November 21, 2009
Published: 14 May 09 12:02 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20090514-19275.html
Germany’s grand coalition government wants to rush a new gun control law through parliament, but has apparently ditched unpopular plans to ban paintball.
AFP/DDP/DPA/The Local (news@thelocal.de)
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Your comments about this article:
I hope you are never violently attacked or murdered in your own home and find out just why a gun locked away at some gun club is a stupid idea!
I hope you are never violently attacked or murdered in your own home and find out just why a gun locked away at some gun club is a stupid idea!
Go join a militia spunkbrain.
I hope you are never violently attacked or murdered in your own home and find out just why a gun locked away at some gun club is a stupid idea!
I enjoy target shooting and hunting, the tool's that I use for these recreational pastimes are kept permanently locked away unless I'm using them for the afore mentioned activities or cleaning or working on them, which I do in a locked room, not in the kitchen or living room.
I don't keep a loaded weapon under my pillow, just in case. As that would more than likely be used on myself or my loved one's, plus it also makes for an uncomfortable pillow.
I no longer have a *Waffenschein* (CCW), as I no longer work in industrial security, so I don't concealed carry a weapon any longer, which coincidentally is not as prestigious as some may believe, once you have qualified, by that I mean passing all of the written and practical test's you have the imbuggerance of having to consider where and how you are going to conceal it about your person, if open carry is not an option. Then there are the other considerations, you can no longer go and do things while carrying. No you can't go to the theatre or cinema, as they are considered to be events, as they are advertised for, in the case of VIP protection you have to contact the event administration prior to the event if your VIP is invited, and ask for his written permission, if they refuse, as they have their own security or the Polizei were providing security you had to rely on hand to hand, if things got out of hand or you stayed with the car.
*Waffenschein* Is the German equivalent to a CCW in the USA, which is issued for a three year period, the holder of a Waffenschein has to have sufficient insurance cover and prove that he/she has had sufficient training and that he practices on a regular basis, the written test has to be repeated on an annual basis whereas the practical skills have to be carried out on a quarterly basis. a Waffenbesitzkarte is the equivalent to an English Firearms certificate. In Germany you have to have an Waffenbesitzkarte for the weapon's that you own, to carry a firearm 24/7 you require a Waffenschein as well. To be issued with a Waffenschein the Authorities prove each individual case, and make individual decisions on if the person really requires to be armed or not, for example back in the 60's and 70's taxi drivers were issued with them, today they wouldn't have a chance, as the threat level that they face each day is not considered grave enough to warrant one. The only people who are issued with a WS today are Polizei for off/on duty carry or private security companies, however there are some exceptions to that rule. Embassy protection staff and some FSO's also qualify.
For those here in Germany who wish to own a firearm for self/home defence, you worry me.
Tony
Some people do not like guns and think that no sane person should like them or god forbid feel the need to protect themselves with a gun. Those same people of course want to ban guns because they feel threatened by them, which seems kind of strange. Interestingly most people refer to US gun deaths when in reality the US is comprised of federal states, each of which has it's own gun law. And the states with the strictest gun laws do not even have the lowest crime rates or gun death rates, in fact many of them belong to the states with the highest gun death rates, whereas states with a high percentage of guns in homes have lower crime and gun death rates. Additionally, crime rates in states which have introduced CCW have reported lower crime rates since that measure. That doesn't automatically mean that more guns relate to lower crime. It just shows us that we are looking at a complex set of variables here and an easy solution is not possible. Of course people like easy solutions (banning something) - that's why so many politicans offer them. And if something should be banned that you don't care for or even dislike - why fight that ban?
The answer is simple: Because sometime in the future something that you enjoy will be banned. And then another something that you enjoy will be banned.
I think that people in a free and tolerant society should not only tolerate other peoples hobbies and needs, but also fight for other peoples freedoms, even if they themselves do not like that particular freedom. Of course this does not mean that we should allow everything. That will lead to chaos. But we should allow as much as possible. And whenever there is a decision to be made as to whether something should be banned, we should look very hard to solve the problem by other means.
The answer is simple: Because sometime in the future something that you enjoy will be banned. And then another something that you enjoy will be banned.
As for the new rush on German laws not sure what they can do other than try to rush something to make people FEEL safer. Not that you can compare the US and German laws (because of the US 2nd amendment) but often the fault in the US system is not the lack of laws but the lack of enforcement of existing laws.
So now do we (as in all the World) pass new laws/bans when 1 person fails to uphold/break an existing law. In that the father didn't properly lock his weapons so now we make a new law effecting everyone.
The founding fathers of the US have put a lot of systems in place to ensure that people would be able to keep their freedoms. What they couldn't forsee is that people might be willing to give up on their freedoms by themselves.
There it is - you can do anything so long as it isn't banned
Here it is - you can do nothing unless it is allowed.
Which is why you will never convince each other.
For instance you can smoke if you pay the tax on the tobacco, this permission is being removed in certain places.
There are not many things that are totally unregulated in Germany. Breathing maybe?