In the wake of this year’s increasing terrorist attacks in France, Belgium and Germany, applications for permits to own weapons—both firearms and non-lethal so-called “scare devices”—are rising in at least four countries, Reuters reports.
In Germany, as of June, permits for non-lethal weapons, including blank pistols and pepper spray guns, increased by almost half, year-over-year. In Switzerland, applications for firearms permits rose in 2015 and increased even more this year. The same is true of Austria, where the number of gun licenses increased since last September by 11 percent, having risen about half that much in the previous year. And in the Czech Republic, the number of gun permit holders increased this year, after falling for several years.
Apparently Europeans are realizing that surrendering their right to protect themselves to politicians who promise to protect them is a fool’s errand at best, and too often a devil’s bargain.
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