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Already saw that - you're four minutes too late LOL
The second amendment was written at a time when the US had no real organized military and had to denfend itself against the likes of us! The right to bear arms was necessary to enable a well armed militia (something that the founding fathers saw as necessary to individual security). I don't think that it was meant so that anybody could own arms in today's America.
I personally would not want to live in a UK where arms could be legally purchased as freely as they are in the US. This article is hogwosh - it is basically stating that people should take the law into their own hands rather than relying on the police!! It also claims that people would 'feel safer' in a society were people openly carried guns... I also like the part where they claim that this is an 'economic argument' from the Christian Science Monitor!!!
The founding fathers were suspicious of big governments becoming tyrannical-allowing citizens to carry guns was a check meaning the government wouldn't have a monopoly on force and could face mutiny if it overreached. Throughout history governments that expended its power against its citizens started by removing their citizens right to own guns. England can do whatever she wants but don't be fooled, you are essentially sacrificing more of your freedom to the state and putting yourself more and more at her mercy.
As for me, owning guns is my fundamental right to self defense. I don't really care what the law says on this matter if it tries to deny my fundamental right I circumvent it. When I lived in Britain I managed to acquire a handgun and ammunition (illegally of course) and now that I'm in California there are several weapons in my possession that are illegal or illegal by virtue of not having the proper paperwork. I don't just hold these weapons in case some criminal breaks into my house and threatens my family or children but because I have no faith in the police. Maybe growing up in Detroit made my cynical but I witnessed enough police corruption and incompetence to realize that police are people and no better than any of us including the criminals. The only person fit to defend me and mine is me-not the police, not the government.
Laws are just paper, your freedom and life is something else entirely.
The USA is what, 40 times larger in land mass than the UK?
I would never expect or wait on police to "protect" me,(and I'm a retired law enforcement officer!) Courts have affirmed in the US that police have, "no duty to protect citizens."
Police officers here do not carry firearms to protect citizens, the firearms are for their own protection.
We're all responsible for our own personal and family safety and well being, and should not rely on the government or the local police agencies for protection, housing, food, money, etc.
I live in a sparsely populated large county, and if I had to rely on local law enforcement for protection it would take them at least 20 minutes or more to respond.
IMO, The UK and the majority of their population is too far entrenched in their gun control mentality, and the freedoms we enjoy here in the US under the 2nd Amendment would never be accepted in the UK.
New Jersey and New York are big surprises at only 12.3 & 18% respectively.
Wyoming and Alaska are the highest at close to 60%.
Mind you, assuming these figures are just legal registered guns, one would expect actual figures to be even higher.
Interesting graph. I live in Arizona and would have expected the percentage of gun ownership to be higher. I don't own a gun and I don't feel the need to own one.
It's a cultural difference between the two countries. Most of us want less guns in circulation, not more. I like the fact my local policeman is unarmed, and so does he. And, sadly, many of those who die come from groups no one cares about.
United States firearm homicides = 3.72 deaths per 100,000.
England/Wales firearm homicides = 0.15 deaths per 100,000.
These kinds of statistics aren't really valid, considering that England/Wales/UK has about 5-6x LESS population than the US, and that views on gun ownership vary greatly between the two- In the US, gun ownership isn't really out of the ordinary, unless you happen to live in Illinois, California, New York, or New Jersey; Gun ownership in the UK requires that you get a permit (forget what it's called, but the gun has to be registered) and I understand that a lot of the time, you must be a member of a club.
Statistics like that also don't take into account differences in gang activity, drug trafficking, population density, urban areas, or overall crime rates.
I'm willing to bet that the UK doesn't have gang violence over there like they do here (football hoodlums, yeah?)
Instead of playing the "Guns-are-evil-and-firearm-homicides-are-lower-here" argument, why not ALLOW your populace to own firearms more freely? Instead of teaching them that guns are bad, and evil, and walk around on their own killing and maiming people, teach them the responsible use of firearms.
Gun ownership in the UK requires that you get a permit (forget what it's called, but the gun has to be registered) and I understand that a lot of the time, you must be a member of a club.
OK stop right there.
I'm a gun owner in Scotland and in the US and contrary to what you "hear" over there you do not need to be a member of a club to own guns. My firearms are for private/recreational use.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JordanJP
I'm willing to bet that the UK doesn't have gang violence over there like they do here (football hoodlums, yeah?)
Your criminals make ours look like choir boys.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JordanJP
Instead of playing the "Guns-are-evil-and-firearm-homicides-are-lower-here" argument, why not ALLOW your populace to own firearms more freely? Instead of teaching them that guns are bad, and evil, and walk around on their own killing and maiming people, teach them the responsible use of firearms.
How free can you get, how much more evidence do you need that if people want to they can own firearms - I DO.
Seriously you need to venture out of America before you start to make sweeping generalizations that are simply NOT TRUE like most Americans because it gets OLD.
I'm sorry that I don't know Scottish laws, I'll add books on the subject to my reading list. The only reason I make "sweeping generalizations" is because I've seen this discussion a million times before on another forum, which gets MUCH more heated than this forum, and many people living in England/Wales not only don't correct the "generalization", they reinforce it by saying it themselves.
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Courts have affirmed in the US that police have, "no duty to protect citizens."
