I won't wade into an argument I know little about (specifically gun control), but I think I can contribute something regarding perceived and actual individual liberty and my experience with it.
I've lived in the US (3 years; the more liberal states, California then New York State, also Quebec Canada) and also in Beijing, Xi'An and Shanghai in China (4 years). I currently reside in Sydney, Australia and have done so for a total of 15 years. Before all this I was born and lived in Southern Europe (Croatia).
You might balk, but the freest, least intrusive experience from the perspective of a regular Joe who just wants to work, get wasted on weekends and party with friends in private, in public, on the sidewalk, etc; China is by far the freest society. Not because their laws are more liberal. On the contrary. For the simple fact that they can't enforce any of them, and will never be able to, owing to the demographic reality of the country in question. They can't micromanage individuals, unless said individuals start a political movement and become famous/publicly outspoken in their own right. That they can pinpoint and micro, typically with house arrest or fines.
So if you want a taste of true freedom as a regular individual, it may sound dubious, but give China a bash. Sipping beer at McDonald at 3am with your friends acting rowdy? All good, people just smile.
Yes, you can buy a rifle in Shanghai and go shooting, at a designated range mind you. I used to shoot at one of the Shanghai naval museums at the navy yard. However if you're a foreigner you need special permission to enter active military bases.
Like in Europe, here in Australia things are comparatively Orwellian. A copper will throw you in the back of the paddy wagon for simply drinking in public. Prancing the streets at 3am with some friends? Expect to be picked up by cops or fined.
In the US situation is looser, but cops are trigger happy and kind of wound up, making them far more dangerous than most criminals. I really hate the gung ho attitude of american cops, their training seems comical/lacking. Like they were trained at a studio lot for a movie. I was threatened twice by cops in LA for basically minding my own business.
In China cops don't carry weapons of any sort. They are armed with radios.
For those of you balking at the prospect of greater gun controls (I guess I will wade into that debate after all) keep in mind your puny small arms would get bulldozed by anything resembling a repressive state apparatus; one sporting tanks, attack helicopters, jets and drones. If the $1 trillion American military industrial complex turns against you, guns won't save you. you will stand as much chance as the unarmed Chinese against the PLA. This isn't the 1800's. Force multipliers are overwhelming. 1,000 irregular fighters armed with assault rifles would get creamed by a single F-16 sortie, spotted by AWACs with thermal cameras and drones long before they knew they were already dead.
That said I don't think federal gun restrictions will do much to change the situation in the US. The black market is prolific and the borders remain porous. It's more about the culture. Throw in abysmal mental health care (or the complete lack thereof-pills here, pump some pills!) and you got the formula for what we see so often. School shootings, as tragic as this sounds, have become an American tradition. Traditions are difficult to shake. Resorting to extreme measures could make things worse. Sales of Assault Rifles shot up 15% in Florida after the school shooting, oince talk about regulation picked up. You have to work around your cultural realities, not over them.
Here in Australia, there are stringent firearm restrictions, but you can still own shotguns and rifles. Even then, surrounded by water on all fronts, you can purchase an illegal handgun or assault rifle, granted it's $2,000-$5,000 which is 10x more expensive than in Florida, but anybody can get a micro loan these days. People do, and people get shot in Sydney and also Melbourne on a weekly basis.
Alas, such is life.
