h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In another thread I saw a post from an american who dissagreed with propperganda in his/her country and stated that there mast be much more democracy then he/she was being lead to belive.
'in another country... [a few things that come with democracy] and I'd beallowed to keep a gun...'

I felt moved to ask, what does gun ownership have to do with democracy?
The reply I got from another researcher was this.

"Gun ownership = freedom to own a gun, because you've democratically elected someone that will allow you to own a gun. Simple.

I don't think this is a thread for "what's that got to do with that?" type questions... as those will quickly lead into arguments. This seems just to be asking for statements of opinion."

What do you think?
To be clear. This is not a thread about the merits of gun ownership in itself.

Gun ownership = democracy?

You say this isn't about the merits of gun ownership, but I would find it very difficult to separate them.

I recently read a statistic that 5 children die in the US everyday from guns. If thats meant to be democracy then I wouldn't want it.

"You say this isn't about the merits of gun ownership, but I would find it very difficult to separate them."

I take your point. Perhaps I should have included the word 'only'. What do people expect to be hard and fast rules before a system is democratic?

In NZ you can own guns, not hand guns and not for use against another person.

I consider that I live in a democracy.
I consider america's patriot act to be undemocratic.

For examples.

I will admit that I live in a democracy when I can vote on individual issues rather than parties which reperesent a whole bunch of issues, some of which will be as I like others won't and I can't guarantee the ones that are important to me won't get acted upon.
I live in a Republic - I get to elect the people who make the decisions.
Gun ownership is completely irrelevant. Though you could argue a democracy were flawed if the action of thw govorment was the inverse of the vote and that a republic was flawed when the party in power did not got the most votes.
Wait a min...

I worry anything that feels a need to declare itself patriotic - probably isn't.

The Patriot Act.
Patriot Missiles.
'people who use patrotism as a lobby against dissent'

"Gun ownership is completely irrelevant. "
That's what I thought.

The "right to keep and bear arms" is *not* part of the Bill of Rights in the US just so people could own guns, but so that a militia could be organized quickly in order to offer protection to the country. This of course was before the days of an organized, tax supported military. These people had just recently won their independence, and wanted to make sure they could keep it.

"Gun ownership = democracy"

What a nasty and frightening thought. Gun ownership = chaos. Nothing more, nothing less. Every gun in the hands of a private citizen is a disaster waiting to happen. Gun ownership is a symptom of a violent society, not the answer to one.

Democracy = a society's right to self determination. Living in fear of one's life is contradictory to that.

Glad to see we are all on the same wavelength here

'people who use patrotism as a lobby against dissent'

"We must dare to think 'unthinkable' thoughts. We must learn to explore all the options and possibilities that confrount us in a complex and rapidly changing world. We must learn to welcome and not to fear the voices of dissent. We must dare to think about 'unthinkable things' because when things become unthinkable, thinking stops and actions become mindless."

Senator Fulbright in a speech to the senate 1964

Just reminded me of that quote and for some reason I felt the need to share it.

good quote.

how about

'nothing is sacred'

Not quite the same, but the same vein