It is disappointing to realise that ole Mother England has turned her back on a thousand years of democratic development and has settled for empty promises and cheap rhetoric. Where is Cromwell when you need him.

In East London… The world is larger than East London. So in the rest of the UK they hunt with sharpened sticks and rocks?

The problem with these groups is they’re trying to legislate their beliefs on a much larger group of people who don’t share their views and are doing nothing unlawful. Are you a drinker? What if they want to outlaw alcohol in the UK (look at our Prohibition movement and how that turned out). Are you a smoker? How about banning tobacco in the UK? Still all for it? (And BTW, don’t argue that those don’t harm people so it’s different. Cigarettes kill individuals and alcohol kills many people every year.)

Think about what rights YOU wouldn’t be willing to give up… they may be next.

That being said, it disgusts me how many people come on here and decry the “gun culture” as if it’s the accepted viewpoint for all civil people. You don’t like guns – don’t buy guns. Don’t let your kids play with them (but be prepared to remove all but the most innocuous video games from the house too!) If you love them, love them. But just because someone doesn’t like “the message” guns allegedly send gives them no right to deny anyone else from enjoying them.

As far as censorship, I agree with Benjamin Franklin (here paraphrased): “He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.” Think long and hard before you start censoring things people!

Likewise, just like Nuclear weapons, if firearms could all be made to disappear, then you might get to zero GUN crime, but NOT zero violent crime. Violent criminals don’t obey the law and will always obtain a weapon of either choice or convenience to inflict their sadistic will onto others. This point I need anyone on the anti-gun side to concede before they can be taken seriously. With no other weapon except a gun, can a 91 year old grandfather in Florida defeat a 25 year old career criminal who is determined to kill and rob both he and his wife. If you don’t concede that point, your words are meaningless to those who believe and advocate firearms ownership. Would I prefer there was no such thing as a gun? Or a nuclear weapon? Well yes to the nukes, but then there would be no nuclear power… Same for guns, there would be no target shooting, a really fun sport, there would be no rifle or shotgun hunting, also a lot of fun. If you have never tried either of those, then you have no right to say all guns are bad.

Nigel’s citing of criticism of Lott’s work is flawed. The analysis and criticism both stem from early numbers in 1996. AND – they only look at GUN CRIME, not ALL VIOLENT CRIME. Let’s use the latest, shall we? In the 20 years since the trends in gun ownership and concealed carry began in 1986, violent crime has gone down in the USA while concealed carry has increased. All over the USA – except in DC and Chicago where handguns were banned, where they’ve enjoyed far above average violent crime rates – concealed carry and firearms ownership have increased while violent crime has decreased. The numbers in the UK for violent crime have been under-reported INTENTIONALLY to mislead the populace. Do a Google search on ‘violent crime in the UK under-reported’ story came out October 2008.

Now clearly I am on the side of firearms ownership, but not for the love of guns. I detest crime, and the criminals who commit them. I detest the taking of a life by a low-life. And I don’t like being told my rights can be infringed. BUT, if you don’t feel safe with a firearm around, I understand your apprehension. I have found the best way to overcome apprehension is to get to know better the source of your apprehension if possible.

Lastly, if you believe as I once did that the police will help, think again. In 95% of the cases, the police arrive to investigate a crime that has already occurred. The criminals are all gone and perhaps we can get the 11th commandment, thou shalt not get away with it, but perhaps not. In the USA many states have already given the police a ‘pass’ in that they are not obligated to protect you.

I enjoy shooting targets, and hunting with my son. I know guns are inherently dangerous and we practice safety drills often. I pray anyone who needs a gun will have one rather than the inevitable crime resulting from lack of a defensive firearm. And if you folks have ever had a knife held to your throat with no weapon or friends nearby, you might think differently about the need to defend yourself. A former NYC detective once told me that liberals are just one violent mugging away from becoming conservatives…

And yes on my iPhone are the Shotgun Free App, the Armory App, and the Ballistics FTE app. They are fun and the last one is useful too!

In In Australia, a year after strict new gun control laws took effect, homicides were up 3.2%; assaults were up 8.6%; armed-robberies increased 44%; and in the state of Victoria, homicides-with-firearms increased 300%.

There’s a lot of spin in this. A more reasonable analysis can be read here. If your argument in any way reflects Lott’s study, then his study is basically worthless. Given others’ analysis (see, for example, this review of Lott’s work), there is little substantive data backing up your claims. Let’s face it, appeals to percentage change are really just a way to hide the fact that the US has about three times the homicide rate per capita of Australia, Canada, and the UK.

Guns don’t kill people. People with guns kill people.