When You Think About It: The Code of Bushido

F LoBuono

As the gun control debate continues to rage, I thought that this might add some perspective: when it comes to gun safety, virtually no one does it better than the Japanese. Their murder rate by firearm there is virtually non-existent. Japan rarely sees more than 10 gun deaths/year. Less than 10. Excluding suicides, the U.S. recorded over 15,000 in 2017! 15,000*.

Think about that - Less than 10 compared to over 15,000!

Why? How?

Both cultures might be classified as "macho", i.e. having a warrior class. We often identify with the romance of the Wild West and how cowboys, with their trusty six-shooters and repeating rifles, conquered a hostile land. The Japanese also take pride in their warrior code, known as Bushido, embodied by the Samurai. Certainly, the courage and fierce nature of the Samurai is legendary.

So, what's the difference?

Well, in my mind, we are a culture that worships guns and the extreme violence they cause. A popular military slogan (you can even have it printed on a T-shirt) is; KILL THEM ALL AND LET GOD SORT THEM OUT. In other words, the more efficient the killer, the greater the reward. We even have a Constitutional amendment that insures that firearms will remain a part of our culture forever.

In Japan, this is not the case. In fact, it's quite the opposite. It is EXTREMELY difficult to purchase a firearm - ANY type of firearm. You must go through extensive training and a long waiting period. So, there is a very limited pool of people who own guns. Research confirms that LESS GUNS = LESS GUN DEATHS. Japan is living proof of these studies.

And, THEY DON'T CARE! If they did, they would change their laws. But, they don't. They are perfectly happy with their code of Bushido, which as a moral code, honors and respects individual combat - not mass murder. They simply see no point in acquiring weapons of mass destruction. And, they live in relative freedom from the fear of it.

So, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, the choice is ours!

*https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/07/a-land-without-guns-how-japan-has-virtually-eliminated-shooting-deaths/260189/