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David I am a U.S. Citizens and not German. So I am not assuming anything when it comes down to interpretation of law. As for a sentence that was written 200 yrs ago has help up very well and is still relevant. I belonged to a militia in California growing up that is composed regular every day people, so they still exists and it was State sponsored. If you look into the reasons for the 2nd amendment which was almost the 1st , I think you would have a better understanding of it. If you go back and read the writing of Thomas Jefferson the creator of the Bill of Right and the U.S. Constitution with a little help from Virginia Bill of Rights I believe.
Gene if you want the Gov telling you what to do with your children that’s fine as long as it is not in the U.S. Gov messes up to much as it is they don’t need to messing up the children. We can blame guns all you want but they don’t kill people kill and I rather that they use gun than making bombs or chemical weapons since less people will be hurt. People will always kill people and that is a fact, but there are many more destructive ways that will be utilized if you could every take away all the guns which will never happen. In this country alone 1000s of people defend the property every day you will not hear about it since the media is anti gun you will only here about the negatives. We would not need more jails in the country if they ran them like Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Arpaio Lou yes with all the new laws I am in some since becoming a criminal. I have purchased items legally that have become illegal. The only reason they are still legal for me is because of my work. But in all fifty states you need a valid State issued ID and must go a background check before you can pick up your gun at the store. There are some loop holes in it but not many, the problem is that the state police are not checking the mental back grounds in some of the applicant referring to the Virginia incident this yr or last. |
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Hi Clockwork. So, as a policeman, who I presume has seen plenty of gun crime, how would you start to stop it? Regards Gene |
We need to start it in the home by teaching kids respect and morals which are a thing of the past it seems. People do not have respect for there fellow man and that makes it easy to kill them. Plus the general society now days does not seemed to be fazed by such tragedy’s.
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But thats going to take a generation, what do you do to change things now? |
make examples of them by giving them a harsh sentence and they must complete the whole sentence and not a cpl yrs in club fed.
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Its so difficult isn't it David, as you say, even kids brought in a strong and traditional moral family enviroment are not immune to the ills of modern society. Its such a complex issue, there seem to be so many factors. theres no doubt that kids need strong example based 'leadership' from the adults around them, but they need to be taught to care about the people around them and feel a genuine fellowship with them. Sadly we bring kids up to think of people they dont know as a potential threat now. Instead of having hope for a future filled with technological wonders, colonies on the moon, space exploration, an end to disease, etc (like we did when we were kids) they are living in a world terrified of one global catastrophe after another. Where is the future we planned? Look at the role models kids want to grow up to be like now! When I was a Kid I wanted to be Captain Kirk or Neil Armstrong! If you'd have asked me what career I wanted it would have been things like Policeman or astronaut or Doctor! What do kids want now? To be like 50 Cent, get instant fame on some reality TV show or at best be some overpaid sports star. We completely idolise the wrong people in society, focusing on the arrogant and selfish who hardly make a valuable contribution to society while ignoring those who strive for the betterment of those around them. The media glamorises criminals, from gangster rappers to the Sopranos! Our whole attitude has been skewed to the point where kindness is too often seen as some kind of weakness or even a subterfuge to hide an ulterior motive. The mantra today seems to be 'I'm alright Jack' and 'Might is Right'. I remember the days when some people still believed 'Its nice to be important, but its more important to be nice'. So we've got kids growing up, often in less than perfect environments, with no great dreams or ambitions for the future (in a world thats going down the tubes anyway) who are being constantly told by the TV (which lets face it is their main influence) that getting rich quick is the ultimate ambition and role models like 50 Cent. And into that mix is introduced easily accessible guns! I have sympathy for gun owners who don't misuse them.. Well, in honesty I would not shed a tear if people couldn't hunt anymore for lack of guns ;) But I think that there comes a point where regardless of the rights of people to own lethal weapons so long as they use them responsibly we have to realise that so many other parts of our society are f***ed that we need to protect people from themselves and each other until we can find a way to fix things. Its strange how we are arguing over whether a 200 year old document can still be completely relevant today, when I hardly recognise the world we live in now compared to the one I grew up in in the 70s. Regards Gene |
You all posit valid arguments, worth of considering.
