinds to support you and Ted Nugent will push them back on their behinds you are delusional. If you ever get them moving it won’t last long enough to matter before they fall back into their black hole of a life.
    We need Nugent to be as offensive to the gun grabbers as they are to us. I think it’s real offensive when some brainless troll casually decides I should not have a basic right. I think it’s offensive enough to go way beyond Ted Nugent outraging them.

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  25. You’ve got to do what you think is best for your business. That said, I think it feels cheap. I wouldnt mind it once or twice a day, but by about the fourth time it gets annoying. I hate to say it, but I don’t think I’ll use this site if it annoys me.

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  26. First I was like WTF is this thing on the bottom of the page that doesn’t stop moving.
    Then I was like Hey these guys do a great work day after day with awesome articles, I’ll start clicking on these ads to reward them for their work.

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  27. High capacity my foot. In 1862the Army Ordinance Dept tested Wincheter’s Henry Rifle and found that it was capable of firing 160 rounds in 3 minutes, aka the amount of time the law took to get to the school in Newtown. Those were also 200 gr .44 cal projectiles. It was, is and always will be about Control, period. Molon Labe.

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  28. Well. This shooter in Oregon was born in the UK and his dad is on CNN bashing gun owners. Of course. He doesn’t live in West Virginia I eat wild game and never begged any government to survive. A bunch of slack jawed pansies. The kid couldn’t get a girl at 26, couldn’t make friends et al all of the signs he wanted to shoot people. British folks for the most part understand we will never ban guns here. Some try and make America the Abbey. It won’t happen its a sad day I have to join the NRA to protect my right to own three single shot shotguns. All bought legally by the way. America trusted me with a gun before why is my right to be self sufficient under attack because of lunatics? Mental Hospitals exist for a reason. Medications to treat mental illness exist for a reason.

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  29. fuck the us, they’re just a bunch of gun loving nutcases that should all die so we don’t have to hear about their bullshit on the news every fucking day, seriously, getting sick of hearing of how “great” their country is, and how “amazing” their stupid flag is, seriously, fuck off, or i’ll bomb ya.

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