Sore losers--the Pashtuns got you beat in the Gun Rights Department

Isn't this one of the Duck Dynasty crew?

In case this video doesn't embed:
www.military.com/video/guns/machine-guns/humor-power-of-pashtun/1845776349001/

I suggest you watch it and weep before saying stupid shit.

But that never stops you from making irrelevant comments.

The US is falling behind in the Gun Rights Category

This is bad. Gun Loving Pakistan is showing  that they value freedom, especially gun rights, far more than the US.

The similarity might not be intentional, but its far too obvious.

Pakistan's gun culture has been mentioned before--and they love their guns as much, if not more, than people in the US.  Pakistan even has an equivalent of the Second Amendment as gun loons envision it in their Constitution!

Well, they weren't gonna be outdone in the mass shooting department by the US of A.

No way.

The Pakistanis, especially the Taliban, had to show that they were freedom loving people like their US counterparts with a massive school shooting.

At least 126 people, most of them children, have been killed in a Taliban assault on an army-run

Hali Ph'shar (ALEX BOWIE / GETTY)

school in the Pakistani city of Peshawar.

Peshawar--sound familiar?  Yeah, it's the home of the Darra Gun Bazaar!  It's Pakistani Gun Loon Central!

Let's toss in that the School was run by the Army. 

I don't give a shit what you clowns think, but there were probably more "good guys with guns" on the spot than you could count.

I also doubt there will be much of a movement to try and ban guns in this part of the world as well.

But, this definitely changes the dialogue.

The Taliban know the real meaning of FREEDOM!

Live with it!

See also:

• Northwest Pakistan, where guns are the jewelry of men - CSMonitor.com
• A 'Kalashnikov culture' for Pakistan's Pashtuns - SFGate
• Afghan and Pakistani Tribe Lives by Its Guns and Honor - NYTimes.com
• BBC NEWS | South Asia | Pakistan's flourishing arms bazaar

Third-World Gun Bazaars vs. U.S. Gun Shows

I've been invited to guest blog here for the rest of the month.

And to thank my co-bloggers for the honor, I've decided to build upon Laci's recent post by creating a poster to summarize the issue a bit more, showing that our extreme gun culture in the U.S. isn't functionally much different from that of the "third-world" countries we are horrified of.  Enjoy.

Other than the fact that these third-world gun markets are less tidy or well-lit and have a bit more dangerous weapons (like fully-auto machine guns -- though the gunloons here in the U.S. would love to have the ability),  I don't see much difference between the gun market of Darra, Pakistan, for instance, and most gun shows here in the U.S.  As with the Darra market, you can walk into most gun shows here in most states and buy as many gunz you want, right up to .50-caliber sniper rifles and semi-auto assault rifles, no background check needed (from private sellers).

You Are More Likely To Be Shot To Death In The U.S. Than In War-Torn Somalia and Yemen

I thought I would cross post this from Baldr's blog New Trajectory since I've raised the topic more than once here and here.
 
Pashtun culture even has something called the Mahsud dance, which is a unique dance routine using rifles performed by the Mahsud tribe of Pashtuns. Originally it was used to dance at the time of war, but later on became a cultural dance. The dancers dance empty handed and require only large drums. Nowadays though it is danced with the guns in the dancers hand; loaded guns are taken in one hand, up to the beat of the drum the dancers move forward in a circle. After taking two and half steps, each dancer turns about, and cocks the gun. All the dancers do this in a uniform manner and by completing the turning steps they fire in the air simultaneously. The sound of each of the guns goes on one time and seems to be a single big bang.

That said, here's Baldr's post with some additions made by me::

Monday, June 11, 2012

You Are More Likely To Be Shot To Death In The U.S. Than In War-Torn Somalia and Yemen

Lately,  Oklahoma passed a law allowing open carry of firearms by anyone who could qualify for a conceal carry license, just in case you feel so paranoid about being shot that you must wear your gun on the outside of your jacket “for all the honest world to feel” as you walk into a Tulsa McDonald’s for your Big Mac.

"I am about the right to bear arms and constitutional freedoms," [Sheriff] Walton said. "I however have great concern for this law and the position it puts law enforcement in." 

The law could create more enforcement calls, create unnecessary distractions and interfere with public safety. 