All I know is that if I didn't carry, I wouldn't be here today, nor perhaps my better half. I hate hurting people, the exception is when the alternative is to be the one hurting, and even then, its a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. And yet... After the bullet has left the barrel, and the "bad" guy lies at your feet gasping and crying for his mother, then you realize the enormity of your actions, and the inevitability of the consequences. That's when the situation has become irretrievable, when you realize you can't go back to the prior "state of innocence", a second after you have taken the irrevocable step. Did the miscreant leave behind parents, a wife and children, now suddenly destitute? Could you have prevented the situation? Was it really necessary to have pulled your iron out? You will have to carry that albatross for the rest of your life. Again it's a matter of empathy, and few people still have it, mainly because it is no longer emphasized by either parents or society. Now, it's all Me, Me, Me! Which also explains how even children today are often involved in violent crimes... Homo Lupus Homini! Manuel Luis Iravedra |
Celtan,
I have tried to follow this thread as well as any German can who has got used to very strict gun laws. I my eyes, you made the best point of all considering that very second after the bullet has left the iron. And empathy is something we really seem to have lost in our society. It is exactly as you put it: It's all Me, Me, Me now... His 'mighty' brain has enabled man to rule over all other beings including his own species, everybody seems to think of himself as kind of a ruler - and that's exactly where the gun comes in. If man doesn't manage to go back to his soul and listen to human feelings such as empathy and respect, and if he does not hand them on to the young generation, he will not inherit the earth, he will destroy it - and himself. Life, after all, should not be about acting against each other but acting together, side by side. Homo homini lupus ... Michael |
Very well put, Celtan and Michael.
I believe respect is the basis for everything, and without it we can go nowhere. This might be why countries like Switzerland and Finland, with gun-ownership as high as that of the 'States, have very low crime rates. Clockwork, I agree with just about every word you have written. The problem I believe has some roots in parents abdicating their responsability at home, ...they're just not there, and the kids are out getting into all kinds of stuff. Parents are meant to bring kids up, Not some government program, day-care or anything else. If we rely on gov't to do Our job, we are on a down-hill slope. I note that some of you boys here think it is OK to ban certain classes of firearms. I can only state the obvious,... look at the UK, stricktest laws it's ever had, and More crime than ever before. Even knives with blades over 4 inches are in the works now. Believe it was Abraham Lincoln stated; "....If we don't hang together, we'll All hang seperately!".... Richard. |
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As for strict laws! In the UK any blade over 3.5cm IS classed as an offensive weapon if carried without specific cause (such as a fisherman carrying a knife whilst actually fishing or travelling to or from that activity) intent does not have to be proved, possesion in public is an offence. While any blade or sharp CAN be classed as an offensive weapon under certain circumstances even if below the 3.5cm threshold if intent can be proved. Virtually all knives are legal to own in the home. With a few exceptions. Those are in the main knives with concealed baldes that can be opened with one hand (apart from simple folding penknives with a small catch on the blade which are not specifically designed to be opened with one hand) In other words, completely prohibited knives include: 'switch blades' Spring opening knives, gravity knives, butterfly knives. The recent addition of any curved bladed, single edged 'sword' where the overall length is 18inches is still undergoing some revisions as the authorities realise just how unenforcable such a vague law is. Although they are still legal to own 'in the home' Other banned weapons in the UK include: Electrical stun guns Self defence gas/CS spray/Mace Spring opperated telescopic batons (I think) Air weapons with a muzzle velocity of over 12ft/lbs Brocock air cartridge system weapons The list is endless! |
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We cannot make rules over exceptions, even if they have great publicity. How many people have guns in their houses and never get involved in crimes? Let me tell you: the vast majority. How many incidents of this kind do we have? Very few, proportionally, though very publicited. Do we know how many people is saved per year thanks to gun possession? No, we have a very incomplete information, since this is not a matter of interest for the media. But do not avoid the facts: gun, or any other kind of weapons control, do not stop the crime incidence. The sickness is not in the guns, but in other places. Gun forbidding is a crime in a society where the government cannot garantee the security of the population, and the people need some kind of protection. Somebody here speaks about society taking decisions. But the politicians who take decsisions do not really represent the public will, or the society, they ony attend power groups. Gun manofacturers are not the only who make