Wednesday, 27 June 2012
DEATH TOLL WILL CONTINUE TO RISE UNTIL SOCIETY SAYS ‘NO’ TO PRIVATE GUN OWNERSHIP
IT beggars belief that our modern society continues to allow for the private possession and storage of firearms.
Latest figures released by the Gun Control Network have shown that at least 10 people’s lives were taken by firearms in the UK during April and May.
In addition, there were seven convictions during that period for charges relating to gun homicide.
Do we live in a society driven by terror? Of course not. So why is it that we allow the continued licensing and private ownership of killing machines?
And, let’s face it, that’s all guns are. Whether they are used for that purpose or simply as a threat, the implication is the same.
Part of the reason that they are considered socially acceptable is, regrettably, that some portions of our society still believe there is a place for guns to be kept for what they deem as ‘sport’.
It is the same people who think it is acceptable to kill animals for fun and then try to convince the rest of us that they are providing a valuable rural pest control service or, more galling still, insist that it is part of countryside culture.
I will state it here and I will say it to their faces: those sorts of people sicken me and leave me feeling cold.
The truth is that the vast majority of people living in rural areas are as sickened as I am by killing animals for fun. So the lies of the landed gentry and other apologists for the gun-toting minority just don’t stand up to scrutiny.
But, despicable or not, those people continue to peddle their lies in a desperate attempt to justify the reprehensible activities in which they are involved. By default, they are supporting the private possession and storage of firearms.
I wonder if the families of the 10 victims of gun deaths in April and May would agree. I suspect not.
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Sir
ReplyDeleteThe banning of handguns has had no effect on gun crime with handguns. Anuj Bidve was shot and killed in a Salford street by a youth with a handgun when all handguns are banned in the UK. MP's of your party made this so in 1997 if your recall. Your measures to reduce or even wipe out handgun crime have been a failure, proof of are witnessed by the handgun crime in the streets of our cities.
The Gun Control Network will happily give you figures which suggest that deaths such as these are committed by sportsmen and game keepers. The same logic would support the theory that since some MP's fiddled their expenses then all MP's are crooks and all crooks are MP's. I'm sure that you would argue that this is a flawed theory but you happily swallow the flawed arguments of a group of people who were sure in 1997 that banning handguns would stop handgun crime.
You wrote that "the lies of the landed gentry and other apologists for the gun-toting minority just don’t stand up to scrutiny." but you offer no evidence and no research.
The Home office website states "The UK has some of the toughest gun laws in the world and as a result firearm offences continue to make up a small proportion of overall recorded crime. However, gun crime associated with street gangs and organised criminals, particularly in our largest cities, is a cause of major concern with young people featuring disproportionately among both perpetrators and victims." If you had researched this subject then you would have had less to say and would have had to blog about something more relevant to your constituency.
I feel that your blog is a typical "Phil Space" attempt to make it look like you are working for your voters whilst simply deflecting attention from the poor performance and policy failures of your party.
The Landed Gentry? I take it by this you mean the Queen? You remember that Oath of Allegiance you her you took? You sound like a communist and traitor. You clearly have no idea about firearms, have you? You are only interested in getting your squeaky little voice in the news. Instead of wading in and sorting the heinous crimes committed by criminals with illegal guns, you resort to squawking rubbish on here. If you want to draw comparisons:
DeleteMotoring deaths and injuries 2000 to 2010 32,955 dead and nearly 3m injured.
But everyone needs their car don't they? and therefore wouldn't be too popular to blog about that. You have put the issue of illegally held firearms in the "too hard to deal with folder", so typical of feckless workshy politicians.
You are a disgrace.
This is prejudiced, misleading, and unpleasant nonsense. The UK has one of the lowest firearm homicide rates in the world. There are about 50 firearms homicides in the UK annually, the vast majority of which are carried out using illegal firearms. Our 50 homicides compares to 10,000 plus in US and nearly 30,000 in South Africa (which has very strict laws on private firearms ownership, but, like the UK, rarely sees a crime with a legally owned gun).
ReplyDeleteAs for the writers comments about the countryside, it is clear that he or she does not know the subject. I was brought up on a farm. Because of agriculture and urbanisation some species such as deer and foxes must be controlled. Roughly speaking about 25% of any deer population needs to be shot annually. If you do not do this the available land cannot sustain them and they well die of disease and starvation. Pigeons must also be shot because of the destruction they do to crops.
