[MadIvan]

I'm astonished an article of such honesty is appearing on the BBC website.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[gd124]

The 1689 Bill of Rights:
http://www.constitution.org/eng/eng_bor.htm

The exact quote is "That the subjects which are Protestants may have arms for their defence suitable to their conditions and as allowed by law"

[SamAdams76]

Perhaps England is fortunate they are on an island with a strong Navy. Otherwise, Hitler would have had little trouble marching his army through that unarmed country.

[bullseye1911]

You are now six times more likely to be mugged in London than New York. Why? Because as common law appreciated, not only does an armed individual have the ability to protect himself or herself but criminals are less likely to attack them. They help keep the peace.

Well, Duhhhh!!!

[backhoe]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/711949/posts Do Guns Save Lives?

-Empty-Barrel Gun Policies-A legacy of nonsense from Clinton, Blair, and the Left--

-A Problem With Guns (Long... but SOOOO good)--

Shooting More Holes in Gun Control

Gun Control Down Under

HCI Aussie Style (read it and weep-or laugh)

The Great Australian Gun Law CON!

British Gun Crime Soars

Gun Crimes Surge in London

Canadian Gun Control Has Little Impact on Crime (Home Gun Confiscation/Resisters)

Through the Looking Glass and Back Again - From Anti-gunner to Firearms Instructor in Four Months

Swiss Gun Laws- and some rebuttal to HCI "spin"-- Thread II

Statistical Facts Gun-haters Run From

[gd124]

Comments from the original article:

With around 30,000 gun deaths a year, I think we should look elsewhere than the US for ideas on this subject. More legally-owned guns means more chances for accidental deaths in the home from guns, more teenagers finding their parents' guns and playing with them, more chances for legal guns to be stolen by criminals to be used by criminals.
R K Bulmer, UK

I'd rather, if my granny were to be mugged, that she had the choice to pull out her purse, or her .45 Magnum. She's a little too old to learn kung-fu, or to run away. She may well hand her purse over anyway, but at least she has the choice. Criminals carry guns anyway, so it's about time the rest of the population had the same choice.
Sid, UK

I can't see the average British citizen wanting to take pot shots at potential muggers, however a right to self defence, not something chewed to incoherence by the lawyers, would do more to restore people's respect for the law than a personal armoury - that and more police to investigate existing crimes.
Andy, UK

I'm an expat living in Texas, where we all as citizens have a right to carry guns. I do not personally carry a weapon, but criminals do not know that. That is a deterrent. I am armed to the teeth at home in my "castle". Criminals have a question they ask themselves when they think about approaching a house out in the country: Is that family armed or not? More than likely they are.
And Barnett, Texas, US

I find this notion ludicrous. We do not need a nation of armed vigilantes (potential or otherwise) to ensure the peace, but rather active citizens who are willing to stand together against crime in their neighborhoods and cooperate with local authorities to apprehend criminals. This is the way to reduce crime. To draw a link between gun ownership and an overall drop in crime in the US is spurious and the article does not have enough evidence to point to a causative relationship between the two.
Sean Aaron

It is clear that the knee jerk reaction after Dunblane has achieved precisely nothing except reduce our chances of any sporting shooting success. The politicians have consistently read this matter wrongly. Perhaps it is time to give the academics a chance?
Alan Preddy, UK

Allowing homeowners to arm themselves will simply encourage potential burglars to arm themselves, and I don't particularly want to get into a gunfight for a colour television.
Mike, UK

This is like saying that raising the speed limit in built-up areas will cut pedestrian deaths since cars will spend less time passing through.
J, UK

Rarely do we get to hear such a flimsy argument based on misused and easily quoted statistics as Prof. Malcolm's. More avaliability of firearms in the UK would bring us more Dunblanes and perhaps a Columbine.
J.Canning, UK

Can you imagine the number of mistakes, accidents, acts of temporary insanity, etc. that would result from having guns freely available? I wonder what the police think of this crazy idea - what policeman would dare to investigate a "domestic quarrel" call, not knowing what firepower he might face?
Gordon, Canada,

More guns in the UK would mean less crime. If crimnals fear the use of firearms by citizens then they will be less likly to committe an offense. People should have the right to own firearms as well as carry them in the UK.
Ian, UK

[Schnucki]

bump!

[NY.SS-Bar9]

Bump to read later

[RaceBannon]

Outstanding Ivan!

[KeyWest]

Other posts on this issue noted that if you remove black on black murders (mostly gang related) the murder rate in the US is well below the UK now and was about the same before.

It is more a cultural issue than anything else. Immigration has brought in a culture that does not follow the old rules. But you will never see that in the Brit press (or ours, for that matter).

[from occupied ga]

Nice article! Too bad it is totally irrelevant. The chances that the Brit government would condescend to let its serfs own the means of self defense are zero and none since it it obvious that in Britain (as well as a number of liberal jurisdictions in the USA) self defense is considered a much more serious crime by the government and the police than is assault, robbery, burgulary, and murder.

[jjm2111]

Is she the John Lott of Britain?

Excellent post and excellent article. Maybe the Brits will finally wake up.

[Cacique]

At some point something's got to give. My Slovenian (Yugoslav) cousins fared better being armed to the teeth than did jews who walked vouluntarily into gas chambers.

The ruling class fears an armed people, even if it means higher crime. What do they care? They live in secluded communities protected by armed guards. Just ask Hillary Clinton, if she'd give up her armed bodyguards.

Dictators throughout history have agreed. Gun control works !!

[Da_Shrimp]

Thanks for posting this, Ivan.

As you say, astonishing that it comes from the BBC website. Having recently heard the positive side gun ownership discussed on local radio, I think that there may be grass-roots support for handgun ownership growing within Britain. Let's hope so!

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[MinorityRepublican]

Why won't you emigrate to America? It is obvious that Great Britain does not appreciate her patriots such as you.