Man shot as mothers lead gun protest!

samizdata.net ^ | Saturday, 30 November, 2002, 15:45 GMT | David Carr (London) did initial post.

[vannrox]

Saturday, 30 November, 2002, 15:45 GMT

Man shot as mothers lead gun protest

Lucy Cope (left) called on the government to act

A young man was shot dead in London hours

before demonstrators held a march to call for tougher sentences for firearm offenders.

The march had to be re-routed away from the crime scene of the early morning shooting outside Pharaoh's Pub in Peckham Road.

Police confirmed one man was killed on the spot and that another was in a stable condition in hospital after the incident.

Supporters of the march, which was organised by Southwark Community Against Guns and supported by Mothers Against Guns, described the shooting as a tragedy which had left another family devastated.

The march was re-routed because of a shooting Mothers Against Guns founding member Lucy Cope said: said: "Another gun killing has now torn apart another family and left another mother heart- broken.

"This latest shooting demonstrates the seriousness of the problem.

"Someone's life has been taken and the government needs to do something stronger that will act as a deterrent."

Ms Cope, who is from Peckham, set the group up after she lost her 22-year-old son, Damian, in a shooting on 29 July this year.

On Saturday Ms Cope walked from Camberwell Green to Peckham Square to highlight the group's campaign for tougher sentences to be given for gun offences.

'Enough is enough'

Among the people on the march were 15 other mothers from all over the country who have lost children in gun-related crimes.

The demonstrators want anyone caught with an illegal firearm sentenced to a minimum jail term of 10 years with no possibility of parole.

Superintendent Ed Bateman, of Southwark Borough Police, estimated that about 50 local people had joined in the march.



Harriet Harman was among the protesters He said: "Today was about the community saying 'no, enough is enough'.

"It is their children who are dying and it is their community which is suffering."

He added: "It is very poignant that on the day the Mothers Against Guns group are marching, a man was killed in a shooting on their route."

Supt Bateman admitted there were increasing concerns in all London communities over the rise in gun crimes, but he said actual numbers remained small, with an estimated 20 gun crimes a month in the Southwark Borough.

Ms Cope was also handing over a petition with an estimated 20,000 signatures to Downing Street.

Harriet Harman MP was among the speakers to address the marchers before a delegation handed over the petition.

[vannrox]

Carry on, gun-control

I briefly toyed with the idea of posting this under the 'Humour' category but, the trouble is, I am not making this up. I couldn't possibly make this up.

In a country where virtually all forms of private firearm ownership have been outlawed, there was a march today in South-East London by a group calling itself 'Mothers Against Guns' in protest at rising gun violence.

But that thigh-slapping irony descends into tragi-farce:

"The march had to be re-routed away from the crime scene of the early morning shooting outside Pharaoh's Pub in Peckham Road.

Police confirmed one man was killed on the spot and that another was in a stable condition in hospital after the incident.

[martin_fierro]

[EggsAckley]

I think they took the original English and put it through Babelfish. Weird writing.

And what's up with that pic at the top? What is that woman hugging?

[mhking]

"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

If you want on or off this list, please let me know!

[Cold Heat]

RAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!!!

(hugging comode)

[dansangel]

"Someone's life has been taken and the government needs to do something stronger that will act as a deterrent."

As in, "Let the law-abiding citizens have their guns guns back to protect them?"

Sheesh. When will these morons ever learn......

[elbucko]

But that thigh-slapping irony descends into tragi-farce:

Yes it does. The British cannot un-ring this bell. As gun violence increases due to gun control laws , the only choice (to them) is more gun laws.

Eventually, it will be against the law in England to look at a gun. This will cause those who are about to be murdered, to ask if they be allowed to turn around before the thug shoots them, as being shot front on will be proof they violated the "shall not look" law.

It's a "Clockwork Orange" in the British Isles.

[Uncle Sausage]

Supt Bateman admitted there were increasing concerns in all London communities over the rise in gun crimes, but he said actual numbers remained small, with an estimated 20 gun crimes a month in the Southwark Borough.

Doesn't 20 gun crimes per month seem anything but small in a country that bans private gun ownership?

Ms Cope was also handing over a petition with an estimated 20,000 signatures to Downing Street

She actually found 20,000 diversiteers that could write their own name?

[Gritty]

"Someone's life has been taken and the government needs to do something stronger that will act as a deterrent."

The government has done all it can, and besides government is part of the problem, ladies! What you advocate is analogous to the old medical technique of bleeding the sick patient until he either gets well or dies.

Here's some better ideas;

How about demanding law-abiding Englishmen conceal (or even open) carry? That would be a good start. Otherwise, throw the bums out, all of them, until you get somebody in there who agrees!

How about marching on Parliament and threatening to burn it down unless they send all the teeming Diversity Crowd back to whatever hell-hole they came from? That should solve a lot of the problem!

How about stopping hysterical Englishwomen from aimlessly marching and instead have all the able-bodied Englishmen start armed neighborhood patrols? After you catch a few of these animals, turn whatever remains over to the police!

Ever hear of the Committees of Vigilance? A few obvious perps hanging from lightpoles in the morning would no doubt concentrate the minds of others disposed to violence!

Ye Gads! England used to be a hard-nosed place, once upon a time, before the bed-wetters took over. One need look no farther than some of the hardy stock that settled this country to realise at least those Englishmen knew how to take care of a violence problem - whether it was criminals, wild Indians, Frenchmen, or over-reaching British Sovereigns.

Now all they do is send out the women to march around town demanding somebody else to do the heavy lifting for them!

They are reaping what they have sown. They had better figure out how to change the character of the landscape. Tony and the Liberals sure won't. All they'll do is pass more ineffective laws and take away more rights!

[Gooseberry]

Smells like an MI5 job.

[SteveH]

A: ...the government needs to do something stronger...

Q: (What was the question?)

[BraveMan]

The march had to be re-routed away from the crime scene . . .

Mistake number two. This would have been a perfect example of what is wrong with Gun Control, for the audience most in need of one . . .

[Prodigal Son]

And what's up with that pic at the top? What is that woman hugging?

The thing she is hugging would be your garden variety white English liberal. Of course, I could be wrong.

[fifteendogs]

The only way to stop this insanity is to abort all children and put all other people in jail. Then the community will be safe.

[Prodigal Son]

And what's up with that pic at the top? What is that woman hugging?

She kind of looks like Sue Sarandon as a matter of fact... Maybe she's just plain old West Coast, Hollywood liberal.

[blackbart.223]

"Someone's life has been taken and the government needs to do something stronger that will act as a deterrent."

Here's a novel approach. Punish the murderer.

[uncbob]

Of course no calls for the death penalty

[RogueIsland]

Eventually, it will be against the law in England to look at a gun.

Why not, it's already a suspensionable offense in U.S. classrooms to draw a gun, play with an imaginary gun, or otherwise conceputalize a gun.

[RogueIsland]

bang

[dark_lord]

They could always legalize the carrying of swords, offer saber classes in school, and legalize dueling. Since most pistol shootings take place at close range, and most criminals are not exactly crack shots, drawing a sword and doing the "slice and dice" ought to take care of the problem nicely.