Re: Guns?
 

The Home Office, ACPO and Customs put the illegal arms pool in the UK at between 2 and 4 million guns.

After the ban in 1997, every single pistol that was legally held in the UK was accounted for. The police knew what make, calibre and serial number.

The FBI Uniform Crime Report makes very interesting reading when comparing US/UK crime figures. Per capita head, large swathes of the US have lower crime rates than the UK.

Re: Guns?
 

Must admit, that I used to be one of those people that thought only 'other people' got mugged, etc., until that is, I became one of those 'other people'! Since then, I have always been very, very aware of who is around me or walking behind me, etc. However, I still would prefer to live in the UK where gun availability/ownership isn't quite as easy as here in the US ... better to be mugged by a thug who probably isn't carrying a gun, than by one who may well be carrying a gun!

As for my own protection, at one time I took to carrying one of those sprays (even though it was illegal in the UK) ... until I thought better of it, figured the mugger would probably wrestle the spray from me and I would end up getting sprayed with it instead! :o

Re: Guns?
 

OK that's everywhere on the web.

Lower crime rates? that could be lower anything. Doesn't relate to gun crime though.

Re: Guns?
 

Here's one stat, but from 1999:
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/...it_fir&id=OECD

US: 8259 intentional homicides with a firearm
UK: 62

EDIT: per capita the UK shows 0.00, whereas the US is 0.03. don't know what population estimates they are using though.

Re: Guns?
 

Its not to me. But a lot of people feel it is a very big issue. Personally I think street punks are safer with guns - the larger caliber the better - than with knives....most of them couldnt hit a barn door with a handgun and those big .50's they seem to love make then even worse shots. Whereas a properly weilded knife is a very dangerous article indeed.

Infact, you are far more likely to die from a knife wound than a gunshot wound and it is much, much easier to hit someone with a knife (contrary to what Dant seems to think) than a gun. Why do you think all police forces in the UK now issue covert knife proof body armour as standard issue? We had to wear ours everytime we stepped out the door due to the high(er) risk of knife attack, and I worked in a more rural area.

Re: Guns?
 

Personally I think the gun issue is overrated. Gang problems are far worse.

Re: Guns?
 

But isn't that because in the UK knives are more likely to be carried than guns, so protection against being stabbed is a higher priority?

Re: Guns?
 

But you yourself, like most advocates of liberal gun control, are the most guilty of point B. It is you that is creating paranioa amongst the public in order to justify gun ownership. It is then those same people who advocate point C, such as 'Three Strikes And Your Out' and an increased use of the death penalty.

Re: Guns?
 

I have heard this is the main reason why people have a gun in their homes.
I don't want to sound funny (i am honestly interested in your reply) but do you think you would have the chance to shoot first if you were attacked in your bed?
I know if i was woken from sleep even if i had a loaded gun under my pillow i'm sure they would get me first and in my groggy state i would be more likely to shoot the cat rather than an attacker!

Re: Guns?
 

Yep, cos of the gun laws in the UK. While it's true that anyone hellbent on doing grievous bodily harm will find a way, you can at least RUN from someone with a knife and you can't be the victim of a drive-by kniving; I bet there are very few innocent bystander knivings.

Re: Guns?
 

Agreed.

Re: Guns?
 

Yes. But also because knives can do far more damage.

Re: Guns?
 

I got a nasty papercut once when a colleague ran past me with a poster, does that count?

:D

Re: Guns?
 

Why should we believe an author who fabricated his statistics, blamed newspaper editors for his own factual errors which he then repeated elsewhere, and created a completely fake persona in order to defend and puff his own works on the internet?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lott

Re: Guns?
 

I dont think Ive ever said crime is out of control. Infact I think its the opposite. Im not paranoid and you'd never even know I was carrying a gun if you stood talking to me.

So I am assuming then you think tough penalties for criminals are bad because the create an illusion of more crime?