AHC:an "NRA" in another country

samcster94

Banned
The Swiss gun culture is nothing like America's. There is very little emphasis on "self-defense" since there is no visible racial minority to "defend" oneself against*, and none at all on "protection against government tyranny".

* Not that xenophobia and bigotry don't exist in Switzerland. See, for example, the law against minarets.
Someone brought up Mexico earlier. Would Mexico have a shot??? "Tyranny" makes a lot of sense given Mexico had a lot of military coups early in its history and there were horrible atrocities against indigenous people. A 19th century POD could lead to a Mexico much closer to U.S. norms, especially if 1910 never happens.
 
NZ has an anti guncontrol lobby but it isn't particularly well known, no is the pro side. I don't think anyone is particularly active in any organised sense but groups will arise as to need.

The political parties probably have a view. However it doesn't currently seem important to them
 
The really important factor is one you left out: a history of violent racial oppression. It isn't possible to make sense of American gun culture if one ignores the role of white supremacy.

Yet Vermont, with Slavery all but banned since 1777, didn't have those issues.
The Revolution and French then British allied Indians is what made them one of the States with few gun laws past the Federal ones
 
This, I think, is the most important factor in the stridency of its gun culture.

Or that most of the country was in the early history was a howling wilderness, populated at times with dangerous Game, unfriendly Indians and Outlaws?

2nd some early NRA, being filled with Unionmen at its founding( like Gen. Ambrose Burnside), didn't have much use for the Southerner filled KKK
 
Admittedly, most countries in the world do. I should have made myself clearer: What I meant is that the US has a history of chattel slavery followed by another century of state-sponsored white supremacy, and a lingering legacy of institutional racism that extends into the present day. This, I think, is the most important factor in the stridency of its gun culture.
Plus, Reconstruction which did some good, and then was abruptly abandoned in order to elect Rutherford Hayes in 1876.

As the below article talks about, there were a variety of both small-scale and large-scale actions by some southern whites to disarm newly freed slaves. If a more successful Reconstruction had at least prevented the large-scale actions, the history of the American south may have been very different.

Freedmen with Firearms: White Terrorism and Black Disarmament During Reconstruction

David H. Schenk, April 2014

http://cupola.gettysburg.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1027&context=gcjcwe
 

samcster94

Banned
Plus, Reconstruction which did some good, and then was abruptly abandoned in order to elect Rutherford Hayes in 1876.

As the below article talks about, there were a variety of both small-scale and large-scale actions by some southern whites to disarm newly freed slaves. If a more successful Reconstruction had at least prevented the large-scale actions, the history of the American south may have been very different.
I think that alternate timeline would lead to the debate being different, because the issue would likely be less racialized even if black and white people aren't seen as equals.
 
Have the UK NRA remain an proactive organisation, and not become the ineffective, narrow-minded collection of you-know-whats it was for most of the later half of the 20th century.

Just to be fair - they're somewhat better now, but it's too late for a lot of types of shooting.
 
Have the UK NRA remain an proactive organisation, and not become the ineffective, narrow-minded collection of you-know-whats it was for most of the later half of the 20th century.

Just to be fair - they're somewhat better now, but it's too late for a lot of types of shooting.

Also to be fair, the US NRA was also the same, right up to 1977.
As long as shotguns were left out, was for every bit of Gun Control that came along.
The leadership didn't see the 'slippery slope', but the membership did

http://billmoyers.com/2014/06/12/the-rise-of-the-nra-2/
 
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