Originally posted by neformore
I have to say that this "you should have guns" argument is wearing kinda thin.
We don't need guns. Its not the British way. We will sit and tolerate and tolerate and then one day, we simply won't tolerate any more. It happen
with the Poll Tax, it happened with the fuel protests, and its happened with the current MP's expenses. Change comes gradually. You don't have to
fire off a semi automatic rifle to bring it about.
Not the British way? There is no British way, it's something the mass media brainwashes you with. The British way is what you want it to be (within
reason).
You really don't have a clue about the gunclubs, firearms and the NRA.
www.nra.org.uk...
You are allowed a firearm by common law. The firearm is not illegal, it is only certain ones that are 'prohibited'.
It's only statutes brought in by successive goverments (not by the people) that have restricted them.
From WW2 the restrictions of firearms have really took place. We might of 'won' that war but the deals and strings successive governments have
pulled certainly wouldn't make you think so.
The British public have been brainwashed into fearing firearms ever since the 2 questionable massacres in the 1980s and 1990s.
Here's a brief run-down on the laws:
But gun control is a relatively recent phenomenon in Britain, where ownership of firearms was relatively common a century ago.
The contrast between UK legislation on gun ownership - among the strictest in the world, and that in the United States - among the most relaxed, might
appear stark.
But in fact both countries' firearms laws can be traced back to the same source.
The right to bear arms was guaranteed in the 1689 Bill of Rights, in which the new King William of Orange enshrined a series of rights for his
subjects - Catholics were famously excluded.
This was enshrined in common law during the early years of the US, and later informed the second amendment of the US constitution, which explains why
the right to bear arms remains so strong a factor in America.
'Driving factor'
Meanwhile back in Britain - where hostile natives and rogue bears - were less of an issue, few people took up the right to carry arms.
But there remained no legal restrictions on gun ownership throughout the Victorian era.
Victorian crime image
Gun laws were almost non-existent in Victorian time
In 1870 a licence was introduced for anyone who wanted to carry a gun outside their home. But there were no restrictions on keeping a firearm
indoors.
Mild restrictions came into force with the 1903 Pistols Act which denied ownership to anyone who was "drunken or insane". It also required a licence
for firearms with a barrel shorter than nine inches - what we nowadays refer to as handguns.
Prior to World War I there were a quarter of a million licensed firearms in private hands across the country.
But after soldiers returned from the trenches the government became concerned about the number of weapons they had brought home with them.
The establishment's fears were heightened by the rise of socialist and anarchist movements and the 1917 Russian revolution.
The 1911 Sidney Street siege in east London - which ended with a bloody gunfight between police and a gang of Latvian anarchists - underlined the
dangers.
Further restricted
The result was the 1920 Firearms Act, which introduced a registration system and allowed local police forces to deny a licence to anyone who was
"unfitted to be trusted with a firearm".
Restrictions were tightened with the 1937 Firearms Act, which banned most fully automatic weapons.
The 1967 Criminal Justice Act required licences - but not registration - for shotguns.
Hard on its heels, the 1968 Firearms Act consolidated existing laws and gave the Home Office the right to set fees for shotgun licenses.
Two tragedies nine years apart were to see the law further restricted.
Following the Hungerford massacre in August 1987 - when Michael Ryan killed 16 people and himself with two semi-automatic rifles and a handgun -
pressure was put on the government to tighten the law.
Hungerford gunman Michael Ryan
Fresh laws followed Michael Ryan's killing of 16 in Hungerford
The result was the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988, which banned semi-automatic and pump-action rifles; weapons which fire explosive ammunition; short
shotguns with magazines; and elevated pump-action and self-loading rifles. Registration was also made mandatory for shotguns, which were required to
be kept in secure storage.
Even stricter controls were introduced after the 1996 killings in Dunblane, when Thomas Hamilton murdered 16 primary school children and their teacher
with four legally-held pistols.
The Conservative government drew up legislation banning handguns above .22 calibre. But following their general election victory, Labour introduced
the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997, which outlawed .22s as well.
More recently, in response to a series of high-profile shootings, the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 was introduced.
This made it an offence to manufacture, import or sell realistic imitation guns; doubled the maximum sentence for carrying an imitation gun to 12
months, and made it a crime to fire an air weapon beyond the boundary of any premises. It also increased the age limit for buying or possessing an air
weapon from 17 to 18.
>>>>>>
An FAC for rifles and carbines is easy for any sensible and responsible citizen of the UK to get hold of.
The police cannot stop you from owning a firearm, they can only follow the control laws.
You've got to jump through a couple of hoops but the only thing stopping folk getting an FAC is FEAR.
At my gun club we have dozens of paid-up members and the legal weapons you can own are awesome to behold.
SLRs of .22 calibre and mags if 30 rounds.
Carbines of up to .44 calibre.
Bolt Action assault rifles and sniper rifles up to .50 calibre.
Plus black powder / cap and ball pistols and now 'nitro' propellent handguns.
All legal, above board and not a thing the sheeple 'ban-em' brigade can do about it.
We go shooting em off on private land and at indoor shooting ranges. Scotland has the best areas for plinking and target shooting, but Bisley is a
brilliant place for southerners.
The handgun ban was one of the biggest wastes in British history and did not prevent criminals from getting hold of weapons. It just forced the
weapon ownership underground for them and they merely sourced the firearms in from overseas and smuggled them in from eastern bloc countries.
One of the other reasons the British Public haven't a clue about gun ownership is because one of the 'caveats' attached to being a gun owner is you
are forbidden from openly telling of them.
That's how crazy the law is. Because if someone knows you own them the PTB dictate that there is a risk they'll break into your house to steal your
weapons.
This is complete bs of course but its the governments way of keeping the 'word' and 'knowledge' of owning guns quiet.
Anyway, back to the subject.
The real danger is the 'do-nothing' mentality of Brits.
We are our own worst enemy. Binge drinking on the weekend, sit in front of the box rotting our brains on trash tv and p.iss and moan.
All well and good but when it comes to actually voting and making a difference, be it the BNP, Greens, UKIP etc nobody even votes.
Turn-out at elections is pathetic. Say what you will about Iran but at least the people go out and vote.
Looking at the adverts and how men are portrayed as useless idiots and reliant on a woman to 'fix' the problem you get a picture on how the British
Male is considered castrated.
Sorry guys, I'm from the UK and have lived in Asia, Europe and now back in Britain and the typical Brit a far cry from being master and commander of
his own destiny compared to our US cousins.
[edit on 21-6-2009 by WatchRider]