make all weapons legal

[Guest Brumagem Phil]

Comparing America to the UK is a ridiculous idea fromt he get go.

 

Americas right to bear arms has been part of its constitution for ever, hence the population is at least comfortable in some way around fire arms.

 

Can you imagine if the UK suddenly made it part of our (non existent) constitution to bear arms??? I tell you one thing for certain, the B****** who followed me for 2 miles tonight down the country lanes with his full beams on burning my retinas out wouldnt be here!!!! I jest of course, BUT how many of us would REALLY know how to control ourselves with a gun in the glovebox of the car? Not enough IMO, and although eventually violent crime might fall, certainly in the beginning it'd be mayhem!

 

Did you know by the way that I think think the country with the highest number of guns per member of the population is Switzerland? (well I think thats true anyway)

[snakey1]

I want better odds than that, I've managed to reach my mid-fifties without being attacked, ever, that includes spending my first 38 years in London.

 

How long will it be under your new system before everyone is taking pre-emptive action?

 

Sounds like total anarchy to me, well I could handle that, but the escalation will be frightening, maybe I should start with an armoured vehicle and just shoot everyone I see just in case they shoot me first, (put a big label on your family Sean and I'll try and give them a fighting chance).

 

Sounds like Utopia for a few on here.

If you've managed to get to your mid fifties without ever getting into a fight then fair play to you ayjay, but i'm afraid to say i think your in the minority and saying you spent 38 years growing up in london doesn't mean alot as there are quiet areas of london where you'll see little trouble and then there are violent areas where you would be ill advised to walk of a night the same as any major city.london twenty to fifty years ago was a hell of a lot less dangerous than birmingham, manchester or a few other major city centres are now. The world has changed since then and not for the better in some respects.

As for taking pre-emptive action i think your just talking rubbish most decent people have no interest in injuring anyone else but would like to be able to defend themselves if attacked without fear of arrest or reprisal by the police, they don't want to go out gunning people down indiscriminately.

As for a Utopia i've said in an earlier post that i'm sure most people on this forum would like to live in a world where there was no reason to have to carry weapons or fear for your safety when out at night but i'm afraid we live in the real world not cloud cuckoo land where everything is pink and fluffy and nothing bad ever happens, in this world s**t happens and personally i'd like to be prepared to deal with it when it does.

[Newt]

Americas right to bear arms has been part of its constitution for ever, hence the population is at least comfortable in some way around fire arms.

We have the Brits to thank for that too Phil and I do thank you all even though the deed was done well before any of us were alive.

 

Several pieces of our constitution, including this one, were written because of experiences from the War of Independence or because of things from 'the old country' that we did not want to repeat. Another biggie at that time although not an issue now is the absolute prohibiting of our Government from being able to force any citizen to house military troops.

[snakey1]

Comparing America to the UK is a ridiculous idea fromt he get go.

 

Americas right to bear arms has been part of its constitution for ever, hence the population is at least comfortable in some way around fire arms.

 

Can you imagine if the UK suddenly made it part of our (non existent) constitution to bear arms??? I tell you one thing for certain, the B****** who followed me for 2 miles tonight down the country lanes with his full beams on burning my retinas out wouldnt be here!!!! I jest of course, BUT how many of us would REALLY know how to control ourselves with a gun in the glovebox of the car? Not enough IMO, and although eventually violent crime might fall, certainly in the beginning it'd be mayhem!

 

Did you know by the way that I think think the country with the highest number of guns per member of the population is Switzerland? (well I think thats true anyway)

Switzerland also has the lowest firearms crime rate in europe as well.

Oh and bye the way there was a constitution of sorts for the UK. in the 1689 british bill of rights english citizens were given the right to bear arms for the reason of self defence in a manner similar to that of the united states second ammendment(in fact the american second ammendment is partially based on the 1689 british bill of rights)but times and successive govenments have changed all that.

[Guest Brumagem Phil]

To be fair snakey1. switzerland is an odd case due to the number of army personel who actually carry arms. But yes, its an example of where high rates of gun ownership doesnt equal mayhem.......maybe its a cultural thing? Would you for example go to a footy match in the UK knowing 70% of the crowd were 'carrying'? I'm buggered if I would!!!! LOL!!!

 

Newt........great stuff, part of the US constitution I agree with. Would I allow half a dozen sex starved and armed to the teeth marines to sleep under the same roof as my woman? Would I f***!!!! LOL!

