Global gun cultures

Gun cultures are found around the world, and evidence various attitudes towards guns in such places as the United States, Canada, Israel, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Yemen and Pakistan. Among the most studied and discussed global gun cultures is that of the gun culture in the United States.

Normally, gun culture is predominant in countries that have a strong traditional outdoor culture.

Like British gun culture, Canadian gun culture is also largely represented by sport-shooting and hunting and less on self-defense. Sport-shooting has always been a popular activity for both gun-owners and non-gun-owners in Canada. It is also a bridge and a leeway between American and British attitudes towards firearms. The provinces of Ontario, Quebec and Alberta have large populations of hunters and shooters.

The Conservative Party over the recent years, has been protective of the sport-shooting community, passing many bills that cater to their needs. In 2012, Bill C-19 eliminated the need to register "non-restricted" firearms (shotguns and regular rifles). In 2015, Bill C-42 converted "Possession-Only" licences to a regular firearms licence or a "Possession and Acquisition Licence", as well as the right to transport firearms to a shooting range without having to notify a Chief Firearms Officer.

Most Canadians who own firearms use them for hunting or sport-shooting. Canadians have mixed opinions about using firearms for self-defence, and the legality of self-defence in Canada has been a subject of controversy and debate. After the incident of Ian Thomson, a gun owner who was arrested under murder and storage violations for shooting intruders with a firearm, the Canadian parliament amended the Criminal Code to make use of force legal. This finally made it legal for gun owners to use their firearms for self-defence, as technically "anything" within their disposal can be legally used - including firearms themselves. Canadians opposed to the use of firearms for personal protection argue that it is purely an American tradition. Yet despite the Criminal Code amendments, the firearms storage laws still make it rather difficult for citizens to use their firearms for home defence in a situation. In addition, it is still up the Courts to decide whether the use of force was "justifiable".

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