Customer Reviews

The Samurai, the Mountie, and the Cowboy: Should America Adopt the Gun Controls of Other Democracies

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Of all the political battlefields concerning gun control in America, few have seen more action than the role of guns and gun control in other societies. Kopel's book is therefore one of the most useful texts available on this issue. Kopel gives a far more rigorous analysis than the lobbyists on either side of the debate. This book has been cited in numerous books and law reviews ever since its publication. The scholarly credentials of this work are excellent: each important point is researched and well referenced. As an Englishman, I found his chapter on Great Britain to be accurate and well informed. Definitely a five star book.

This is an absolutely excellent resource for anyone interested in the gun-control debate. Mr. Kopel's thesis is that effective gun-control and culture are very tightly linked. Mr. Kopel describes the gun control policies of several countries, puts each in a historical perspective, and discusses why and how well those controls work in their respective countries. He goes on to describe what form of gun-control would be best suited for the United States.

Mr. Kopel's book is superbly researched, very readable, and includes copious references. This is by far the most informative book I've found on the gun-control debate. I recommend it highly.

Reading this book gave me a reasonably educated understanding of the sociological, historical causes for the differing views among nations on guns, gun control, self-defense and the government's role in the lives of its people. The last three chapters on the U.S. explain a lot about our sense of individualism and the roots of our proud gun tradition. This is a level presentation of an emotional issue. It is that lucid proof that all Second Amendment supporters wish they had been able to make and always knew existed, and it is a reasoned argument capable of changing the position of gun control advocates, if read with an open mind.

The insight of gun control in the context of different cultures that Mr. Kopel exposes is very interesting. His argument that blind importation of gun controls is naive and dangerous is well defended, with footnotes supporting his declarations throughout the book. Kopel zig-zags through arguments as if he was representing both sides of the gun control debate, often trashing American anti-gun advocates; given his rational and objective approach, he had no choice. He concludes with suggestions of gun control policies that take the American culture into account. The book is bound to be loved by gun owners and hated by Ms. Brady and Co., an expected outcome for a work that puts emotions and politics aside and helps destroy the myth that criminality will be reduced by disarming the law abiding.

I found the info on the various country's approach to gun control very informative, and the novel approach to the underlying causes to be a refreshing change to the regular guns bad/guns good argument. It is a bit out of date for the absolute latest in guncontrol laws, as far as British, Canadian, and Austrailian situations go; however, he has predicted the paths that they might follow quite accurately. Would love to see a follow up book on some other countries such as Israel, USSR/Russia(and other east bloc countries).

I picked up this book to provide some insight on gun control issues and history, and was very pleased to learn more than expected. The laws and history were very well documented, and the book was sequenced in a manner that allowed the reader to absorb information without being overwhelmed. Cultural and legal discussions abound, and were a very important supplement to the core of the discussion.

This book explodes many myths on both sides of the gun-control debate. Refreshingly free of cant and political posturing, it's no surprise that it has become the standard work in the field. If you want to understand the subject, you must read it.

Kopel histories of the governments in Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Japan, Switzerland and the US. Concurrent with the history/culture review he mirrors the weapons control laws that evolved and their consequences. By looking more in depth at the context within which each of these countries enacted their controls, Kopel looks for "lessons learned." His work is mostly objective, incredibly well-documented, and reaches some pretty common sense conclusions. An excellent resource for learning about the nature of government, laws, and gun control specifically.

In reading the book with an open mind, it becomes quite apparent that history and culture goes hand in hand when dealing with the issue of gun control. What may work in other countries probably would not work in the United States and visa-versa due to those two issues. Clearly the United States is a country where Americans have a love affair with their car and firearms and Americans will refuse to part with either of the two. Kopels solution to gun related crimes makes sense, since guns aren't going away because of its proliferation, then issue concealed carry licenses to Americans since the Second Amendment is clear that Americans have the right to keep and bear arms.

I bought a copy of David B. Kopel's "The Samurai, the Mountie, and the Cowboy" for two reasons: a snap-shot of past gun control laws and a unique discussion of the argument that the United States should adopt the gun control laws of other nations. Gun control pundits use Great Britain and Japan as examples. Pro-gun people hold up Switzerland and Israel as their ideals.

A lot has happened since the 1992 publication date of "The Samurai, the Mountie, and the Cowboy." The passage of the Brady Bill, the Assault Weapon Ban--and 9/11 have all come and gone. Even so, I think that Kopel had some good points and I wanted to keep a copy in my library.

For example, Kopel explains why a nation's gun control laws and their effectiveness or ineffectiveness results from factors unique to that nation. Japan is a racially homogenous society (97% ethnic Japanese) with a state religion (Shinto). Police are not handcuffed by civil rights concerns. The criminal confession rate of 95% is attributed to routine police torture of suspects (pages 25 and 26) and even illegally-obtained evidence is admissible in court. Japan is a police state and is an island.

On the other hand, the United States has a significantly lower rate of political assassination than many other nations (Page 410). When suicide is added to the death toll both Japan and Switzerland have higher homicide rates (page 407). Then there is the American practice of government-sponsored oppression of large segments of the population--workers in labor unions, the Native American, black Americans, immigrants of all colors, religious groups, political radicals--and this has led to a decisive lack of subordination to "the proper authorities." Or, as Kopel puts it: "Gun control in the United States cannot play a similar role in reinforcing social controls, because Americans do not share the values of subordination which most citizens in other democracies do." (Page 418)

Or how about this: "President Roosevelt's National Relations Act gave legal protection to union organization and to strikes. Labor violence vanished as quickly as capital began to accept the new system. Likewise, debtor-farmer uprisings were common in the 1930's...The New Deal quelled farm violence not with gun bans but by redressing farmers' grievances."

Neat. Fix the real grievances and the need for violence evaporates. What a concept! Or use a gun ban and keep oppressing.