"If you could remove a law, which one would get the boot?"
They're Always Watching
"Digital security act (2018)."
"It's a law by the government of Bangladesh, which can let anyone file a case against you, if you speak against the government online."
"There are multiple cases where someone criticized the government, and they have been put in prison because of this law."
"It basically hurts the freedom of speech of Bangladeshi citizens."
"Even though there have been voices raised to demolish this law, the autocratic government doesn't care at all."- ArianThehunter
The US Government, In A Nutshell...
"The ones that allowed politicians to accept funds from corporations."- No_Commercial5671
Lobbying For The People GIF by Creative CourageGiphyDrugs Is Too Broad A Term
"Psilocybin, LSD, and marijuana being considered Schedule 1 drugs (at least in the US)."
"Wild to me that drugs like Xanax, Oxy, some other strong prescription drugs, cocaine, and f*cking meth are all considered 'less dangerous' than drugs that have a much lower death toll and have been shown to be more beneficial in various different treatments and trials."- localstreetcat
Some Of The Most Annoying Laws Aren't Even Enforced...
"Murphys law."- Zert420
No One, NO ONE, Should Be Above The Law
"Any law about immunity for politicians."- iOliverSup
Richard Nixon Corruption GIF by GIPHY NewsGiphyAren't Politicians Supposed To Be Working For Us?
"The one that allows politicians to raise their own salary as long as at least 51% of them vote in favor."
"A few years ago they increased minimum wage by 3.5% then proceeded to increase their own salary by 40% and add 2 new benefits."- vksdann
So, Pretty Much All Laws Benefitting Politicians
"The one that protects individual politicians against the effects of what they did in office."- Silent-Revolution105
Which Citizens, And How Exactly Are They "United"?
"Citizens United."- Lilysils
Amy Klobuchar GIFGiphyMore Like Profiling Act
"Patriot Act."
"And whatever laws that allow for government surveillance besides Patriot Act."
"My dank memes on Reddit and search history is none of the business of the FBI who think using the word 'based' is grounds for a terrorist investigation."- Realtor_3605
"All the anti-terrorist laws that took our privacy's without anyone giving sh*t."- Brilliant_Salad_1345
Not Exactly "Small Government" If You Think About It?
"Where the government can take your stuff."- rtxpurelife2
Robin Hood Disney GIFGiphyBring On The Public Domain
"Every copyright extension from the original (around 20 years)."- reyseven
Um... Do You Really Need Either?
"I would say the meaningless illegality of stuff like nunchucks, balisongs, etc.:
:Why can I buy a military knife made for killing people but I can't buy a knife which uses springs to open?"- racistinfrastrukture·
Clearly Not From A "Stand Your Ground" State...
"The one where you're not allowed to defend yourself if someone breaks into your home with the intent of stealing from you (in my country)."- lycos94
It doesn't take very long at all for certain laws to become outdated.
Making it all the more infuriating that these laws remain in effect.
Particularly when they likely shouldn't even have been made laws in the first place.
A recent Redditor was curious to hear what tourists and locals alike should avoid doing in the USA, leading them to ask:
"In the United States, what should you never do?"
Stay out of the skies!
"Don't fly a drone in Washington, DC."
"The whole D.C. Area is a no fly zone."
"It's a federal offense."
"Just don't do it."- PeytonCarrK
Cops can't be bribed.
"Don't try to bribe cops when you get pulled over."
"I had some Argentinian friends immediately pull out their wallets and start pooling their cash when they got pulled over once.'
"Fortunately someone in the car noticed and told them to put it away immediately."- PeytonCarrK
"Don't pay off the police."
"My dad has friends from several third-world nations where it is common practice to give the police some cash when you are pulled over."
"However, if you try to bribe a police officer here, you'll get into a lot of trouble."- JohnASmiley
"Do not f*ck with cops."
"It might cost you your life."- Guska-siilka
Know your rights.
"Everyone, including foreigners, has the right to be silent and have a lawyer when being questioned."
"Don’t say anything."
"Also, even if you speak English fairly well, ask for an interpreter."- WickedLilThing
Enjoy all that nature has to offer... carefully!
"Don't wander off in the national parks."
"It's very real wilderness and you can get lost and die out there."
"This includes going over railings you aren't supposed to, or off trails."
"People have died accidentally falling into a steam geyser that looked like normal water, mauled by animals or left to the elements."- AlphaOhmega
national parks GIF by Visit The USAGiphyAllow plenty of time!
"Expect consistency at TSA in airports."- WickedLilThing
Some terminology doesn't translate...
"If you’re from England, they’re called cigarettes here."- Yung_Onions
Make sure your license is up to date.
"If you come from a walkable country don’t come here expecting the same."