There is absolutely nothing wrong, and a lot right, with sport shooting. I am not a rich man, but have shot clay pigeons for sport all my life. This country excels at clay and target shooting and has probably won more medals in international competition for shooting than just about anything else. I have also shot birds (and eaten them). It is not exclusively a toff sport - that is just propaganda and it is offensive to me and million other decent, ordinary, law abiding people like me who regard shooting as important part of their lives.
Finally, as noted above, simplistic bans don't work. The 'bad guys' get the guns anyway. The ban on handguns did not lead to a reduction in handgun crime - indeed it went up. Why? Because the guns involved were illegally owned.
Mike Chris knows all about deer dieing of starvation. he's a trustee for the League against cruel sports. because of their appalling mismanagement over a hundred deer died in a year at their sanctuary in west somerset.
DeleteThe sad thing about what was written here is that it distracts political and public attention from real problems in our society - such as drugs, illegal guns, street gangs etc. - and tries to scapegoat innocent people. The class agenda is not only nasty, but deeply misleading.
ReplyDeleteThe Labour Government banned handguns following the Dunblane shootings.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it then that there are still many killings with illegal guns.
Did the policy not work?
It is a pity that the writer of the blog does not provide evidence for his figures.
After all her party wiped out gun crime with their legislation, didnt they?
There is nothing wrong with private gunpownership.
There are a huge number of people who shoot targets and do not shoot living things which she conveniently refuses to mention and conflated her argument by linking it to the emotive issue of shooting live game for sport. He does not mention the need to cull the deer stocks to prevent agriculturan and environmental damage since there are no natural top predators of deer left in the United Kingdom except man. He does mention pest control and takes no account of the damage a large flock of pigeons can do to a field of crops decimating peas, brassicas and grain. Much of what is shot for "sport" enters the food chain.
I think that the emotive language with no reference to the real world is so typical o a polititian trying to fill space and look concerned. The real world being strange to these inhabitants of Westminster with their expense accounts paying for their second homes and their subsidised meals and bars at our expense.
It woiuld be a good idea to look at the things that are vital and important for our recession gripped country at the moment rather than looking busy doing nothing relevant to the real world. Yet again out of touch politics
I think it is disgraceful how an MP should have such a narrow minded view on something. I understand that an MP must hold a strong view to fight for their cause but you are just uneducated and embarrassing yourself. What a shame for those that live in Derby North, luck of the draw I suppose. I just hope you don't get any more power than you have for the sake of those that understand how the world works.
ReplyDeleteAn amazing conflagration of prejudice and poor thinking. You offer no evidence for your conjecture.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure from the middle of Derby, you must have a full and balanced view on the countryside. A shame you haven't used it in this missive.
A perfect example of why people who seek power, are unfit to actualy hold it.
I'm a middle class chap and have enjoyed shooting clay targets, paper targets and the odd rabbit for the dinner table for several decades. I'm responsible, pay (lots) of taxes and find the article, which might seem to brand me a killer, offensive.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to all the great points above the UK has a rich, and I hope growing, business in the field sports. In a time where finding honest work is forefront of mind you would suggest removing a multi-billion pound industry that employs tens of thousands of people directly...many "working" class.
I am a legal gun owner. I work full time, pay taxes, give to charity, support our armed forces. I have never had a speeding ticket, parking fine, fiddled my taxes, been drunk and disorderly, never taken unprescribed drugs. I have never shot a living creature. In fact I am a law abiding citizen who happens to enjoy shooting at paper targets and looking at the history behind military weapons.
DeleteI am extremely offended that I am being lumped together with murdering criminals who due to the inadequacies of the border controls, are able to bring illegal guns into the country.
This is a niaive and biased perspective, at least in relation to the association between country sports and gun crime.
ReplyDeleteCountry sports contribute significantly to the rural economy, at last estimate in excess of £1.8bn in 2011.
Indeed much of what is considered 'the english countryside' is sculpted and managed for the purposes of country sports with cover crops, woodland and headlands all being actively managed to support not only game birds but a wide variety of native and endangered species.
Further more country sports are often not the preserve of 'landed gentry' - many farm shoots are populated by carpenters, tilers, plumbers, farmers, builders and those involved a huge range of industries from a massively diverse social background.
