There's always a black market. Name the country, no matter how anti-gun, and there's a black market; I know in Japan, the # of gun licenses issued in the past year is a totally ridiculously low number compared to the overall population -- like only 100 new licenses a year. Yet, the Yakuza are armed to the teeth. (Although Japan's a bit of a bizarre case since the cops, too, are often unarmed!)
Whenever this topic comes up, I can't help but recall the comments of a Japanese officer, speaking of the considered, and ditched, idea of invading California during WWII. He basically reported that the Japanese leaders had decided against it, on the grounds that the soldiers would be taking on fire from not just any locally-stationed military, any police forces, but possibly every private citizen. The cost of subduing a population becomes far too high, when the entire population is able, and willing, to fight back.
Sometimes I think we'd be well to remember that attitude when it comes to expecting our police forces to do all the work. Criminals -- or mass-homicide shooters -- couldn't run nearly as rampant if we all did our part to keep the civil peace.
no subject
Date: 19 Apr 2007 05:56 pm (UTC)Whenever this topic comes up, I can't help but recall the comments of a Japanese officer, speaking of the considered, and ditched, idea of invading California during WWII. He basically reported that the Japanese leaders had decided against it, on the grounds that the soldiers would be taking on fire from not just any locally-stationed military, any police forces, but possibly every private citizen. The cost of subduing a population becomes far too high, when the entire population is able, and willing, to fight back.
Sometimes I think we'd be well to remember that attitude when it comes to expecting our police forces to do all the work. Criminals -- or mass-homicide shooters -- couldn't run nearly as rampant if we all did our part to keep the civil peace.