 

Please take all remarks on this thread with a pinch of salt as its gone 4am UK time and i've consumed more than my fair share of Gordon Browns liquid taxaton ;-)

 

Newt.......u know that despite our differences, I'd fish with you ANY time mate.

[Guest Rabbit]

Rabbit, it would appear to me that you don't read any newspapers or watch the news on television!

EVERY DAY there are items in the news about yobs attacking people from all walks of life, even old pensioners in a wheelchair! And you don't think you or your family is in danger, I think you are sticking your head in the sand!

Most other people (politicians excepted) realise there IS a problem.

 

" a friend of mine in his fifties was mugged by two thugs and managed to escape serious injury only by stabbing one in the neck with his car keys which made the stabbed muggers brave mate run for it yelling "he's got a blade" leaving his injured friend behind." As you see these thugs soon run when the odds are not in their favour.

I do, but I try and see the real picture, you should try. Just how many times have you been assualted or any member of your family or anyone you know? These events you describe are still very rare occurences, and to imagine that we are constantly being attacked can only result into thinking that we are.

If you really feel that your life is in danger than I would understand if you felt it justified to carry a firearm, no matter what the law is, but I suspect you dont really think its justified, and neither do I. If I am wrong please advise me and I will steer clear of Cheltenham.

Right head fully extracted, you should try also.

[Jim Roper]

Rabbit, ................ there are items in the news about yobs attacking people from all walks of life, even old pensioners in a wheelchair! And you don't think you or your family is in danger, I think you are sticking your head in the sand!

 

Perhaps Rabbit doesn't know who his mother and father are and so has no elderly relations to worry about.

 

There are people about in that position, in the minority of course!

 

By the time I was 30, I don't think I had any close relatives over the age of 50. Perhaps 1 cousin! No parents of any age!

Edited December 2, 2006 by Jim Roper

[snakey1]

To be fair snakey1. switzerland is an odd case due to the number of army personel who actually carry arms. But yes, its an example of where high rates of gun ownership doesnt equal mayhem.......maybe its a cultural thing? Would you for example go to a footy match in the UK knowing 70% of the crowd were 'carrying'? I'm buggered if I would!!!! LOL!!!

 

Newt........great stuff, part of the US constitution I agree with. Would I allow half a dozen sex starved and armed to the teeth marines to sleep under the same roof as my woman? Would I f***!!!! LOL!

 

Please take all remarks on this thread with a pinch of salt as its gone 4am UK time and i've consumed more than my fair share of Gordon Browns liquid taxaton ;-)

 

Newt.......u know that despite our differences, I'd fish with you ANY time mate.

To be honest yes switzerland does appear at first to be a bit of oddcase i agree and this may as you suggest down to the compulsory national service that the swiss have.If compulsory national service and then keeping you weapon at home like the swiss is the way to go to bring down violent crime then i for one am all for it.I believe it works because it teaches people respect for weapons and each other and also respect for authority.however switzerland might not be that odd as you would have to include canada and france as two other countries that are oddcases as well as both have far laxer firearms laws than the uk and both have far lower armed crime rates and neither country has compulsory national service so maybe it isn't to do with military presence.

As for football i don't follow the sport so you wouldn't catch me at a match armed or not

[Newt]

Would you for example go to a footy match in the UK knowing 70% of the crowd were 'carrying'?

Would I go - certainly.

Would I be likely to assult the (probably armed) person sitting next to me - certainly not.

 

Israel is another 'odd case' in terms of high rates of gun ownership. Violent crime rate is pretty low.

 

When I was younger and serving a tour in Viet Nam, you could be fined or incarcerated for being outside your living quarters without your gun. Thousands of young, testerone loaded, men from a number of different countries and the gun violence rate against each other was around zero. This included the troops who rarely/never saw any active combat and many of whom were from countries or cities where there is not a usual practice of armed citizens.

 

I think the common thread here is that countries that have a culture of law as opposed to anachry or rule by warlords do well when firearms are common and widespread.

[Colin Brett]

I think most people in this country wouldn't want to be armed probably because like me they are not aggressive enough to use arms if they had them.

The thought of stabbing or shooting someone abhors me.

I'm now 62 and apart from 1 incident of road rage towards me have never had the need to even think about carrying a weapon.

 

Colin