By all means tackle gun crime, but don't confuse this for a moment with legal, responsible fire arms ownership. It would be interesting to know the statistics for the gun crim figures you quote - perhaps you could enlighten me on how many of those gun crimes in April and May took place in rural areas and how many in urban centres?
If only the author had bothered to research his subject and displayed one iota of knowledge on it. Instead he chooses to regurgitate the threadbare old mis-information and lies force fed to him by anti gun interests, and shows his ignorance.
ReplyDeleteILLEGAL guns ILLEGALLY imported are the problem, not legally held ones. The Labour party banned handguns so legitimate shooters cannot be held responsible for any deaths can they? It's not rocket science to figure this out.
Mind you, Labour also made it an offence to carry a locking knife and look how knife crime has fallen....NOT.
Let's target the criminals and not penalise the law abiding shooters.
Jim Porter
I'm not going to be as articulate as those above. I just think the article is misguided, naive crap.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't have your own pistol, you may have to wait the rest of your life for the police to bring theirs.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, we are getting the message ... that you and the rest of the criminals in Westminster, do not have the legitimacy to govern.
Coercion is your only tool. You do not have Consent. People are waking up.
I find it disgraceful that an MP can abuse their position to such an extent as to find it acceptable to write such utter drivel, that is based purely on conjecture without ANY real facts. For instance there is no mention of how many of the 10 lives lost to firearms were from LEGALLY held firearms - I suspect that is because it was almost certainly 0 and this obviously doesn't fit in with their agenda! Still when did lying stop a politician from saying something for their own gain?
ReplyDeleteThis is just another case of an attempt to gain some cheap votes by spouting some rubbish.
1000's die each year in road accidents and the majority of people work within three miles of their homes. I therefore think it would make sense to ban motor vehicles and force everyone to cycle - this is a more logical argument to a problem than Derby Labour are putting across.
As has been stated by others it is the ILLEGAL guns that need to be taken off the streets - not the legally held ones that are owned by carefully vetted and licenced people.
Were the author to have any real experience of country living they would also understand the need for culling of certain species such as foxes and deer - this is mostly done out of necessity rather than for fun. I would suggest that they spend some time in the country and watch an old deer die slowly from starvation - this may well change their attitude to culling!
Dear Sir,
ReplyDeleteIt is saddening, although not surprising, to read an article apparently seeking to profit politically on class issues and the general lack of knowledge of the public with respect to firearms.
Please allow me to address your points in turn:
IT beggars belief that our modern society continues to allow for the private possession and storage of firearms.
++ Why does it beggar belief? Firearms are legitimate and tightly controlled tools/sporting items which have no direct replacement for use in their respective applications.++
Latest figures released by the Gun Control Network have shown that at least 10 people’s lives were taken by firearms in the UK during April and May.
++This is the same Gun Control Network that uses emotive and statistically ambiguous data to further the anti-gun agenda of Gill Marshall-Andrews? What that statement fails to divulge is what types of firearm were used and the circumstances. It may be that the Police used firearms in encounters with armed criminals, accounting for the 10 deaths. Who knows?++
In addition, there were seven convictions during that period for charges relating to gun homicide.
++Again, the point I made previosuly regarding circumstance and particulars of the incidents is not revealed. While you can fool some people, the more discerning should ask what proportion of the firearms involved were legally held.++
Do we live in a society driven by terror? Of course not. So why is it that we allow the continued licensing and private ownership of killing machines?
++I try to steer clear of emotive language, but I find it disgusting that one of the people charged with representing the electorate could present such simplistic and sensationalist rhetoric.++
And, let’s face it, that’s all guns are. Whether they are used for that purpose or simply as a threat, the implication is the same.
++Wrong. Guns are tools, the design of which is tailored to their intended purpose. Again, the distinction between legal and illegal firearms has been ignored.++
Part of the reason that they are considered socially acceptable is, regrettably, that some portions of our society still believe there is a place for guns to be kept for what they deem as ‘sport’.
++I dislike golf, but I don't wish to see it banned. I don't like football either and, despite the statistics that more people die playing football each year than shooting, I don't seek to erode the legitimacy of it as a sport through my ignorance or prejudice.++
It is the same people who think it is acceptable to kill animals for fun and then try to convince the rest of us that they are providing a valuable rural pest control service or, more galling still, insist that it is part of countryside culture.
