3 ms·
One argument I rarely see mentioned: there are basically two Nash equilibria in the problem, one where gun ownership is sparse and one where it is very common.
by rich_sasha 4y ago
One argument I rarely see mentioned: there are basically two Nash equilibria in the problem, one where gun ownership is sparse and one where it is very common.
If I live in a country with very few guns around, say most of Europe, I'm probably better off not having one - it's common for gun owners to be killed with their own gun in a melee, for example. If, on the other hand, any burglar or opportunistic petty criminal has a handgun, I guess I may need one too.
Now, jumping from the "lots of guns" equilibrium to the "few guns" equilibrium, even if you have societal buy-in, is hard - how do you collect all the guns from bad actors who don't want to relinquish them, when there are so many? Maybe it's so hard that it's infeasible (steel man alert) and so you're better off perpetuating and strengthening your gun ownership laws.
- id 4y agoYou don't have to ban them outright. You could just ban the sale of guns or require a license, that would make it so much harder for a troubled teenager to obtain a gun. You know, like in Europe. You can buy guns there, even assault rifles, just not at 18 without a license.
- pwinnski 4y agoThe vast majority of school shootings in the US have been perpetrated by people who bought licensed guns legally.
- id 4y agoYes, _exactly_.
- SauciestGNU 4y agoI was shocked at how easy it was for me to buy a gun. I knew long guns were fairly simple, but when I bought my first handgun I expected a more thorough background check, waiting period, anything. Instead I was able to walk out of the store within an hour with a handgun. I'm not sure what the answer for disarming America is. Bad actors won't willingly relinquish their guns. Cops won't willingly relinquish their guns. If my threat model is armed I feel as though I should be too. I definitely agree that raising the bar for ownership is a step in the right direction though.
- nailer 4y ago>>> or require a license, that would make it so much harder for a troubled teenager to obtain a gun >> The vast majority of school shootings in the US have been perpetrated by people who bought licensed guns legally. > Yes, _exactly_. I am confused.
- voisin 4y agoDidn’t Australia move from significant ownership to sparse ownership after a school shooting?
- drewbug01 4y agoThere were major changes to laws and "gun amnesties" after several major shootings: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_of_Australia#1984–1996_multiple_killings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_of_Australia#1984–199...