With more guns per resident than any other country on earth, the US also suffers from the highest number of gun deaths per capita.

它是全球人均擁有槍枝最多的國家，也是人均槍擊死亡案件最多的國家。

So, why does America love guns so much?

究竟美國為何如此喜愛槍枝？

Well, the basis for the US’s gun policy is the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.

美國的槍枝管理政策立基於憲法第二條修正案。

It states, "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

其中載明：「紀律良好的民兵隊伍，對自由國家的安全實屬必要故人民持有和攜帶武器的權利，不得予以侵犯」 。

Since it was written in 1791, gun control laws have been narrowed down, and varied from state to state.

從該修正案在 1791 年訂定後，槍管法如今已被限縮，且各州規定有所不同。

However, America’s love of guns still comes from their early history.

不過美國對槍枝的熱愛源於建國初期的歷史。

The founding fathers understood that in most conflicts, the more powerfully armed force usually wins.

美國建國元老知道在多數衝突中，通常是火力強的一方獲勝。

The Second Amendment was intended to fight tyrannical oppression, defend against invaders, and guarantee the right to self-defense.

憲法第二條修正案意在推翻暴政、抵禦外侮，以及保護自衛權。

The right to self defense is actually found in the British common law on which the founders based much of the constitution.

自衛權其實最早明訂於英國普通法中，而美國憲法便是參照英國普通法而來。

Inherent in America’s birth is the idea that freedom and liberty must be defended with force.

建國之初，美國就有著自由必須以武力捍衛的意識。

Today, although the political and military situation has changed, many Americans continue to associate freedom with gun ownership.

雖然現今政治軍事形勢已變，許多美國人仍認為自由包含了擁槍的權利。

Pro-gun advocates, such as the National Rifle Association, argue that guns allow people to protect themselves against criminals with guns.

如美國全國步槍協會等槍枝擁護團體認為，擁有槍枝才能在面對持槍歹徒時自保 。

It’s argued that since guns are so ubiquitous, gun control laws would only prevent law abiding citizens from having guns.

既然槍枝已經氾濫，槍管法便只會讓守法公民無法取得槍枝。

Meanwhile, criminals would ignore those laws and crime would increase.

於此同時，罪犯卻會知法犯法，而犯罪率也會隨之升高。

A 2014 Pew study confirms that American attitudes have shifted towards gun ownership rights instead of gun control.

2014 年皮尤公司所進行的民調顯示，美國人民對槍枝議題態度已由支持管制槍枝轉為支持擁有槍枝。

This suggests that people believe it is safer to have guns for protection than to limit gun ownership.

這表示人民認為擁槍比管制更安全。

The most repeated argument for associating freedom and guns, is that the United States government was intended to exist only at the whim of its citizens.

將擁槍權與自由掛鉤的最常見理由，便是人民才是美國這個國家的主人。

In 1946, a town in Tennessee led an armed revolt against the police and sheriff. He had restricted their voting rights, unlawfully jailed and fined citizens for profit, and rigged an election.

1946 年，一個田納西州小鎮上的人民以武裝反抗警察和警長，因為該警長侵犯鎮民投票權、非法關押鎮民、任意罰款以中飽私囊，以及操縱選舉。

As it says in the declaration of independence "whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it".

獨立宣言中寫明「任何形式的政府破壞人民權利時，人民便有權改變或廢除該政府」。

It's argued that the Second Amendment is supposed to guarantee the people’s ability to actually get that done.

而第二憲法修正案創立之初即意在確保人民得以行使推翻政府暴政的權力。

Still, despite the potential freedom from tyranny, conflicting studies can’t seem to determine whether or not gun controls actually lower violent crime.

儘管第二修正案或許真能讓人民從暴政手中奪回自由，眾多研究結果對於槍枝管制是否能降低暴力犯罪仍無定論。

However, researchers at Harvard determined that in nearly every case, more guns equals more homicides.

然而哈佛學者們已在研究中闡明，幾乎在所有案件之中，只要槍枝越多，死傷數也會也越多。

In the US, children are 17 times more likely to be murdered with a firearm than in other countries.

在美國，兒童被槍殺的機率比他國兒童要高出 17 倍。

Still, it is doubtful that Americans will ever transition away from conflating guns and freedom.

但美國人究竟是否會改變對擁槍自由的立場，仍然有待商榷。

Europe has a very different relationship with guns than the United States, but do the gun control laws there really work? Well, check out our video.

與美國相比，歐洲國家對槍枝的態度截然不同。但歐洲的槍管法真的管用嗎？請看看我們的專題影片吧。

In other places, like Lithuania and Romania, few civilians own firearms because at one point they were part of the Soviet Union, which had extremely strict gun laws.

在如立陶宛和羅馬尼亞等國，一般人民很少擁有槍械。這是因為他們曾是蘇聯的一部份，而蘇聯對於槍枝控管得十分嚴格。

Thanks for watching TestTube! Join us on Facebook and Twitter if you’ve got any other ideas for videos!

感謝收看 TestTube！如果你有任何對未來影片主題的想法，請上我們的 Facebook 和 Twitter 分享吧！