lobbying. Anti-gun organizations also does, and also the different churches. I wonder if the ones subscribing the idea of the supression of guns, can garantee the security of the rest of the population. Not all people can live in secure cities or areas, protected by their money or their kind of job. But we talk about many things at the same time. The problem are not the guns, or their type, but who owns them and who uses them. Maybe this is the real control it must be excersised. But the criminal elements always have access to guns, laws or not. Controls never control but the good citizens. Somebody mentioned the efficacy of the police as complement of the gun control. But then again, the problem is in the society, as corruption always will permit the distribution of guns, as it will be a big business in a society where guns are forbidden, as in England. And the result of this new prohibition? The same crime rates, more police and political corruption, a better area of opportunity for the organized crime and it´s subsecuent invigoration and so on. More gun killings for the control of this new market among the gangs, if people demands more guns. Less defense for the rest of the society in front of this wave of new violence. The pave to hell is full of good intentions, as we say. Let´s make a better and more productive effort, trying to change the social conditions which produces violence. Though, it will take more personal involvement, not as easy as to applaud useless laws from a confortable chair in home. The problem is that erroneous laws are very difficult to erradicate. Much bureaucracy lives of this kind of laws, over the shoulders of the tax payers. More police to control, but less real control. Less liberties for the honest individuals and more powerful mob gangs (and politicians). By the way, I am not an anarchist. I worked for several years in the training of police officers, forensics and lawyers for the General Attorney´s Office of the State (in Mexico, it has the responsability of the investigation and prosecution of crime, and it is a different institution than in the USA). And I am also a certificated trainer on "Weapons and Police Shooting" by the National System of Public Security, which is a federal and local network of all the institutions dedicated to justice enforcement. I have a pragmatic view of this subjects because I know the conditions of this area. And also, I am alive because I had a fireweapon to defend myself as a private person against an armed attacker. And I wish all the decent people, like Celtan, could have the same opportunity in the same conditions (are you decent, Celtan?) :D |
[QUOTE=Atlantia]The crime figures are actually a subject of some contention at the moment over here. It really depends on how you read them, but our rates of violent crime OVERALL is roughly steady or declining. Some areas have shown slight increases, and there in lies the contention as some of the rises have been attributed to better detection, recording and increased reporting, while other areas have shown a decrease. Anyway the UKs figures are a whole thread in themselves.
Hi Atlantia. Thanks for bringing me up to date on how things stand in the UK. I came to Canada in 1984, and have never been back. I would like to question the crime rate being static or falling. What I must ask, is; Compared to when? Over ten years, maybe so, but compared to the 60's, 70's or even early 80's it is Way out of control. Where we lived in the industrial north, you could go anywhere safely, not lock your door, and not expect trouble. (In late 50's and 60s) Now, in the Same area, (around Middlesbrough) It is plain not safe to be out on a night, and as for non-violent crime, the cops don't turn up if a vehicle is stolen, they just tell you to 'phone insurance. The village of Normanby, close to the farm I grew up on, was a quiet little spot, Now, the cops if chasing a suspect, turn 'round and go home if they get to the town limit. If they follow, they are showered with bricks or whatever. ( we still have relatives over there) A relative of mine was sitting on a wall outside his house in another village. (Same area) Some punks came along, asked if he had any dope, ..told them to get lost, and as he got up, one kicked him and broke his nose. He let the lad go, (did contemplate breaking his leg, as he had a hold of it & is a black belt.) Went with his dad to see the police. You know what he was asked by the police?? ".....Why didn't you get a stick and smash his face in?" !! Doesn't this show the level of frustration amongst the police force? This relative's old man asked, " can we have a sniff around, see if we can find him?" Police answer; " Yes, but if you get him, let us know, and we won't go looking for anybody" Eegads! and I used to play and ride mi bike around there! No respect for anything or anyone. All I can say is, if half the population was packing heat, some of these punks would think again. Footnote; The guy that broke P's nose, later gate-crashed the chief superintendant's daughter's B.day party. when she wouldn't let him in, he head-butted her and broke Her nose. I think about that time, he was put on a hit list, or at least a "hurt" list. They got him. It was professionals. Took out his cheek-bones, and mashed both hands. I grieve for that country. So again, compared to when is violent crime down? I would love it to be down, but think that figures are being messed with, so the powers that be do not look so inept. Best wishes, Richard. |