"There are some areas with good public transportation and bicycle/pedestrian friendly streets but for the most part, especially outside of cities, the areas are designed to accommodate cars more than anything else."
"The reason a lot of Americans drive everywhere is because, depending on where you live, we have no choice."- The_Cars93
Dog Driving GIFGiphyWait for instructions.
"Get out of your car and approach the cop when being stopped by a cop unless told to."- hildrash
Be careful who you associate with
"Don’t join a cult and work for their 'family businesses' because by the time you realize you’re in a cult the statutes of limitations probably has run out, on the financial exploitation."
"Good luck trying to get reimbursed because after that you’re crap out of luck."
"At least you have your sanity back."
"Don’t give your power over to an illiterate boomer, who is dressed in all white, promising you that they have the secret sauce to the universe, trust your gut, and just walk away."- The_Bearded_1_
Don't rely on the badge
"Ask the police for directions, or anything else for that matter."
"At least not in Mobile, Alabama."
"Just my two cents after being a ignorant tourist trying to find my way."- Andreomgangen
season 9 eddie GIFGiphyAvoid another revolution!
"Betray us!"- brandii5k
Don't rely on our healthcare...
"Get sick."- Giga-Gargantuar
Hold it in when you can...
"Visit a public bathroom."
"I’m not American, so the bathrooms there seem 12x more disgusting then the ones at home."- QuietQuizzy
snl child GIF by Saturday Night LiveGiphyConsult a map first...
"Don’t understand how freaking huge the states are."
"Most European countries are barely if even close to the size of most of our states."
"They’re ginormous."- Grumpytacos56
At least not in plain sight!
"Pee on the sidewalk."- SkyUpbeat8839
Budget accordingly...
"Underestimate gas prices but that’s pretty much for a lot of countries."- Fun-Feeling8216
gas gasoline GIFGiphyDon't spoil your appetite
"Serving sizes."
"Its 3x your size here in America."
"A large cup in Europe is a medium or small in America."- Thund3r_Cr4ck3r
Level your expectations...
"Believe in the American Dream!"- zoheer
Whether your'e waling down a street in a foreign country, or the street you've lived on for your entire life, it's always wise to be on guard and aware of your surroundings.
Not to mention, obey the law.
Let's face it. While platitudes are all well and good, they are merely a contrivance to fill the silence that has stunned devastated communities.
As many American citizens call for stricter gun legislation, there are just as many who advocate for their right to the Second Amendment.
How has this become the polarizing issue in the country while many other parts of the world maintain peace–presumably due to citizens not having the right to bear arms?
Genuinely curious to hear from a specific demographic, Redditor Wonderful-Wash-2145 asked:
"To the Americans who don’t agree with changing the gun laws? Why?"
People shared their informed opinions in great detail.
When Gun Advocates Lack Common Sense Or Knowledge
"I live in a state, California, which has all of the gun laws that people are asking for and then some. While our gun violence isn't as high as a lot of other states, it was already rapidly trending downward before our biggest laws, like our 'Assault Weapons' ban passed. And we've still had our share of mass shootings. With the laws in place it's easy to see why they're ineffective."
"Assault Weapons ban? Because the only thing separating an AR-15 from any other semi-automatic rifle are ergonomic features like the stock and grip, AR-15s and similar rifles are still sold here, just with those features swapped out for less comfortable alternatives."
"'Universal' Background Checks? What people don't realize is that every gun store around the country has to run background checks on buyers already, 'Universal' means that private sellers have to do that too. How is that accomplished? The buyer and seller have to meet at a gun shop so the gun shop can run the background check. The problem is, there's nothing to stop someone from just NOT doing that. If you want to sell a gun to your best friend, there's nothing stopping you from doing it in the comfort of your own home, no paperwork required. So universal background checks aren't universal, they're voluntary but if people called them voluntary background checks, it would be too self-evident that they're not much of a solution."
"Before people say 'Well one state having those laws is ineffective because people can just buy from another state.' No, that's not legal. You can only legally buy a gun in the state in which you reside. Do people still do it? Yes, people break the law by buying from private sellers, which more laws wouldn't prevent."
"Americans buy 15 Million guns a year from dealers, who knows how many are purchased from private sellers. Countries like Australia where gun control has been effective only had a few million guns in their whole country, much less the hundreds of millions that the US has."
"The reason gun nuts oppose 'common sense' gun control is that a prerequisite for common sense is common knowledge, and it's rare for gun control advocates to have knowledge of both firearms and the laws that currently regulate them in pro gun control states like California."
In The Absence Of Enforcement
"And, a lot of the existing laws aren't enforced. Domestic abusers are supposed to surrender their arms are rarely do and the police rarely follow up, for example. I saw a thread yesterday where someone cited 27,000 known firearms holders that were illegal that law enforcement didn't do anything about."
– allboolshite
Weak arguments were also presented.
