What other countries allow their citizens to bear arms?

I'm writing a term paper discussing the media ethics issues raised in the movie "Bowling for Columbine", for my multimedia %26amp; society class.





I believe the movie implies Americans have a predisposition for violence and that our media culture caters to it. I'm curious to know if a society's penchant for violence is partly a product of their being able to have legal access to weapons.





Do other governments grant that right to their citizens?

What other countries allow their citizens to bear arms?
Lots of countries.





Switzerland


Germany


France


Austria


All the Middle East (unarmed people are beaten, robbed raped and murdered)


Most of South America
Reply:Not in Europe. In Africa its fair game. Not in Japan and China. I don't think in Australia. The USA seems to be the only sharp shooter nation. The thought behind for our "freedom" to shoot into each others face is, that the founders wanted a militia not a military, which can be abused by politicians for offensives.
Reply:Many of the guns used at Columbine weren't legal, something to keep in mind.





Guns are not the cause of violence, they're only a tool.
Reply:Interesting, You might look at serial killers too ,I believe in alot of cases they prefered other weapons or methods. But whatever the weapon , usually the motive or need for the violence would be the deciding factor in why. Money, sex and drugs, a lack of, or too much, of any or all of the above as percieved by the offender.


Maybe this source can help.
Reply:"If guns are violent, all of mine must be defective"
Reply:The evidence that gun control laws accomplish anything is weak to non-existent.





There are governments like Switzerland where all male citizens have fully automatic weapons at home. And have a very low crime rate.





There are governments like Zimbabwe that have very strict gun control laws and have a horribly high crime rate.





And there are some counter-examples as well, plus oddball cases like Japan where there is gun control and a low-ish crime rate but an extremely high suicide rate.





The bottom line seems to be that crime and violence have a lot more to do with cultural mores and historical background than with laws.

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