[bullseye1911]

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

:He sniffed, pretentiously.

[hotpotato]

I know this happened a couple of years ago but the farmer is still in jail.

British farmer sentenced to life in prison for shooting to death a burglar who broke into his farmhouse. Another burglar was injured. Sentence finally reduced to man slaughter on appeal on grounds of his mental state and he is serving five years. Family of burglar attempting to sue "murderer."

"He was depicted as the ordinary man who, plagued by burglars and let down by the police, had struck back but was now being persecuted for his actions."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/martin/article/0,2763,583540,00.html

More about the case (including article on injured burglar suing the farmer for loss of earnings... I guess it's kind of difficult to rob homes after being shot in the legs and groin...) at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/martin/0,2759,214318,00.html

[arthurus]

, but rather active citizens who are willing to stand together against crime in their neighborhoods

Stand together to what end? Any criminal with a gun can control any number of citizens "standing together" if they are not armed and it is illegal in England to carry so much as a yardstick if an authority figure thinks you might hit someone with it.

[junta]

I'll bet the Yardies like that little sweet boy.