In the highly polarized gun debate in the US, it is often suggested that America would do well to imitate the gun control measures adopted in other countries. Those held up as models are usually other democracies, such as Japan or Great Britain or Canada. If they can keep a handle on dangerous weapons, why can't we?
"The Samurai, the Mountie, and the Cowboy" is essentially a long rebuttal to these arguments. Kopel examines the gun laws in Japan, Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, and Switzerland. In each case, he explains the evolution toward the present-day situation, drawing on the country's history and cultural traditions. The reader gains an understanding of how complex forces of politics, economics, and sociology lead countries to adopt and enforce their gun laws. In all cases, Kopel concludes that the United States could not adopt a similar system.
The nut of Kopel's argument is simply the inverse of that employed by gun control advocates. They draw on the US's similarities to Japan or Britain to explain why we should have analogous gun laws, while Kopel focuses on the differences to explain why that wouldn't work. Since any two countries will share some similarities and some differences, it is difficult to resolve the validity of either "side" absolutely.
That is not to say that we can learn nothing from examining the history of gun control in other countries. I was unaware of many of the historical examples Kopel draws upon to make his case. Even if the US is a far cry culturally from, say, Jamaica, it is interesting to understand how their system broke down so dramatically over the past few decades. The US does not have the tradition of respect for authority that succeeds in Japan, but it is worthwhile to think about how that factor has played out politically in recent centuries. My only caution in using Kopel's histories as food for thought is that they are quite brief-- just 30 pages or so-- so be aware that many other interpretations are possible.
In the final chapters, Kopel turns to the US and applies his analysis to our own history and culture. I found this section of the book to be a little weak. He uses some standard pro-gun arguments that I think are red herrings. Nonetheless, his analysis of the Revolutionary War and the "Wild West" provide some fresh ideas on America's gun tradition and why we have come to associate guns with freedom (even if this idea has been over-romanticized on some cases).
Despite rolling my eyes at some places, I think Kopel staggers to a reasonable conclusion at the end, mostly because he steps back from the theoretical perspective that he had wandered into during the chapters on American culture. In the end, Kopel becomes hard-core practical: there are tens of millions of guns in America already, and they aren't going anywhere. Our ideas about guns may be mythologized incorrectly in some cases, but that isn't going to change either.
What we can do at this point to go forward is to deal with reality. We can institute better gun safety and training programs, for instance. Instead of controlling guns, we can educate their owners. Perhaps given America's history, this solution is the one that will work for us. I waver on giving this book a "weak +" or a "strong 0" (see my rating system on the main Reviews page), but I'll settle on the "weak +." Kopel has taken an interesting approach.
Copyright © Kim Allen 2002
