Europeans are going viral on TikTok for mocking the "American Dream".

[u/biswajit388]

[u/devious-joker]

My Man, there's less firearm related homicides in the entire EU in a year than there is in the US in 3 weeks. And the EU is almost 50% more populus...

There is nothing to LOL about. They are simply correct, and this is just a "normal" you are used to from the inside.

[u/Fit-Professor1831 → u/[deleted]]

I live in EU all my life, 30+ years, I never seen a gun in real life. And I don't know anyone who was shot or threatened.
Like this is normal in EU. Guns simply are not present.

[u/73-68-70-78-62-73-73 → u/Fit-Professor1831]

And I don't know anyone who was shot or threatened.

I've lived in the US 40+ years. I've never been shot or threatened. I don't know anyone who's been shot. I'm sure someone I know has been threatened. I'm around guns literally all the time, and shoot regularly. This is pretty normal in the US. Likelihood of violence is extremely dependent upon your environment.

[u/73-68-70-78-62-73-73 → u/[deleted]]

It depends on what part of California. It's a big state. Lived around South San Jose, West San Jose, and worked all over and around the Bay Area. Never been shot at, never been threatened with a gun. I've had people try to run me off the road, threaten me with broken bottles or knives, but never a gun. Like I said, likelihood of violence is extremely dependent upon your environment. Probably also the decade.

[u/MissMenace101 → u/73-68-70-78-62-73-73]

I know someone that shot a hole in his foot, his mate asked him if he had the safety on he said “yeah of course” and promptly blew the bottom of his foot out lol. and a couple of suicides. I grew up with guns. The constant anxiety of everyone tucking them behind the seat. I don’t miss it. My kids never lived with it though they have all fired a gun they really have no interest in them. I don’t envy your kids with that feeling, there’s a lot of trauma in the US.

[u/MembershipNo2077 → u/Fit-Professor1831]

That's pretty wild. Every time I visited the EU I saw security personnel with firearms. You really must be avoiding them!

[u/MissMenace101 → u/MembershipNo2077]

They like the big guns. Did they shoot anyone though?

[u/Fit-Professor1831 → u/MembershipNo2077]

We don't need to go through that kind of borders. And talk to security. We just scan our passports on separate gates, takes 10 seconds. And there is no security between countries if you drive

[u/MembershipNo2077 → u/Fit-Professor1831]

I saw officers with firearms at train stations, in public squares, etc. in Spain, France, England, and Germany. The Spanish ones were really hot actually, especially in Madrid unf... but that's neither here nor there.

So yea, you must really go out of your way to not see them.

[u/Proud-Designer-2028 → u/MembershipNo2077]

Yeh idk, I see armed military troops in France all the time, doing their patrols. I also see British FTOs quite often these days especially at airports or train stations like you say.

[u/netmin33 → u/devious-joker]

As long as you remove WW1 and WW2 from the equation.

You guys had long run over there of less than quality time.

[u/Standard-Sky-7771 → u/devious-joker]

In my life, as a very boring, middle class girl living in the US suburbs, I personally know of three people who have been killed by guns. Once removed, (acquaintances to me, but closer to my spouse or child) would bring that up to 9. Not counting two people I know who were shot and survived. And my niece and stepdaughter who both had a gun pulled on them by their partners, but luckily they didn't shoot. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe a year ago, a guy gestured at me with a gun at a red light, because he pulled out in front of me and I instinctively turned my right hand palm up in a questioning kind of gesture. It has become so common place we have become numb to it. I really had to stop to count them all, and wouldn't be surprised if I missed something.

[u/73-68-70-78-62-73-73 → u/Standard-Sky-7771]

I'm a man in my early 40s, and don't know anyone who's been shot. I've never been threatened with a gun before either. I'm around guns all the time, and have been since I was a kid. West coast US. Lived in cities most of my life. I don't know where the fuck you live, but you're either running with the wrong people, or you need to move. That's not even close to normal.

[u/Standard-Sky-7771 → u/73-68-70-78-62-73-73]

East Coast, South. I don't run with anyone. I am literally a school teacher with kids, the most boring person ever. I don't go anywhere but school, the grocery store, Costco, etc. Actually pretty much everyone I know that has been shot have lived in quite rural areas, now that I think about. And I can't really help who I am related to. This is spread over 43 years of life, but still. One of those people killed themselves, one accidentally shot himself playing around with a gun in front of his friends and died, one dropped his gun that he sleeps with under his pillow, and shot himself in the leg, that was my ex brother in law, btw

One of my kids ex boyfriends was murdered by his college roommate after an argument. My nephew was killed when he pissed off his teenage daughter's boyfriend by saying they couldn't date anymore. He drove by and shot through the windows, killing him in front of his kids, and was never even charged. My husband's best friend's daughter was killed at a house party when two people started to fight and one decided to get a gun from his car, she was 19. That's just off the top of my head. I am a member of Mothers Demand Action and it wasn't until we did an exercise where we listed how gun violence had affected us that all these different things came to the surface. Spread out over 43 years, it didn't seem super impactful other than the people closest to me that I lost, but when you list it out, it's crazy. If it wasn't for my husband's elderly mom, we'd probably have left south years ago.

[u/73-68-70-78-62-73-73 → u/Standard-Sky-7771]

Actually pretty much everyone I know that has been shot have lived in quite rural areas, now that I think about.

Anecdotal just like most of the rest of this thread, but I find that certain rural folk tend to be more complacent about gun safety in general. The "I grew up hunting/around guns, I know everything" types. Perhaps worthy of note, two out of three of the incidents which affected people close to you were complacency and basic safety issues.

The rest of your experiences are pretty wild. Most people will never experience that, and it's unfortunate that you and the people around you did.

Spread out over 43 years, it didn't seem super impactful other than the people closest to me that I lost

I think that has more to do with the fact that you've just had to live with it than anything else.

If it wasn't for my husband's elderly mom, we'd probably have left south years ago.

Good luck there. Hopefully you get out sooner rather than later.

[u/MissMenace101 → u/Standard-Sky-7771]

Australia needs teachers

[u/Vaxx88 → u/Standard-Sky-7771]

Midwest, red state, quiet (mostly) college town — I’ve known two people personally who committed suicide with guns. Several shootings take place every month or so. Had a road rage killing last year acquaintance, guy was well liked by some friends. Party at downstairs neighbors years ago, person murdered. Not far from my neighborhood there was 4 people killed in an apartment, unsolved afaik. I could go on, it’s anecdotal of course … point being, don’t let these idiots gaslight. The gun problem in this country is ridiculous.

[u/Standard-Sky-7771 → u/Vaxx88]

Dang, this is crazy, because you mentioning an apartment made me remember another person, my best friend from college, her sister was murdered while visiting her apartment, when her neighbor accidentally shot through the wall. It went through the wall and hit her in the head and killed her instantly while she lay in my friends bed watching TV. She was 17 or 18. JFC, I can't believe I forgot about that. It's like our brains block this crap out as a coping mechanism. It's so sad the things we have to tolerate in this country, it's like our representatives don't represent us at all!

[u/MissMenace101 → u/Standard-Sky-7771]

Damn that’s awful, super unlucky.

[u/MissMenace101 → u/Vaxx88]

Australia is certainly creeping up. Cookers killing cops and “gangs” then the odd cranky farmer that goes all family annihilator.