Walton also points to the loss of tactical advantage for individuals that currently carry a concealed weapon. 

"There is a lot of 'what if' that surrounds the law and it will take some time to see how this plays out," Walton said.

Oklahoma isn’t alone.  Many states are moving this way as pro-gun extremist lobbies, particularly the NRA, urge them to do so, despite the fact that surveys show a majority of citizens oppose it.  Even in Tulsa, the opinion was evenly split.  Good enough for the NRA and their legislative lackeys.  By and large, law enforcement organizations in those states are strongly against it.  Apparently the NRA thinks it knows more about what is necessary to control crime.

27 states now allow open carry in some form.  12 of those don’t even require the same scrutiny of a conceal carry license.  17 others allow it under certain circumstances or passively allow it.  Only 6 actively oppose it in all circumstances outside of hunters and law enforcement.

Bolstered by these numbers, gun extremists continue to hold rallies to legalize unregulated open carry, like this recent one in Michigan featuring camo-clad gun fetishists with their assault rifles strapped to their backs as if they were headed off to Afghanistan.

Rallies like these remind me of scenes in some third-world countries, like Somalia or Yemen, where assault weapon-wielding men brandish their guns without fear of reprisal.  So I made the following poster:

But is this really a fair comparison?  Even I had doubts.  After all, Somalia has been in a decades-long civil war, with famine and drought, and is infamous for its hostage-taking pirates.  Yemen isn’t much better.  It, too, has been in a civil war, is a hub for Al-Qaeda, is the poorest Arabian country, has suicide attacks, and has a large swath of its territory chaotically ruled by local warlords instead of a national government (remember “Blackhawk Down”?).  So I researched some numbers. 

Here’s my shocking finding:

You are more likely to be murdered with a gun in the United States than to be murdered by any means in Somalia and Yemen.

Yes, that’s right.  Let me restate it:  Gun violence is more likely to be your cause of death here in the streets and homes of America than any form of homicide in either of these god-forsaken, war-torn, chaotic third-world countries (and I’m only talking about homicides here, not including accidental shootings, suicides, law enforcement, or defensive shootings).

Let’s look at the numbers, shall we?  The most recent year in which I could find data for all three countries was 2004 (the last year I could find for Somalia).

In Somalia in 2004 (from a World Bank study, from THIS link), there was a civilian homicide rate of 3.30 / 100K for ALL methods.

In Yemen in 2004, there was a civilian homicide rate of 2.85 / 100K for ALL methods.  (also found from the same World Bank study, from THIS link; the most recent year cited, 2008, had a rate of 4.00 / 100K).

In 2004, the United States had homicide rate of 3.97 / 100K for FIREARMS ALONE (according to CDC WISQARS data) (to compare with the most recent Yemen data, 2008 gun homicides in the U.S. also had a rate of 4.00 / 100K).

(For those interested in the rate for all forms of homicide in the U.S., in 2004 it was 5.88 / 100K, and in 2008 it was 5.86 / 100K.)

It’s important to note that these shooting rates also mirror the rates of gun ownership (again, data is from www.gunpolicy.org):

Rate of private gun ownership out of 179 countries:  America is 1st.  Yemen is 10th.  Somalia is 58th.

Private guns in America:  88.8 / 100 people

Private guns in Yemen:  54.8 / 100 people

Private guns in Somalia:  9.1 / 100 people

Every American should stand up and pay attention.  We are quick to condemn nations like Somalia and Yemen for their wanton violence and lawlessness (and they should be condemned for it), and yet these numbers show that we are dying in higher numbers right here in our streets and homes, from gunfire or any other method.  The NRA’s answer is to flood the streets with as many guns as possible, and to flaunt those guns openly with open carry laws and rallies.  But gun ownership numbers show that we already have a far, far higher rate of gun ownership in the U.S.  By the NRA’s flawed logic, we should be the safest nation on Earth.  Instead, we are one of the deadliest. 

We, of course, should fight gun violence in any form and in any nation, but let’s concentrate on where it’s worst – right here at our own door -- and create a new trajectory for our community against gun violence.

Funny, but looking at the pics of Paskistani-Afghan gun culture and US, I was kinda surprised at similar they were.

How wankers with guns have screwed up the neighbourhood

In this case, we're talking the land once known as the Northwest Frontier (Pakistan and Afghanistan).

