Gun crime is thankfully rare in Britain. That's because we have very tight laws on firearms, not because we are less barmy than Americans.What's so difficult about that? Fewer guns, fewer gun crimes. I especially liked this line: "born out of bitter experience that you can't trust men (it's always men) with lethal weapons."If we had Yankee-style "right to bear arms," there would be many more homicides and mass shootings.
The horrific massacre in Cumbria is a powerful reminder of why we need such legislation, born out of bitter experience that you can't trust men (it's always men) with lethal weapons.
The shooting lobby invariably reacts against the possibility of further restrictions on gun ownership, arguing that people kill people, not guns. Well, it's a lot harder without guns.
What do you think? Please leave a comment.
“…born out of bitter experience that you can't trust men…”
ReplyDeleteThank God for the revolution.
MikeB: “Fewer guns, fewer gun crimes.”
But not fewer crimes.
"But not fewer crimes."
ReplyDeleteAs the UK has successfully proven.
If "it's always men," wouldn't it be just as accurate to say "fewer men, fewer violent crimes"?
ReplyDeleteMaybe we need to go around shooting 9 out of 10 men, and watch the violence plummet.
You spin-doctors are starting to believe your own nonsense about England being more violent than the States. It's crap. The only way to support that is to cherry pick your stats and twist them about, and viola, you win the argument.
ReplyDeleteReasonable people agree, just like New York City is the safest big city in America, Merry Olde England is safer than the States, and the gun laws go a long way explaining both facts.
mikeb: "Reasonable people agree, just like New York City is the safest big city in America, Merry Olde England is safer than the States, and the gun laws go a long way explaining both facts."
ReplyDeleteMany people disagree -- I suppose they must all be unreasonable.
To say that about New York City, one must ignore the fact that New York City had severe gun control when they were NOT the safest big city in America, and was at their worst.
One must also ignore that Chicago and DC had severe gun control at THEIR worst times of crimes or murders.
But such selective memory seems to be a valuable talent of gun control advocates.
MikeB: “The only way to support that is to cherry pick your stats and twist them about, and viola, you win the argument.”
ReplyDeleteLike how the gun control side sites stats for “England and Wales” conveniently leaving out Northern Ireland and Scotland.
The Economist is pro-gun control, and even they say that London is more violent than New York.
ReplyDeleteIf you like England's laws, why don't you live there? I'll even give you my passport. Not every country on earth has to have the same laws, you know.
When I was five I saw two men smashing a boy's head against a wall, on a busy suburban street outside Manchester. Nobody stopped to help except us, and all we could do was call the police.