A Proposal
"So why not make guns have to be registered the way cars are? If I want to sell my car to my friend, I have to fill out paperwork to tell the state that the title for that car is being transferred to my friend. Can’t we do the same for guns?"
– SenoraNegra
A Salesman's Statistic
"I sell auto insurance. Do you know how often someone comes in to insure a vehicle they purchased but never put into their name? Literally like 5 times a weeks if not more."
– Hemp_Milk
Troubling Situation
"A big problem with anything regulatory is how ripe it is to be exploited for the person doing the regulations. A lot of gun control measures have to be enforced by someone and if that person is racist, guess who gets the regulations enforced against them more often? It's still a policing issue when at the core a large group of people simply can't trust the police, and now this is putting both parties in an even more dangerous position."
– Marco2021st
The thread continued sparking a lengthy discussion about gun culture.
A Slippery Slope
"I think one of the concerns that people are thinking about is that the 'gun reform' movement is a stomach that can't ever be satisfied, meaning, they are always going to ask for more ways to reform guns until eventually people won't get to have any. And I think people who are against gun reform know that 'gun reform' is a slippy slope to banning guns outright and overturning the 2nd Amendment."
– BoringNoise9942
What's The Point?
"Governments do not care about their people. Look at selling drugs to the black community, poisoning alcohol during prohibition, anti-privacy laws, I could go on but there's no need to fill paragraphs of these things. And we're supposed to hand over our tools of self-defense and expect the government to protect us? The same government that just sat there outside the Uvalde school?"
"And how are they going to get guns out of the hands of criminals anyway? A good chunk of these shooters are already using guns they can't legally own. If they try to completely get rid of firearms through a 'war on guns' in the same way they've waged a 'war on drugs' for decades, then the amount of illegal, untraceable firearms is only going to go up with every passing decade."
– Mama_Mega_
The Challenge Of Regulating Culture
"I think people are dancing around a core point here as well: you cannot legislate culture."
"Say we do implement just the most severe of gun laws and, miracle beyond miracles, they are 100% effective. Alright, so if I want to hurt a bunch of people en masse and guns are out of the question what do I do? What about just running a van through a crowd? What about some improvised explosive devices? Knives?"
"People think guns are the problem, but they are just a very convenient tool by which the problem expresses itself. I’ve lived in many of the so-called 'safe countries' with strong gun laws. In some respects, they are indeed safer, but it’s because the laws reflect a pre-existing cultural sentiment. This also doesn’t mean random mass violence doesn’t happen. I’m going to use Japan here because that’s a country I spent a long time in: there were the famous sarin gas attacks in 1994, also a murderer who drove a vehicle through a crowd in Akihabara (early 2000’s, I believe), and a lot more public stabbing sprees than you’d expect. One even happened a few stations down from me while living there and three little girls on their way to school died. It’s more of historical crime now, but there was also an early 1900’s mass shooting where a man, rejected by local women, decided to cut off power in his local village and systematically execute everyone in their sleep before blowing his own head off at dawn."
"The effort needs to be put into why we seem to have so many disaffected people who are so far gone that mass shootings seem like a reasonable consideration. Gun laws are ultimately just a bandaid fix and, because a good portion of the U.S. is culturally attuned to firearms in a positive way, it’s a bandaid fix that one would have to fight tooth and nail for."
"It would be an inefficient fight and even absolute victory would just result in a half measure. I oppose gun laws for precisely the same reason I oppose the war on drugs; it’s a fight that will never end just by slapping on new policies. Generations of legislators and activists will commit to it and unfathomable amounts of tax dollars will be dumped into it and in 30 years we will still be asking ourselves the same fundamental questions about our safety."
"The uncomfortable reality, at least from where I sit, is that a lasting solution is going to have to be proactive, play the long game, and be willing to figure out what has gone so wrong in our social makeup as to push people to random acts of mass violence."
"And even then, there will still just be psychopaths beyond salvaging and reincorporating into functional society."
"I also know people will want to just say 'no, more just gun laws' or 'this is all the fault of capitalism' etc. etc. but I think those who hold these simplistic, one-note positions are fooling themselves into thinking that this is as easy as identifying the sole 'big bad thing' and then destroying it. As a historian, I can guarantee you that it’s never just one factor at play.'
"I couldn’t agree more that Americans need a more proactive and preventative approach to this issue. But I think guns are just the patsy boogeyman that is simple and comfortable to place blame on. If Americans choose to fight that fight, then so be it, but I maintain that it will be long and ineffectual. In the mean time, more will die and we can all happily believe we are doing something about it."
– Samhain27
What Is It About America?
"I get 'gun culture'. But why is the US more violent?"
I think madmen and people that commit acts of random violence are basically the same % in every country. Difference is that if a mad men in my country comes at a supermarket with a knife, he might kill one or two people but he will get tackled."
