The man allegedly behind the massacre says he chose firearms
for the effect it would have for politics in the U.S.An alleged gunman behind Friday’s deadly mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, reportedly wrote his weapon of choice was firearms for “the effect it could have on the politics of United States and thereby the political situation of the world” in a manifesto that has been linked to him.
New Zealand and U.S. gun laws share some similarities but in many respects New Zealand’s laws are stricter. The shootings that left at least 49 dead have already prompted headlines from outlets like CNN about New Zealand’s “lax” gun laws.
Like in the United States and Canada, most guns in New Zealand do not need to be registered. The country does not require registry for most rifles and shotguns for people over the age of 16 with entry-level firearm licenses, according to Yahoo! News. Only about 4 percent of its guns are registered, according to researcher Philip Alpers quoted by The Guardian.
In the U.S., federal law bars the use of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to create any system of registration of firearms or firearm owners, according to the Giffords Law Center. Some states like New York have registries for weapons they define as assault weapons.
The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed a gun control package in February that contained ideas also being pushed for in New Zealand. The U.S. bill faced criticism from House Republicans, some of whom said it would result in a federal gun registry, reported NBC News.
New Zealand did away with its national gun registry in 1983 when the government determined it was cost-inefficient. However, advocates of a national gun registry in the country have continued to push for its return.
The U.S. House’s gun control legislation would also require background checks on all individuals buying guns, whether they purchase in-store, at a gun show or via the internet. This would close the so-called “gun show loophole” that did not require sellers at gun shows to conduct checks, although many venues and states have laws that require those kinds of sellers to conduct background checks....
Based on what I've heard so far, he's a white nationalist who likes Trump, opposes capitalism, calls himself an "eco-fascist," and admires the Chinese government. If you can make any sense out of that, you're better than I.
Onward and upward,
airforce
