Posted on 01/03/2003 7:18:49 PM PST by David Hunter
The government is facing calls for tough new gun laws following the killing of two teenage girls outside a New Year party in a suspected gangland battle. Latisha Shakespear, 17, and Charlene Ellis, 18, died in hail of bullets in a gunfight involving a submachinegun after they briefly left the party at a hairdressing salon to get some fresh air on Thursday. Charlene's twin sister Sophie and a fourth girl Cheryl Shaw, 17, were also wounded in the incident in Birmingham which brought renewed demands for action against increasing gun violence on the country's streets.
The Home Office said on Friday it was considering a change to the law for a five-year minimum sentence for anyone caught illegally carrying a firearm. The Conservative Party said the idea of minimum sentences should be looked at. "Historically there's been a tendency not to impose draconian sentences. I think the time may have come when we have got to reconsider that," Conservative spokesman Dominic Grieve said.
Gun crime has become a serious issue in Britain with police reporting a rise in incidents in recent months. In December, London police chief Sir John Steven warned that the number of shootings in the capital was rocketing with gangsters prepared to use their weapons on the police and each other more readily. He said there were 200 shootings in the capital alone in the last eight months, a rise of almost 17 percent compared to the same period last year, with 22 murders. Last month, the police chief constables sent plans to the Home Office to hold a gun amnesty later in the year to cut the number of illegally-owned weapons. More than 60,000 guns were handed in during similar amnesties following the massacre of 16 children and their teacher by crazed gunman Thomas Hamilton in the Scottish town of Dunblane in 1996 and after Michael Ryan shot dead 16 people in Hungerford in 1987.
Most shootings are related to drug-fuelled turf wars but Thursday's shooting involving four innocent girls has provoked horror and fear across Britain. "This was a senseless incident and a senseless loss of life," Detective Superintendent Dave Murphy told reporters on Friday. "These girls were not members of any gang. They were merely out for a night out with friends." He said more than 30 shots had been fired during the exchange of gunfire. More than sixty detectives are hunting the killers and patrols by armed officers were being stepped up across the city to reassure the public, police said. "We need to show we mean business. Quite simply we cannot tolerate these sorts of offences. They're quite exceptional in their brutality," Chief Superintendent David Shaw said.
The Home Office said on Friday it was considering a change to the law for a five-year minimum sentence for anyone caught illegally carrying a firearm.
Oh that'll help! (sarcasm). Don't they realise that the yardies and their contemporaries just won't be so careless about leaving any witnesses if they decide to impose tough sentences for owning and using handguns?
Detective Superintendent Dave Murphy told reporters on Friday. "We need to show we mean business".
Then its time to move over and let us deal with the bastards. Your method of dealing with violent professional criminals and gun crime has obviously completely failed. As Churchill once said when requesting larger weapons shipments from the US: "give us the tools and we will finish the job". Let the British citizenry carry firearms and defend themselves with deadly force if necessary and watch the gangsters, muggers and burglars run for their lives. Its time for British CCW, move over Tony "turd way" Blair.
Dear England, please consider what we did to you a few hundred years ago.
Follow the leader ... you'll be glad you did.
Those Europeans sure know a lot about crime.
I'm also a bit surprised they have names like "Latisha Shakespear" in Britian. That sounds very inter-city American.
Look at how the Liberals play word games with our written Constitution here in the USA. On your side of the pond whimsical politicians can change the meaning on a daily basis.
We've all got to get busier on holding the pols feet to the fire when it comes to our hard won rights as citizens.
HA! Like any punk with a machinegun or sidearm is gonna show up.
since firearms have been outlawed.
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