Hi All
Comparison of gun control laws with abolition of alcohol is innappropriate
as no one is talking about abolition of guns but rather gun control. Gun
control is more equivalent to the successful approach of control of alcohol
sales that was introduced to replace abolition which of course was an
abysmal failure.
The fact remains that gun laws worked in Australia without any significant
increase in black market gun trade. I know that fortunately for us in
Australia that in some ways our culture is significantly different to the
of the USA and I don't expect it to be nearly so easy there. Nonetheless
the comment about evolving change happening quite rapidly as per an African
American president of the USA for example is quite encouraging. I think we
will continue to see systemic shifts and one important step along the way
will inevitably be better gun control laws in the USA
Cheers
Chris Walsh
Melbourne, Australia
ph +61 (0)3 9487 4647
www.cwalsh.com.au
On Tue, Jan 5, 2016 at 2:48 PM, anngwyn@xxxxxxx [ConstellationTalk] <
ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hello Again,
All very interesting cross cultural food for thought...and still, the
reality remains that even if gun control laws are passed...which is not
entirely likely given the involvement of the gun lobbies with our
legislators, probably at least half of our citizens will not
support anything close to a total ban and this could give rise to a black
market much like alcohol prohibition and our thriving illegal drug trade.
Banning guns would not prevent suicides in Switzerland...they have a long
tradition of "going into the lake" (drowning with rocks in their pockets )
and still today throw themselves under trains..and now assisted suicide is
entirely legal.
Again, the delusion is that the guns are the problem...or that liquor is
the problem or drugs or "illegal aliens " whatever...seems at first glance
should be banned, outlawed or otherwise eliminated...this is linear
causality rather than systemic thinking... Hellinger and others have
offered us models to look deeper into what is out of balance....that these
tragically violent deaths continue...in such great numbers...
Regards,
Anngwyn
In a message dated 1/4/2016 7:23:21 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time,
ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
Hello to All,
Maybe in some vicious cycles causes and symptoms are not separated by
absolute boundaries. For better or worse, laws do educate populations, and
obviously it will take more than passing laws to shift deep seated cultural
attitudes. Unlike the US in Switzerland existing laws better regulate the
sale, ownership and licensing of private guns, which includes a ban on
carrying concealed weapons. The law allows citizens who have no criminal
record or history of mental illness, to buy up to three weapons from an
authorised dealer, with the exception of automatic firearms, which are
banned, and military ammunition must be stored in central arsenals rather
than in soldiers’ homes. Guns are responsible for between 200 and 300
suicides each year in Switzerland. One of the reasons the crime rate in
Switzerland is low despite the prevalence of weapons — and also why the
Swiss mentality can’t be transposed on the current individualistic (lack of
universal health insurance) American reality — is the culture of
responsibility, support and safety that is anchored in Swiss society and
passed from generation to generation.
Best wishes to all,
Robert
On Tue, Jan 5, 2016 at 12:12 PM, anngwyn@xxxxxxx [ConstellationTalk] <
ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Yes, confusing symptoms and the underlying causes is not likely to lead
to resolution...nor will the imposition of "laws"...we have an interesting
and complex dynamic unfolding now...but not only here in the USA...In
Switzerland, where I have happily lived and worked for many
years, citizens are individually and as a culture very heavily armed...and
yet , this is not a social problem..more evidence that guns are not the
problem...only the symptom of a pervasive underlying miasm here in USA...
Students of history know that outlawing alcohol during the prohibition era
led to more violence because a significant percentage of the populace did
not agree and a black market economy arose...same with the spurious, deeply
corrupt "war on drugs"... outlawing is not the solution, for alcohol,
drugs or firearms...best to think systemically and think more deeply into
this massive social trauma...involving what is also our
military/industrial/ state sponsored , media complicit, national and
international violence....and who benefits ?
All for now...
Anngwyn
In a message dated 1/4/2016 5:40:41 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time,
ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
Hello All,
Gun laws in the US appear to reinforce the violent psyche of fear that
drives it. In the large scheme of things changing the laws may be more than
just treating the symptoms.
Best wishes,
Robert
On Tue, Jan 5, 2016 at 2:49 AM, anngwyn@xxxxxxx [ConstellationTalk] <
ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hello Everyone,
While I am all for peace and not so fond of guns, from a systemic
perspective, guns are not the problem...only the symptom of the
problem...We have always had guns in this country....and as a social
traumatologist, more problematic is the trans-national epidemic of
state-sponsored, media generated "fear porn " designed to promote and
accelerate " fear of the other "....and this inevitably leads to all manner
of violence as history as proven over and again. Confusing the symptom with
the problem is likely to lead only to more confusion. We might ask: Who or
what benefits from this current fear mongering epidemic that seeks to
exploit the darker aspects of tribal consciousness ?
I addressed this "fear porn " in my blog " Trauma and the Human
Condition " http://anngwyn.wisrville.org as "Our Year of Fear ". which
may be of interest....
Warm regards
Anngwyn St. Just Ph.D.
http://anngwyn.wisrville.org
www.acst-international.com
