https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/08/06/gun-violence-america-prompts-growing-list-countries-issue-travel-warnings/?noredirect=on
I have seen some discussion over the last number of years around the question of a travel boycott to the US – specifically in relation to their high rates of gun ownership, assault weapons, gun violence etc.
While I, as a Canadian, would like to be able to travel across the border, as I have many times in the past, I am becoming increasingly concerned – and very close to the point where I am not willing to enter the US any more.
I have been involved a little bit in discussions related to travel advisories for Canada to other places and have learned a little bit about how they work – but it’s still quite unclear to me exactly what the parameters are for each level etc.
However, in my personal experience, it seems to me that if a country in the Middle East, for example, had the rates of personal ownership of high capacity assault weapons as the US does, there would be much stronger travel advisories from Western countries than any of them have for the US at this point.
That suggests that the US advisory is unfairly low – and creates a level of disconnect that is misleading. It suggests that the US is safer than it actually is, particularly in relation to other countries which have higher advisories (which they may or may not deserve.) What might a Canadian (or other) travel advisory look like if the true extent of the gun situation was truly being accounted for?
As a Canadian (and we are generally pretty peaceful types) and a Mennonite/pacifist, I have very strong concerns about the highly weaponized nature of life in the US. I think that the time has come to think more carefully about how to respond to this issue. Is it time for people to start actively avoiding trips into the US until they enact significant gun control laws and get their assault weapons off the streets and out of the hands of civilians?
Thoughts?
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