Interview with Japanese newspaper

[RHenriksen]

Well, this has been an interesting day.

Two men from the NYC bureau of The Asahi Shimbun (http://ajw.asahi.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) came over this afternoon, at my invitation, and sat down for an hour long visit about firearms in America. We then loaded up, went to the range, and they both got a chance to fire my AR.

The senior fellow was a Japanese national; the second, a twenty-something American, originally from Houston, now living in Brooklyn. The latter had done the sniffing around to find interview subjects who were a) NRA members, b) owned an AR, and c) were willing to be photographed.

Now, they wanted a photograph of me *holding* the AR, but I'd refused before we finalized plans for the interview. That sort of pose just plays too easily into the wild-eyed redneck imagery. So they settled for pictures of a) the rifle, b) me and my Labrador, and c) each of them shooting the rifle! :-) The American had done target shooting occasionally; the Japanese, none at all. They both did fine - were safe, not freaked out by the experience, got a safety briefing beforehand, etc. Mr. Nakai did find the noise of the rifles a lot to adjust to, but that's understandable. The only other guys there were shooting a 22-250.

Being interviewed by a Japanese is the extreme opposite of the Piers Morgan experience. Very good listener, never arguing or contesting any points, but asked intelligent questions, etc. Of course, the real proof of this pudding will be the final article. I have business cards for both of them, and sent them additional material post-interview. They've promised me a translated copy of the article within a couple of days after the original is published in Japan.

Fingers crossed that there is a balanced presentation...

[hpcatx]

Please post a link to the translated (or original) when available! Good job representing our side.

[Wes]

That should be an interesting viewpoint to read, looking forward to it

[The Annoyed Man]

RHenriksen, how did the guy find you specifically among Americans who were AR owning NRA members in the fist place?

[RHenriksen]

You mean, besides me obvious celebrity status?

The American's mother & brother are in the Houston area. His brother posted in a local motorcycle forum about needing interviewees, and I threw my hat in the ring.

[The Annoyed Man]

You mean, besides me obvious celebrity status?

The American's mother & brother are in the Houston area. His brother posted in a local motorcycle forum about needing interviewees, and I threw my hat in the ring.

Excellent, and good for you for doing it. I know that there is a natural and understandable reluctance of gun owners to be photographed by the media (and possibly "the man"), but if more of us took that risk and stepped forward, or proactively sought out these opportunities, I think THAT would "sell" the right to keep and bear arms as much as anything. When the media is forced to consider that the vast majority of gun owners—including AR15 owners—are normal everyday people in appearance, thought, and deed, then the non-gun-owning public will more and more realize that we are their neighbors, friends, and family members from whom they have nothing to fear.

I saw an african-American female commenter on a news article yesterday who claimed to have been a CCW permit holder for the past 30 years, and who said that the AR15 was invented to kill black people with. Her reply was that if I had enough gonadal fortitude to come down to "the hood," I would know it to be true. Well, I used to live in "the hood" before I moved to Texas, and I know it's not true.....not to mention that its ridiculous on its face. Unfortunately, THAT is representative of the reputation of the AR15 to a large part of the population, race notwithstanding.

By refusing to engage the media individually and not just collectively, we have no means to counter that.

[steve817]

Can't wait to see it.

[RHenriksen]

Well, here's the English->Japanese->English translation. IOW, take the language with a grain of salt. I'm disappointed about their parroting of the 40% figure on face to face sales, but when I offered up John Lott's information on the topic, I just got some hand-waving in response. 'Police chiefs use that figure' so it must be good enough.

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Gun Control Efforts Face a High Barrier in Americans that Cherish their Firearms

On January 16th, in the wake of a mass shooting in a Connecticut elementary school, President Obama announced that tackling gun violence would be a priority in his second term, while elaborating plans to strengthen gun regulations governing background checks, high capacity magazines, and assault weapons. He made this announcement in the face of fierce opposition from the National Rifle Association and with unlikely prospects for successful legislation in a divided Congress, as well as a deep-rooted culture that regards gun ownership as a means of personal protection.

