UK Madness Regarding Gun Control

[oldfred]

Why all this concern for the welfare of us Brits.

Depending on which of the figures we choose to believe, those issued by the Home-Office, or those of the police, crime in general has either dropped by 5% or risen by 1% in the past 12 months.

Admittedly violent crime has risen by 12% in that same time, but as both the HO and police say, this rise is due in main to alcohol....not guns, knives, or even screw-drivers.

As to the owning of firearms over here. They aren't and never were owned as a 'defensive' measure but purely for either sport or work.

Take my word for it Us Brits are getting along just fine and are reasonably happy with the way we live our lives.

Of course if someone wants to send a few food-parcels over I'm sure we could put them to good use.

Fred

[Bill Sikes]

> Why all this concern for the welfare of us Brits.

Hi, Fred, I imagine it's an anti-gun control thing (AGC). The AGC people need to
point to countries where there is gun control, and say "Oh, look, don't restrict
our use of guns, or else we'll end up like they are in England (or wherever)
where it's really really bad" (except that it isn't).

> As to the owning of firearms over here. They aren't and never were owned
> as a 'defensive' measure but purely for either sport or work.

That's it. I use mine for sport.

[Warsai]

If living life without a gun works for you, then go for it. But here in America, especially in bad neighborhoods, sometimes surviving depends on keeping a gun.

[xlt66]

Good post. I was wondering about this myself.

The concern for the welfare of the Brits? That seems a little cynical to me. I wouldn't be surprised if most Brits thought the Americans (us) were scoundrels but I don't think that is even a little true of how the Americans feel about Britain.

Originally Posted by oldfred

Why all this concern for the welfare of us Brits.

Depending on which of the figures we choose to believe, those issued by the Home-Office, or those of the police, crime in general has either dropped by 5% or risen by 1% in the past 12 months.

Admittedly violent crime has risen by 12% in that same time, but as both the HO and police say, this rise is due in main to alcohol....not guns, knives, or even screw-drivers.

As to the owning of firearms over here. They aren't and never were owned as a 'defensive' measure but purely for either sport or work.

Take my word for it Us Brits are getting along just fine and are reasonably happy with the way we live our lives.

Of course if someone wants to send a few food-parcels over I'm sure we could put them to good use.

Fred

[xlt66]

I wouldn't argue against that. I think both sides have valid points to this argument. I find myself using anecdotal evidence to bolster my case. Whatever the subject.

There are several people on this forum who are pro-gun. I am pretty sure that all of them are not raving lunatics. As one person put it, their guns are like furniture. No big deal. These are the kind of people who I depend on to keep society sane.

We have a pretty long history with guns and their symbol of freedom for us. The thought of "the government" taking away that symbol upsets many.

I could (but won't!) argue that handguns should stay out of the large metro areas. But that is a bad argument. The mother-of-all gun control laws is in Washington D.C. and they have big problems. But then again, I view this more like rats in a box. Too many people in too small an area combine to cause chaos.

Originally Posted by Bill Sikes

> Why all this concern for the welfare of us Brits.

Hi, Fred, I imagine it's an anti-gun control thing (AGC). The AGC people need to
point to countries where there is gun control, and say "Oh, look, don't restrict
our use of guns, or else we'll end up like they are in England (or wherever)
where it's really really bad" (except that it isn't).

> As to the owning of firearms over here. They aren't and never were owned
> as a 'defensive' measure but purely for either sport or work.

That's it. I use mine for sport.

[oldfred]

Originally Posted by Warsai

If living life without a gun works for you, then go for it. But here in America, especially in bad neighborhoods, sometimes surviving depends on keeping a gun.

The sad thing is why on earth did we allow these neighbourhoods to go bad in the first place....but maybe that should be another thread.

Fred

[Warsai]

Originally Posted by oldfred

The sad thing is why on earth did we allow these neighbourhoods to go bad in the first place....but maybe that should be another thread.

Fred

Yes, maybe it should.

(goes off to start a new thread)

[Tombstone]

Hi oldfred,

Thanks for your reply. Why the concern for the Brits? Well, I for one have a common heritage, I have several British friends, and Britain's politics can have a ripple effect over here in the U.S.

Throw out the gun issue for a minute. The items I have been reading about and have been talking to my British friends about can be summed up by the following excerpts:

"In England "[m]erely threatening to defend oneself can also prove illegal, as an elderly lady discovered. She succeeded in frightening off a gang of thugs by firing a blank from a toy gun, only to be arrested for the crime of putting someone in fear with an imitation firearm" (p. 184).

Not even if one's life is in danger can one legally use a weapon. In another case, two men assaulted Eric Butler in a subway, smashing his head and choking him. "In desperation he unsheathed a sword blade in his walking stick and slashed at one of them. . . . The assailants were charged with unlawful wounding but Butler was also tried, and convicted of carrying an offensive weapon" (p. 185)."

The right to self-defense using anything more than your fists looks to be outlawed.

I guess you won't ever feel the outrage until you are in a position of needing to protect yourself. Lord help you if you try to get that playing field level and use a like-type weapon.

Originally Posted by oldfred

Why all this concern for the welfare of us Brits.

Depending on which of the figures we choose to believe, those issued by the Home-Office, or those of the police, crime in general has either dropped by 5% or risen by 1% in the past 12 months.

Admittedly violent crime has risen by 12% in that same time, but as both the HO and police say, this rise is due in main to alcohol....not guns, knives, or even screw-drivers.

As to the owning of firearms over here. They aren't and never were owned as a 'defensive' measure but purely for either sport or work.

Take my word for it Us Brits are getting along just fine and are reasonably happy with the way we live our lives.

Of course if someone wants to send a few food-parcels over I'm sure we could put them to good use.

Fred

[Tombstone]

Hi Bill,

Guilty as charged! I will never deny my enthusiasm for the right of individuals to have the tools to protect themselves. I also will never deny the "ability" of individuals to protect themselves either - without fear of prosecution.

Originally Posted by Bill Sikes

> Why all this concern for the welfare of us Brits.

Hi, Fred, I imagine it's an anti-gun control thing (AGC). The AGC people need to
point to countries where there is gun control, and say "Oh, look, don't restrict
our use of guns, or else we'll end up like they are in England (or wherever)
where it's really really bad" (except that it isn't).

> As to the owning of firearms over here. They aren't and never were owned
> as a 'defensive' measure but purely for either sport or work.

That's it. I use mine for sport.

[oldfred]

Originally Posted by xlt66

Good post. I was wondering about this myself.

The concern for the welfare of the Brits? That seems a little cynical to me. I wouldn't be surprised if most Brits thought the Americans (us) were scoundrels but I don't think that is even a little true of how the Americans feel about Britain.

My 'concern for the welfare of the Brits' was a direct response to 'UK madness regarding gun control'.

I'm sure the vast majority of Brits don't see the Americans as scoundrels, but we do occasionally approach things from a different point of view.
I liken it to a family who defend each other from outsiders, but aren't affraid
to have the occasional squabble between thmselves.

Fred