Irish media obsessed by America's guns

Posted on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 05:22 PM

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Irish people are both horrified and fascinated by America's gun laws, or as it's generally put, 'America's love of guns.' Therefore, no Irish journalist who goes to America for any period of time can resist the lure of guns and those who own them.

Generally speaking all of what's known as 'red state America' has this effect on Irish journalists, but the guns are the most attractive.

Case in point: on Monday night Ireland's national television channel, RTE, aired the first part of a two part documentary chronicling their Washington correspondent's first year in DC. During the hour long program Charlie Bird had a number of discussions on guns, including a longish chat with a group of hunters in West Virginia.

These guys were right out of central casting for a program on second amendment devotees. They seemed like nice enough men, rural people with no interest in having the central government dictate to them how they should or could live their lives. Their interests are not mine, but I wasn't shocked by them. Bird (photo - right) looked and sounded incredulous as he spoke to them.

In some ways I can understand it. Irish people are very America-focused. American culture and news from America are a constant.

The gun laws here, however, are very tight, which makes of the lax laws in America of great interest. Very few Irish people own guns and those who do have to obey strict guidelines on where they can store and use their weapon. {Legal} Handguns are unheard of. Just adds to the sense of mystery, that America is a place everyone knows, but nobody understands.

Regardless Charlie Bird's program was good tv. Near the end of his chat with the hunters Bird asked them if they would use their guns to protect their families. The 'Yes' answers were predictable, but when one of the men stopped Bird to ask him if he would use a gun to protect his family Bird hesitated and looked a bit taken aback when he realized the answer was 'Yes.'

{I don't know if the program will play outside Ireland, but I doubt it. Here's the link if you want to try.}

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divilment | Aug 25, 2010, 09:45 AM EDT

@TaranOconner, If the bad guys want to break in to a house, the possibility that the occupant is armed will just incentivize them to 'tool up' with even more powerful weaponry.

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TheYank | Feb 15, 2010, 09:36 AM EST

Haole3000, I think the simple answer is that people here are fascinated (& horrified) by America's 'rednecks.' There's actually a similar phenomenon here, but it's more horror and less fascination with Irish 'rednecks' and they're mostly ignored. Two weeks ago more than 10,000 people were at a big hare coursing event in Tipperary, but it was almost completely ignored by the press other than some mention of the few animal rights protesters who showed up.

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Haole3000 | Feb 12, 2010, 05:43 PM EST

Why do these Europeans always interview white rednecks?? Blacks and Latins also have a gun culture. Is he afraid to interview his fellow democrats?

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Haole3000 | Feb 12, 2010, 05:28 PM EST

The english could carry guns until fairly recently, like maybe a hundred years or so ago. The Irish were forbidden arms, they were surfs remember. Even during the potato famine the Irish had no arms to rebel and so 2 million perished of famine and another 2 million moved out. Deaths from firearms in the USA is something like 10,000. It would take 200 years for the USA gun deaths to match the irish famine.

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TheYank | Jan 29, 2010, 05:48 PM EST

Sectionhand, Compared to the laws here, America's gun laws are lax. I was speaking relatively.

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Sectionhand | Jan 29, 2010, 01:34 PM EST

Hey Yank ... You think American Gun Laws are lax then try to buy one . The men who were interviewed were sportsmen . Maybe Ireland would be in better shape if it had had a better control over C4 . Blowing up innocent civilians isn't my idea of good sport !

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TaranOconner | Jan 28, 2010, 09:43 PM EST

Violent Crooks will ALWAYS have guns, that is a Part of what makes them Crooks! Being Armed, Informed and Trained helps protect Honest, Legal Citizens FROM the Crooks' violence and crime!-----When the Bad Guys know that they are not the only ones armed they will think twice before breaking in or committing other crimes.

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TheYank | Jan 28, 2010, 03:18 AM EST

McNamara31, The name of the program is Charlie Bird's American Year. Here's a link with some detail about it. http://ow.ly/11gnG

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McNamara31 | Jan 27, 2010, 08:58 PM EST

Dear Yank, Would like to view this broadcast, however the link connects to RTE and states this program not available at this time, while many other programs are avaiable on the RTE player. Could you post the actual name of the program; maybe we can pick it up in the states on RTE "You Tube." Many Thanks

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