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Actually, this is indeed 'off topic' as when we began this forum it was unique in bringing the discussion of firearms into the scope of discussion, as well as broadening our topics to all types of arms and armour. We did however decide not to include firearms post 1900, primarily because of the heated discussions that can often arise with the controversial topic of gun control legislation, and its deviation to editorials that both conflict and distract from the study of historic weaponry. I think we all are concerned with the ever encroaching movement of government bodies toward legislating ownership of weapons, but it seems that activism and action toward these matters should be handled separately and personally by those inclined to do so. This forum was initiated as a subforum in a medium where the principle focus has always been primarily edged weapons, and the inclusion of firearms was in recognition of thier importance as historical weapons along with the edged weapons. I know that I have learned a great deal from the contributions here concerning firearms of historic periods, though I admit I have never been especially interested in guns, and often felt that the inclination for guns to dominate weapons collecting was disappointing. It seemed that every weapons collecting show was a 'gun show' with a few edged weapons here and there. There is clearly great interest in firearms as evidenced by the participation here, but I personally prefer to focus on learning about historic weapons here rather than focus on the aggravation of constant legislative problems and issues. It would seem that the 'modern' guns have sort of come in 'under the radar' here. You'll notice the posts becoming increasingly aggressive in this thread, which is exactly what I had hoped to avoid in our forum, and seems to run hand in hand with these editorial threads, especially involving current legal issues. This is not intended to be a 'political 'forum. Regardless, I know there are concerns about issues of weapons ownership, and you guys have all expressed some interesting and pertinant views, but this topic is, as noted, outside our scope. All the best, Jim |
Sorry, Jim. You are right. But gun control also becomes edged weapons control, given enough time, and collectors would be also affected. By then, when collectors intend to resist it would be too late. Bureaucracy alwas tend to expand to the expense of society, absorbing the social energy available. From one control we go to the next. This gives greater power to the politicians over the population. I was only intending to establish this point, as general view which is related to collectionism. I believe that if this tendency continues, even the antique and useless firearms will be included in the gun control, as they are in some countries. Like mine.
I did not meant to be aggressive. I apologize if somebody felt offended by my words, tough passionated, they are not aimed to hurt any person. Regards |
I understand that these issues affect edged weapons as well, but my point is that the intent of the forum is to discuss and share information on historic weapons, not to provide a place to air political views which only leads to disharmony between participants. Simply reviewing the quickly changing texture of the posts on this thread illustrates my point. I think everyone is entitled to opinions and perspective, but prefer to avoid philosophical discussions on politics and religion here. I hear enough of all this stuff on the news! :)
I 've always admired the gentlemanly manner between members here in discussing weapons, and prefer to keep it that way. Discussing modern legal problems and bans on assault rifles etc. here has nothing to do with learning about the history of weapons. I think everyone involved in collecting is basically concerned with protecting thier right to own historic weapons, and should channel thier views and perspective on these issues toward the legislative representatives in thier locale who might effectively take them into consideration. From what I understand, profuse written letters to politicians has had considerable effect on the application of certain legislation, so this is better use of well reasoned opposition to these matters. For what its worth, everyone has well expressed thier views, and I think that for the most part, much of what has been said is well placed and well written, but think we should give it a rest at this point, and keep our forum on track. Best regards, Jim P.S. I am not against guns, and I have been at the wrong end of the barrel and 'took lead', so understand the passion this topic can provoke. |
Jim,
May I just be permitted to answer David's statement, that I am suggesting shooting someone? I Never suggested shooting anyone. Merely showing the frustration of the UK police. and a crime problem that is bigger than the Government cares to admit.. A deplorable state of affairs. If this is deleted, That's OK, but wanted to clear things up! All the best, Richard. |
No problem Richard. On that note, I think everyone has had a chance to say thier peace so any further issues lets go to PM's . Its always unfortunate when opinions and discussions take these turns, and inevitable with certain topics.....kinda like talking politics and religion at family get togethers:)
Lets get back to studying weapons history OK guys! All the best, Jim |
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