At a convention center on the outskirts of Houston, the parking lot overflows as people arrive on a Sunday morning family outing. They’ve arrived for a gun show. Inside the hall they find guns and gun accessories, knives and a host of associated products lined up around the room. These gun shows take place every weekend across the United States.

The entrance fee is seven dollars. Patrons can carry their own guns inside, but have to leave their cameras at the door. Walking around the convention floor are men carrying their guns from home, with “For Sale” signs affixed to the barrels. There are no background checks governing these person-to-person sales. If internet sales are included, approximately 40% of U.S. gun transactions are conducted by these private sellers. Obama’s current policy proposal addresses the issue of private sales, though it is already facing resistance.


Seller’s Market

The AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle, is quickly becoming the most popular gun in America. It has become symbolic of the so-called “assault weapons” that the Obama administration is seeking to regulate, and was used in the recent shooting in a Connecticut elementary school. As a result, there has been a surge in demand for the weapon.

At this gun show, Michael Serafani mans a booth accepting orders for AR-15s. “Compared to before the shooting, our orders have gone up by 5 or 6 times what they normally would be. It’s gone up a lot since the Obama administration started their task force on regulations. Even if you ordered right now, you’d be waiting 8 weeks or so before you’d get it.” He tells his customers that there’s a chance that he might not be able to complete their orders, if regulations end up being pushed through.

Overwhelming Force

Robert Henrikson, a Houston-based employee of an IT company, bought an AR-15 on the same day as the Connecticut shooting. “Knowing how gun-control activists have worked until now, I knew that they would use this incident as a pretext to advance their agenda.”

Henrikson, who is a member of the NRA, started questioning gun regulations while a university student. “A mugger can carry a gun, but I can’t? That’s strange to me.” Henrikson, a long-time martial arts student, feels confident in his own abilities to defend himself, though acknowledges, of course, that he is no match for an attacker armed with a gun.

These days, Henrikson keeps 7 or 8 guns in his home, though he doesn’t hunt, and the only place he uses them is on a shooting range. The most important goal, however, is self-protection. In a calm tone, he explains that, “In the United States, those places where there is little gun control have lower crime rates. And mass shootings almost all occur in places where firearms are prohibited.” For his own self-protection, he explains that “if you bring overwhelming force, you end the incident before it becomes one. And for that purpose, the AR-15 is very effective.”

Henrikson took me to a nearby shooting range. The rifle, at 2 or 3 kilos, is lighter than one would imagine. The gun at my shoulder, staring down the barrel, I pulled the trigger. I’d been told that the recoil was light, but the gun jumped as I fired it.

Unlike a military weapon, this rifle could not fire on an automatic setting, but every time the trigger is pulled a new bullet is fired. I ended up firing half of a 30 shot magazine. I looked at my watch. Less than a minute had passed.

After random shootings NRA membership skyrockets

There are also people who have left the NRA in the wake of the Connecticut shooting. Upon hearing of NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre’s plan to increase school security by adding armed guards to every school in the nation, Colorado resident Joe Ruffini withdrew from the group in protest, stating in an interview that LaPierre had no intention of honestly engaging with the problem of gun violence.

Ruffini, a 20 year veteran of the American military, currently runs a company that specializes in anti-terror training and education. He is a passionate defender of individuals’ rights to gun ownership, and regularly carries a handgun, but of semi-automatic rifles, he says that, “even police officers don’t carry them. Having a weapon capable of that kind of killing power is unnecessary. If you’re proposing a situation where you can’t defend yourself with a handgun, well, then, I’ve got a problem with that suggestion.”

But then, the number of new members of the NRA outweigh those that are leaving. According to US News and World Report, NRA membership, perhaps encouraged by a fee discount, has increased by nearly 250,000 people since the shooting in Connecticut. Gun sales have also shown record increases. NRA President David Keene attributes this to people becoming, “afraid that the Obama administration is going to infringe on their rights through these proposed regulations.”
Searching for middle ground

Until now, the NRA has claimed that gun control is an infringement of personal freedom, and the Obama administration is manufacturing a crisis. In his 600 page book, America Disarmed, Wayne LaPierre argues that the Obama administration, in collusion with the United Nations, is working to erode the right of Americans to bear arms.

