I thought guns were banned in England?? - Page 3

Quote:

Originally Posted by redhen 


Interesting.. so these people must have gotten their hands on long guns then... but the shootings are in London.. How the heck are they carrying around these big guns to rob people with?? Long coats? lol
Unless they can get their hands on illegal handguns too... most likely...

Um.... robbing people is illegal.  I don't think criminals worry too much about what is illegal.  That would involve forethought, which they typically do not do.  Otherwise, they'd think "Wait... we could go to jail for years, in exchange for rolling the dice on a few Euros.  Maybe we should not do this."

Only law abiding people can't have guns.  Everyone else?  For them it's fine. :) 

Only the victims are unarmed, in England. :(

Quote:

Originally Posted by redhen 


What?? The cops cant carry them? Wow...

Yes, they can.  The "Bobbies" do not carry guns.  The police do.  The Bobbies are more along the lines of security guards and information stations.  The police?  Quite well armed, indeed.

Do a Google search for the words "British police officer gun" and click up in the upper left, on [images].  I am nto sure if it will show up on the "new" BYC, but here's my attempt at a link.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nitrous 

Quote:

Originally Posted by redhen 


What?? The cops cant carry them? Wow...

Yes, they can.  The "Bobbies" do not carry guns.  The police do.  The Bobbies are more along the lines of security guards and information stations.  The police?  Quite well armed, indeed.

The old stereotype of the British Bobby that patrols the streets on his bicycle giving cheeky young urchins a clip round the ear doesn't exist any more.   The police is the police is the police.   As Newfoundland said, there is a firearms unit that can be called upon when needed and all airport police officers are armed, but otherwise the police in the UK do not carry guns.   They have batons, cuffs and CS spray.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rufus 

But it seems that just about everyone has one.  I have to wonder about that "Fast and Furious" program.  The cartels have this "Plata o Plomo" policy.  Government officials either get the silver or a lead bullet.  The inclination is to take the bribe.

 

Again, I have to wonder who in our government took the silver?  Just how high up in the system does the corruption go?  I can't imagine anyone in government making the kinds of decisions that were made in that program.

 

Rufus

Yeah, I guess citizens can get them, but getting one is supposed to be really restricted and controlled by the government and the army.   A lot of the criminals get theirs smuggled in from other countries.  

Adequate punishment is the actual deterrant to crime. If I have a pistol on my hip people think twice about robbing me.

The UK is actually a socialist welfare state for the most part and have given away most of thier rights in exchange for security from a collective.  We fought a war to escape that society and now some want it back.  American citizens sent guns to the UK relatives during WWII.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by NixNoodleNumbat 


They usually help, though.

Couldn't disagree more Chickened. The Government of UK is a Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition not Socialist. No rights have been given away, since the citizens did not have those rights to start with. (I am assuming we are talking about the right to own hand guns.) You make welfare sound like a dirty word and I know in US it means living on benefits. Here it has a completely different meaning. A welfare state is one where the well being of the citizens is provided for by the regular collection of taxes which can then be used to support those going through hardship. Others were also involved in WW2, I don't believe they feel that all they fought for has been squandered away by a frivolous society and a  deceitful government.