I'm going to start this travelogue in Peshawar. Peshawar is now officially recognized as being one of the Oldest Living Cities in Asia. Its history and culture has continued uninterrupted since several centuries. Loads of history sitting at the edge of the Khyber Pass.

Near Peshawar is Darra Adam Khel (درہ آدم خیل), which is what most people think of when you mention Peshawar. In particular:

a wide variety of firearms are produced in the town, from anti-aircraft guns to pen-guns. Weapons are handmade by individual craftsmen using traditional manufacturing techniques, usually handed down father-to-son. The quality of the guns is generally high and craftsman are able to produce replicas of almost any gun. Guns are regularly tested by test-firing into the air.

Guess what, The Constitution of Pakistan guarantees the right to keep and bear arms!

The "gun rights" situation changed after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 where the new constitution included the right to keep and bear arms, similar to the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, but far more gun loon friendly! There are an estimated 18 million firearms in public ownership among the country's population of 180 million, of which 7 million are registered. The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa permits the ownership of heavy weaponry including the use of rocket launchers, short-, medium-, and long-range rockets, anti-aircraft guns, mortars, etc. These heavy weapons may be made locally. Men usually own fully automatic firearms and Semi-automatic firearms whereas women usually own pistols.

I refer you to Wikipedia for more about this gunloon slice of heaven.

But head further up the Khyber and we come to Afghanistan which is another gun loon heaven. despite the Afghans being armed to the teeth, it hasn't stopped the Russians and NATO from invading with the usual results of a hot and heavy battle with the natives. If you seriously think about fighting a modern army, take a look at the cost to Afghanistan. Since Pashtuns cross the Pakistan-Afghan border, we can say this about their culture:

Other enduring customs and a strong culture of honor also promote the prevalence and importance of guns. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the Pashtun residents laud performances of strength and toughness, carrying a Kalashnikov or other gun is a sign of honour and respect.

Sound like anybody you know?

But, all those guns didn't stop the Taliban from taking over.

And talk about armed dickheads screwing things up, the Taliban decided to blow up the Buddhas of Bamiyan, these are two 6th century monumental statues of standing buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan and designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The bottom line is that this is a part of the world which has loads of history and culture, but it isn't a place where anyone in their right mind would want to go.

Even if you were a total gun loon and wanted the ultimate holiday, this isn't a place you would want to visit:

Foreigners were once allowed to visit the town if they had a permit, obtainable from the Home Office in Peshawar (permits are no longer issued due to 'security concerns', however it is possible to take the Peshawar-Kohat bus and get off at the town, which will usually also involve being sent back by the local tribal police called 'khasadars'). Some 'fixers' in Peshawar offer to arrange a visit for a considerable sum. In this case a bodyguard will accompany visitors whilst they are in the town, and it may be possible to test-fire weapons for a small fee.

Technically visitors can buy guns, though they will usually be confiscated by guards - as the sellers inform them. Difficulties can only sometimes be avoided by judicious use of 'baksheesh' (bribes). As of early 2008 Darra Adam Khel has been the site of skirmishes between militants and the army, making visits by Westerners highly dangerous endeavors.

And that's only the beginning...

See also:

• Kalashnikov Culture: Talking Tough on Guns in Pakistan

Darra, The Pakistani Illegal Gun Market

This is an old story but well worth another look. Now I Know posted an article about this amazing place.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are both economically depressed, with a per capita GDP of roughly $3,500 and $1,000 respectively. Yet both of these nations have many well-armed men, at least relative to the typical Westerner. With money tight, infrastructure rare, and even literacy often lacking, where do the guns come from?

The answer: a small town called Darra Adam Khel.

Located in Pakistan south of Peshawar and near the Afghan border, Darra Adam Khel (or simply Darra, for short) is, as the Washington Post described it in a headline, "like the Wild, Wild West -- plus Al-Qaeda

." The town is in one of a half-dozen frontier regions which are considered "Federally Administered Tribal Areas," or "FATAs." FATAs are exempt from many of the laws passed by the Pakistani government. Instead, Darra is administered by the Frontier Crimes Regulations, which, in turn, gives individual tribes in each area the power and responsibility to govern its people, and with wide discretion. In practice, this means that the town of Darra is outside the purview of Pakistan proper -- and its people take advantage of this.