Reply to: When will they ban guns?

[AtW]

The last thing I want is the balance shifting in the US direction - certainly not the concealed weapons malarky.

That's not the only direction - there are handguns on sales in France and Germany, and Switzerland, what's wrong in moving to that direction? Afterall UK had legal handguns only recently.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Fine, then you don't need to buy a gun, you can't however decide for others - some people don't need cars, so they can avoid associated risks.

I said I was against the handgun ban - I don't mind people having licensed guns for sporting purposes. I am against my neighbourhood turning into the OK coral however, just because someone thinks they are Chuck Norris.

On the whole I think the balance is about right here - Tony Martin laid booby traps and lay in wait for intruders then shot them in the back - he was convicted of murder but it was reduced to manslaughter on appeal and he's out already - not bad for a guy who'd already had his firearms licence revoked for firing at people.

The last thing I want is the balance shifting in the US direction - certainly not the concealed weapons malarky.

Unfortunately the only way to find out would be to try it, and if I'm right, a lot more people will die while we find out.

[AtW]

I live without fear of criminals and without needing a gun already.

Fine, then you don't need to buy a gun, you can't however decide for others - some people don't need cars, so they can avoid associated risks.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Guns can save your life and most importantly - they can let you live life without fear: being afraid of criminals is a very bad thing to have.

I live without fear of criminals and without needing a gun already.

[AtW]

Cars have a utility and and that's why people accept the risks.

Guns can save your life and most importantly - they can let you live life without fear: being afraid of criminals is a very bad thing to have.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Every year 3500 people die from car accidents, cars ain't banned - thats one 7/7 every week and everyone accepts it. How many gun deaths were happening due to legal gun ownership until that tragic incident in 1996 when that crazy guy shot kids in school?

I wasn't in favour of the gun ban, but the car analogy is daft. You can't do much with a gun except fire it at a target. Cars have a utility and and that's why people accept the risks.

[AtW]

A. K. A. "Collateral Damage"...

Every year 3500 people die from car accidents, cars ain't banned - thats one 7/7 every week and everyone accepts it. How many gun deaths were happening due to legal gun ownership until that tragic incident in 1996 when that crazy guy shot kids in school?

[AtW]

Why? From my observations the police in the UK are very good at getting murderers, however it does not help the victim much.

[AtW]

Instead of bitching, why not join the local "specials"? In your area it's spelt "R E T A R D S!".

Yeah, I was thinking to do that when I get time - after SKAs success

[AtW]

Atw - I totally agree about those signs - I just don't agree about the idea of giving everyone firearms for self-defence - I just don't think it would work.

No, I don't advocate giving guns to everyone - far from it. Guns should be expensive, come with insurance for any 3rd party damage (say £500 per year, 1 mln gun owners will generate 500 mln - that should be high enough to offset any damage some of them could cause, with 5 mln gun owners the amount is even higher), there must be regular tests on how to deal with different situations for example when someone breaks into your house - let SAS teach people techniques, all this won't be free of course, so guns won't be for a 16 year old misfit, frankly I think lowest age for gun ownership should be maybe 25, and for concealed carrying 30+.

Thing is you don't need 100% of population armed, even if 10% armed this means that in 1 in 10 cases criminals will face guns, does not sound big risk? Well, think different - probability of criminal AVOIDING gun conflict in this case would be 0.9, however criminals don't do crimes once and that's it, they do mroe than one crime, so in 2nd instance, probability that they will still avoid gun conflict is 0.9*0.9=0.81, 10 crimes and they would only have 30% chance to avoid being shot. Add to this publicity for each case and they will quickly learn how to do something else than attack people, they will probably steal more cars etc, but not when owner is around.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Well, it the job of the police to deal with those poeple - if they are armed and resist then get them shot. Frankly, that's what police should do, not put signs everywhere - "WARNING: Burglars are known to operate in this area - take care!" FFS, anyone who thought up of this warning should be fired because such warning means police is not doing their job!

Atw - I totally agree about those signs - I just don't agree about the idea of giving everyone firearms for self-defence - I just don't think it would work.

[Churchill]

Well, it the job of the police to deal with those poeple - if they are armed and resist then get them shot. Frankly, that's what police should do, not put signs everywhere - "WARNING: Burglars are known to operate in this area - take care!" FFS, anyone who thought up of this warning should be fired because such warning means police is not doing their job!

Instead of bitching, why not join the local "specials"? In your area it's spelt "R E T A R D S!".

[AtW]

...however what you conveniently ignore is that the hard core are probably already armed anyway!

Good point - and all too true - unfortunately.

Well, it the job of the police to deal with those poeple - if they are armed and resist then get them shot. Frankly, that's what police should do, not put signs everywhere - "WARNING: Burglars are known to operate in this area - take care!" FFS, anyone who thought up of this warning should be fired because such warning means police is not doing their job!

[Peoplesoft bloke]

.......at the very least this country should allow electro-shockers, ffs, even CS gas is not allowed in this country, just why the heck?

.....

How the heck could you work out if you were selling a taser or CS gas to a mugger or a potential victim? Or are you suggesting you'd need a licence for CS gas?

Considering the type of daft thick chavs we seem to specialise in in certain areas of this country I think it's good they can't get CS gas and shockers.

[AlfredJPruffock]

...however what you conveniently ignore is that the hard core are probably already armed anyway!

Good point - and all too true - unfortunately.