I’ve had a few conversations with some very intelligent, articulate Americans about their gun laws, and it’s a complicated and baffling issue for people who aren’t American.
Their right to bear arms is built into the very fabric of their version of democracy. It is based on the idea that everyone should be able to defend themselves and stand up for what they believe is right. When you probe at this, and question who they believe they need to be able to defend themselves against, the most scary answer is that they don’t trust the government and they want to retain the ability to either mount a revolution, or protect themselves in the event of a revolution...