Gun violence makes US seem weak, unreliable: Italian reporter

NEW YORK -- The US unique, exasperating gun culture this summer has taken center stage, and Americans remain polarized on the issue of whether owning a gun is a right embedded in the Second Amendment or a privilege that should be regulated, reported Governing, a state and local government news and analysis website, on Sunday.

"The shootings are getting more and more absurd, and Europeans don't understand the Second Amendment culture or ideology. They tend to think of this as Republican America, as (Donald) Trump's America, but of course it's more complex than that. We know that the gun lobby is strong, and that Democratic presidents have done very little to curb gun violence," the report cited Italian journalist Marzio G. Mian as saying.

"We do find it interesting that there are 400 million guns and rifles in the US, and that 3 percent of the population owns 133 million of those. That indicates a niche of obsessed people. Still, the numbers are amazing, especially when compared to Europe. If there are 120 guns for every 100 Americans, there are 12 per 100 in Italy," he said.

It takes 15 minutes for a person with an American passport to apply to buy a gun in the United States, while it's a very long process in Italy, said the journalist, noting that even if you want a rifle for hunting, it takes a year to a year and a half to complete the process.

"Right now gun violence is making America seem weak and unreliable. It's not just the power of the lobby, and it's not just respect for the Second Amendment. It's driven by fear, a fear of rebellion, a fear of revolution, something like that. When you have 400 million guns, when you defend a child before it's born but not after, you have a big political problem," said the Italian reporter.