a reply to:
ScepticScot
Well ScepticScot, if the right to wander about hither and thither whilst prepared to defend oneself and ones community had never been tampered with
and effectively removed, then we would think absolutely nothing of folk being armed and ready at all times. We would also behave in a more genteel
manner toward one another, a simple respect which comes of being aware that everyone you might decide to insult to their face, is capable of
delivering a severe lacerating or penetrating injury to ones critical arteries, or vital organs.
I am not saying that such a society would be violence free, because it would not. But those who commit violence casually now, would be less likely to
do so, if they were at a significantly higher percentage risk of themselves receiving a thorough shanking for their troubles, and to be absolutely
frank, a little fear on the part of some of the utter filth walking the streets these days would not go amiss. The granny muggers need to feel like
there is a target on their back, as if farting in the wrong direction could get them vivisected, the rapists need to be in terror of having some
passer by cut off their bits and pieces after preventing or interrupting a sexual assault, the people who LIKE violence enough that they indulge in it
constantly or often, need to fear its use upon them. At the moment, those who are prepared to carry a weapon of any kind, in contravention of the law
of the land, fear nothing.
It would be much better, if these bastards were not the only people walking the streets armed to the eyeballs, because then they would have to live
with the same fear that we all do. And all that I have said leaves alone the critical element of an armed population, even one armed only with blades.
The population of a nation always outnumbers the government which runs the nation, and unless the society is not just armed, but militaristic as
well, it usually outnumbers the armed forces of that nation, and the police force and other law enforcement officialdom, by some considerable margin.
That means that even if the worst day in its history were to come, there would be no effective way to prevent the people from taking control of an out
of control parliament or government, and redressing and correcting the balance of affairs of state toward a more universally acceptable paradigm.
Unfortunately, we have allowed our rights to be removed from us in that all but the most perfunctory right to bear arms is denied to us, to the point
where there actually had to be a change in the law to allow a person to kill in self defence, IN THEIR OWN DAMNED HOMES! So... do I think that society
would be necessarily more peaceful with the right to at least carry a decent blade being afforded to each and every one? Not entirely. Do I think that
it would be better, fairer? Yes I damned well do.