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3D-Printed Gun Earns Man Two Years In Japanese Prison
jfruh writes: Japan has some of the strictest anti-gun laws in the world, and the authorities there aim to make sure new technologies don't open any loopholes. 28-year-old engineer Yoshitomo Imura has been sentenced to two years in jail after making guns with a 3D printer in his home in Kawasaki.
Oh well, if his guns work as well as my Kawasaki it'll all end in broken parts, thrown rods and tears anyway :p
If there's already a law that forbids owning a gun, then there's no need for an additional law specifically targetting 3D printed guns.
Seriously, what did he expect? I'm sure there will be some debate from those who live in place where guns are legal and public gun ownership is common place, but in the jurisdiction in question (Japan) they are not. If he'd manufactured some other proscribed substance/object - hard drugs, say - he'd would likely expect to be punished if caught, so I can't imagine why his expectations here would be any different. Is there a statement somewhere justifying why he thought this would be acceptable, because I'm somewhat curious as to how anyone could rationalise this out in this manner other than the claimed "I didn't know"? (Which in any event seems like a very weak legal argument, given the nature of the anti-gun sentiment and any form of an "ignorance of the law is no defence" statute that Japan might have on the books).
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
If I recall, this goes all the way back to their first European contact, where guns were outlawed in order to preserve the advantage the feudal lords and their swordsmen had over the people.
Remember, You are unique...just like everyone else.
Actually depending on the area you can still get hunting licenses - the thing is there is a limit and family and friends of existing hunters usually get preference. One of my employees happens to be the son of a hunter in Nagano and he's got a license. When he goes home during winter holiday he'll often bring us back some boar or deer meat. Having grown up for part of my life in Colorado the deer meat is especially appreciated, and boar meat goes great in a winter nabe.
That said, even with a license they have extreme limits on what kinds of guns and how much ammo they can have. Ammo needs to have serial numbers and can only be purchased at very specfic places - and the prices are outrageous. The yearly license fees on the guns are apprently pretty expensive too.
Drinking and driving, even one beer, will cause one to lose his job in a country that prides itself of life long employment.
Uh, no. I lived there from 97-99 and I promise you that is not true at all. In fact, a manager at the english school/business that I worked for got a DWI and was embarrassed, had "points" put on her license.... and NOTHING ELSE. She kept working. Please don't make up stories about "one beer fired for life!" YES they have roadblocks and check for DWI but the limits aren't as strict as you make them out to be. My wife was driving once after a few drinks when we went through a roadblock (turned the corner, there it was, no way around it). Blew into this baton thingy..... "thanks, you folks have a nice night".... (She wasn't fired)
To the case in point; gun laws have helped keep gun deaths to a minimum but that may also be part of an unspoken agreement between government and Yakuza. As long as street crime is taken care of blind eyes will be turned to gambling and prostitution rings. The only gun deaths are Yakuza shooting Yakuza. While this is a bit of a generalization, it's not much of one.
HOWEVER, it is the Japanese ideal of society that makes their country so safe in terms of physical crime. They are raised with such strong views of courtesy and manners that it is hard to overstate. The idea that you would cause trouble for those around you is horrifying for many (not all) Japanese. And yes... round eyes have much stricter penalties, that is very, very true. If you are trying to become a citizen you can't have so much as one parking ticket in 10 years of residency if you wish to even think about applying for citizenship... or you have to be an athlete, entertainment star, or sumo champ....
Japans draconian gun laws are not the reason for its low violent crime rate. They have a very low murder rate generally, and don't need such heavy penalties.
The US however does have a serious violent crime problem.
But not all the US: places such as New England, Iowa, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wyoming, Utah all have homicide rates not so much worse than Europe and Australia.
( Restricting handguns could well reduce the gap.)
What do all these states have in common? Similar racial mix. There is only one state with both a large racial minority and a low murder rate: Hawaii.
Importantly, the white-only homicide rate in the US overall is still much higher than the total homicide rate in the above states, so the cause is not simple.
People in those states have a lower murder rate regardless of race.
You cannot possibly understand the US murder rate without looking at race and guns. The left do not want to talk about race, and the right don't want to talk about guns, so we're screwed.
Japan never had a gun problem in the first place. Maybe the USA should indeed imitate them to solve its own gun violence issues ? It would be simple, too: just go back several centuries in time, and get heavily prejudiced against guns from the very beginning by emphasising the moral and cultural values attached to swords for a couple centuries, then go lose a world war and dismantle most of your armament producing capability under scrutiny by an occupying force.
Also, it'll help if you become an island.
Maybe we deserve this world ?
I cannot repeal laws in a country where I am not a citizen. But sadly, the USA blindness on this topic has impacted our lives.
I am Mexican. Believe whatever you want, but during my lifetime, I have not seen a single firearm besides those in control of the security force (and a very old rifle used for hunting, ~25 years ago, in quite a rural setting).
However, our territory is very vast and varied. And you have surely heard we do have violence problem. And you most likely heard about stupid "research" USA programs, such as "Fast and Furious", where guns were *knowingly to the USA authorities* smuggled out of the USA and into Mexico, to help "trace the paths"of the druglords.
Our druglords buy uncontrolled firearms (both "regular" and high-power) in the USA, and use them here. So, yes, I do have basis for complaining on the status quo.
Banning firearms will not finish the problem, but will very likely decrease it.
I know that single-account experiences are not statistically important, but anyway, it's not the only time I have heard such an account — And all I know is what I (or my close ones) have lived.
My family in Argentina were robbed at home, at gunpoint. The robbers asked them to hand over (in this order) firearms, jewels and money.
If firearms are harder to come by, they will not be likely to be found in a regular person's home. Of course, the black market will still have them — But the black market will have higher prices for them. Fewer wrongdoers will be able to get their hands on weapons.
If you add to this programs such as one implemented in my city, where the local government asks you to (voluntarly) hand over any guns you have paying for them in more useful goods (such as a computer, or even cash), the amount of guns in the street decreases. That means, the amount of armed people decreases. And the price for individual guns (let alone "specialty" guns, which should just be banned outside of army use) goes up. Everybody wins.