"Taking a car trough a crowd, been there. That's a different animal, is terrorism."
– Good-Groundbreaking
The thread was full of debates with pro-gun activists presenting their case and anti-gun advocates responding with arguments.
It's an endless discussion that has no resolve in sight.
So now what? What are your thoughts and suggestions that would promote a compromise or solution about gun control?
What are you looking at?
"If you’re in a New York City subway, try not to make too much eye contact or look too long at people around you."
"Just ignore the smell."
"Woman near you screaming at the top of her lungs at her silent child?"
"Keep listening to your music."
"Someone digging through their bag, muttering to themselves, and throwing rose petals on the floor like they’re preparing for a seance?"
"Just keep staring blankly at your phone."
"Trust me."- Jroks2
They're not as cute and cuddly as they seem
"Raccoons are cute… but from a distance."- Legoboy514
racoon GIFGiphyThat's not how we do things here.
"Don't think the laws are the same everywhere."
"You can walk with an open alcohol container in Vegas but not many other places."
"Alcohol laws, pot laws, firearms laws, smoking - lots of very different laws depending on the state and city where you are."- Babstana
Be very careful around the police.
"If pulled over by the cops, do not exit the vehicle unless they ask you to."
"The cops might sit in their vehicle for a while, & then they will approach the window & expect you to talk to them while sitting in the car."- yahdinguus
Don't go in the water.
"If you find yourself in Florida, absolutely do not swim in the lakes, ditches, or channels."
"Any standing body of water can and does have alligators in it."
"Also possibly water moccasins."
"And maybe even diseases."- Dobbys_Other_Sock
Laugh Alligator GIF by VISIT FLORIDAGiphy"I live in an area around 4 major rivers and my town has a booming river industry."
"It never fails someone drowns at least once a month."
"The current is so strong as soon as your feet hit the water you’re most likely gone."
"Look at the river, take pictures, stop and look at our murals along our flood walls, but do not go near the river!"- Cuesey123
Don't believe everything you see
"Don’t assume that the price shown on an item for sale is your price for said item."
"There are almost always taxes that are added to the price when you go to pay."- Red_Queen592
Take one more look at a map before you take off
"Underestimate distances."
"When I was a tour guide, far too many customers asked how many HOURS the train to New York was [in seattle] and I had to put their jaw back in when I said 5 days."- a9249
Tonight Show Travel GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonGiphy"Just walk on by..."
"Don't take pictures with the people dressed up in costumes in LA/ NYC."- 541mya
Take pictures, leave everything else.
"To not take anything from national parks."- Objective-Dingo6603
Maybe just avoid discussing politics altogether?
"Don’t think that politics from wherever you’re from, specifically Europe and Australia/New Zealand."
"Also don’t try and talk about American politics when you don’t know anything about it."- Saschajoon
"Better not to talk about guns, and abortion especially in the south."- chaseanimates
They earn every penny!
"No matter how your country feels about tipping, ya gotta tip your waiters here."
"It's how they earn their living."
"But don't let people take advantage of you."
"18-20% is standard, feel free to tip more if you had extra good service."
'And look at your check."
"Some restaurants add the tip for you, not cool, but they do, mostly if you are part of a big party, but I've had it happen when I was eating alone."
'My two favorite places in the US are NYC and Texas, and yes, we are extremely nice in Texas."
' However, I lived in New York for 17 years and they are very nice there, as well, it's just different."
"New Yorkers are no nonsense, and as much as everyone enjoys bashing the Texas, we are really, really nice, and Houston has some of the greatest food o the country."
"Just be aware of your surroundings and don't look like a tourist wherever you visit."- Winter_Opening_7715·
"Not tip your waitress or server at restaurants."
"Most are severely underpaid and get most of their income from tips."
Tip Tipping GIF by DeRay DavisGiphyThey are convenient though
"Skip going to Wawa".- nilla_wafer__
A controversial opinion?
"If it's your first time, DO NOT GO TO LA or California in general."
"Not as nice as you think."- mincraft890
There are certainly areas for improvement.
"Do anything that requires medical attention."
"Insurance is a complete scam."- ChucksNorris243
season 8 episode 23 GIFGiphyBest in small incriments.
"Please do not plan to have a road trip from California to Texas to Florida to New York or anything along those lines."
"You will spend the majority of your vacation in a f*cking car paying a ridiculous amount of money for gas."
"People do not realize just how big the US is."- Vo_Lair
Is this so out of the ordinary?
"If you are visiting someone in America, take off your shoes when you enter their house."- certifiedzay
Needless to say, there is no handbook of rules of do's and don'ts when visiting the USA.
And more often than not, your own good judgment will often serve you well.
Though, when in doubt, follow any advice you're given.