His argument also touches on Japan. LaPierre refers to a statement made by Walter Mondale, during his Clinton-era tenure as Ambassador to Japan, in which he said that “gun control isn’t just a domestic issue.” LaPierre criticizes the statement for its willingness to infringe the rights of Americans for the sake of currying favor with Japan. He further mentions Japan’s part in promoting the United Nation’s small arms treaty.

However, there are also writings that examine the history of gun ownership in the United States. According to UCLA professor Adam Winkler, “we can accept the right of the individual to own firearms, but still apply sensible regulations.” Winkler points out that the NRA had previously supported gun regulations, but following a 1977 internal power struggle, the organization shifted to a focus on the rights of gun ownership, and started to oppose any efforts to limit firearm possession.

Winkler also expresses reservations about a ban on so-called assault weapons. “For one thing, the definition of what constitutes an ‘assault weapon’ is vague. Working around these bans is also fairly simple. There’s also the problem of incentivizing the ownership of these weapons, so there’s a strong likelihood that a ban like this would backfire.” On the other hand, he points out that “the NRA doesn’t speak for all gun owners. There’s the possibility for consensus, for example, on regulations that require a background check on all firearms purchases.” It is these areas of agreement that the Obama administration will be looking out for as it grapples with the path of its gun control efforts.

[philip964]

Thanks for helping them.

The Japanese as a culture are very law abiding. They have a 55 mile per hour speed limit and everyone obeys it to the letter.

"Under longstanding Japanese policy, there is no good reason why any civilian should have a handgun, so _ aside from a few dozen accomplished competitive shooters _ they are completely banned." In 2011 in the entire country of 130 million, there were 7 gun murders, 9 murders with scissors.

Japan is an island.

People who believe in gun control always point to places that are islands to show the effectiveness of gun control.

I like to point to Mexico.

[RHenriksen]

Heck, even Great Britain's island status doesn't save them from an increase in gun crimes. Or a doubling of all types of violent crimes, post-ban.

Japan's homogenous (and xenophobic?) culture has more to do with their Murder rate, IMO, than their gun laws.

[VMI77]

Ruffini lied. The police do carry rifles. Every LEO may not have one, but lots do. They carry them on the streets of NYC and on public transportation in San Fran. In just about every publicized shooting where there are photos from the scene, there are LEOs with M16 variants. Not to mention the fact that if they didn't carry them, there would be no need to exempt them from bans.

[Frankie]

The Japanese as a culture are very law abiding. They have a 55 mile per hour speed limit and everyone obeys it to the letter.

When I lived in Japan in the late 80's to early 90's, you would see cars parked in "no parking" areas running with keys in it and unlocked while people would run in the store to pick up items. Had they turned the car off, they would have broken the law, but since it was running, they were only "stopped" not parked in the no parking zone. Shop keepers wouldn't even come out of the back room unless you called to them for assistance or when you were ready to make your purchace, they had no fear of people shoplifting or stealing things.

[RHenriksen]

Ruffini lied. The police do carry rifles. Every LEO may not have one, but lots do. They carry them on the streets of NYC and on public transportation in San Fran. In just about every publicized shooting where there are photos from the scene, there are LEOs with M16 variants. Not to mention the fact that if they didn't carry them, there would be no need to exempt them from bans.

Good point, meant to mention that one as well.

[67SS]

In all the years I have worked in the general public 35+.... I dont think I have found one Honorable person.... I have found many a good person, even they will succumb to low moral judgment every once in a while . in general.. they all lie, cheat, and steal .. not exasperatedly, but in small levels... I would think to have honor one must be honorable in all aspects, .. hence why there is no honor among thieves. and every person lies on their tax return...

Just sayin