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So yesterday the umpteenth massacre caused by a young white boy in the US that decided to shoot some black people in a church because he doesn't like them.

What impressed me most is that he received the gun as a birthday present from his dad. Is it really so "normal" in the US to own a gun? Or is it just the most extremist that like to keep a gun at home?

And is there any type of verification before one is allowed to buy a gun?


Here in Italy recently the rules have changed (but basically nothing changed). Until May this year, if you wanted to buy a gun or inherited one you just had to go to the Police with a doctor certificate stating you are not insane and ask for the "Nulla Osta", a declaration of no impediment. The Police would do their inspections (check if you have had any issue with the law) and if nothing came out you could get your gun. Nothing else was requested and you could keep your gun until your death with no more inspections. (If you go hunting you need to get a license and there is an additional procedure to follow)


Since May this year, if you keep a gun at home you need to get a medical certificate from a Health Officer, a Provincial Doctor (didn't even know they existed) or an Army Doctor. It's the same certificate that you have to show when you request the "nulla osta". In this certificate the doctor has to state that you are "psycho-physically" sound. Before you get this certificate, you need to go to your doctor which will deliver another certificate with your health history. Rather than a safety issue this looks more like the classic thing "all'italiana", created just to get more money from the citizens (the taxes are already too high, so they need to find secondary ways). Because when you first go to your doctor, he asks you "you look sane, right? had no illnesses etc.". Ok, here you are. 5 minutes later you are out of his office and with 50 euro missing from your pocket. He doesn't even see you and doesn't care if you haven't done a check-up in 20 years. Then you go to get the final certificate. Usually it's the driving schools that do this type of service: one evening per week they organize the "doctor visits", where the Health Officer sees about 30 people in one hour. You go in, you are asked if you are ok, and 2 minutes later and 35 euro less you have your nice certificate. You buy a 16 euro tax stamp and you can go to the Carabinieri that will register that you are sound.

Fortunately this useless procedure has to be done only every 7 years.

So I don't know, maybe the usual Italian bureaucratic "rigmarole" is a good thing in this case, because it works as a deterrent. Or maybe we just don't feel the need to own a gun, it's not in our culture (because we are not used to it).. until recently at least.