++I suggest that you could benefit from more research on the subject and examine what the most humane, safe and effective methods of pest control are.++
+++++++Continued++++++++
I will state it here and I will say it to their faces: those sorts of people sicken me and leave me feeling cold.
ReplyDelete++If you would like to say it to my face, you are more than welcome. Should you be willing to accept my invitation, I would like to offer you the opportunity to meet with me at the gun club of which I am a member, where I will happily show you the range facilities, the safety and security requirements and answer any questions that you may have regarding any aspect of responsible and lawful gun use. If you wish to take me up on this invitation, please leave a comment on this page and we can make arrangements from there.++
The truth is that the vast majority of people living in rural areas are as sickened as I am by killing animals for fun. So the lies of the landed gentry and other apologists for the gun-toting minority just don’t stand up to scrutiny.
++Most people are sickened by the gratuitous killing of animals. However, what isn't often considered is that much of the edible meat produced enters the food chain and is almost certain to been produced more humanely than that from an inductrial chicken plant, for example.
Your insistance on bringing class into this betrays your prejudice. I had hoped that a representative of the people would represent all of his people, rather than running a tired party line.++
But, despicable or not, those people continue to peddle their lies in a desperate attempt to justify the reprehensible activities in which they are involved. By default, they are supporting the private possession and storage of firearms.
++There is no problem in the private ownership of firearms. The law provides the facility for tight control and, in the two recent shootings involving "legally" held firearms, it was the application of the law that was at fault, as opposed to the concept or legislation itself.++
I wonder if the families of the 10 victims of gun deaths in April and May would agree. I suspect not.
++You may suspect as you wish - it is a free country after all. I rather suspect though, that we would need to establish the circumstances in each case to adequately guess as to the feelings of each family on lawful gun use, as opposed to the criminal use of illegal firearms.
I hope you do not find the above response offensive, rather a robust reply to some aspects of which you may not be aware. Should you be interested in my invitation, as I say, please reply on this page and we can make arrangements subsequently. I hasten to add, I have less than no interest in the press or publicity, but am very much in favour of rational debate on and providing insight into the sports I love.
"Latest figures released by the Gun Control Network have shown that at least 10 people’s lives were taken by firearms in the UK during April and May."
ReplyDeleteHmmmm.. Let me see now. How many deaths was your once glorious leader responsible for in Iraq and Afghanistan? Try looking at the big picture if you want to count firearms deaths.
Dear Sir
ReplyDeleteI read your blog with some alarm as the numbers quoted (10 firearms related deaths in two months) seemed far higher than I would have expected as I believed the here in the Uk we have one of the lowest homicide rates in the world. I have now read the relevat page on the gun control network site and it would seem that of these 10 deaths, six were suicides - one being the suicide of a serving police officer within a police station. Could you clarify for me your position on the access of firearms by the police as it would seem that you are advocating disarming the police. Given the threat faced daily to our police service from armed criminals, I cannot see the logic in denying the police access to the firearms they need to defend both themselves and the law abiding majority of citizens of this country.
Of the four homicides listed, I note that one was commited with an animal stun gun - not an item that I believe could be legally owned by a member of the public.
The headline figures that you quote from the gun control network are attention grabbing, but unfortunatly, do not seem to stand up to closer examination
Have you ever been to the countryside?! If you ever decide to leave your cocoon, go and find a farmer (you know, the guys who invest a lot of cash to breed livestock and grow crops for our consumption - contrary to popular belief their is no such thing as a 'meat tree'). Ask him how much damage foxes, pigeons and rabbits would do to his stock if they were left to run amock. Maybe then, you will have a minute understanding of the topic you're talking about.
ReplyDeleteThen talk to someone from BASC, who will inform you of the £1 billion pound industry that is sporting shooting. Ask representatives of small villages on sporting estates how it affects them (specifically ask about the number of young men that are in shooting-related jobs). I'd like the to think even the Labour government would have the foresight to avoid axing this much cash from an already brutalised Britain.
"Killing Machines"?? Yep, you definitely read The Sun. Do these 'killing machines' go off automatically? No, homicide related triggers are pulled by the fingers of morons. The kind that would struggle to win an arguement with a cast member of TOWIE. How about we punish the morons rather than the people who use firearms for legitimate reasons.
It's disturbing that someone like you is even close to making the important decisions that affect us all.
Typical socialist thinking here then. I disagree with the shooting of animals so therefore the vast majority of people agree with me. To re enforce what you are saying you trot out a handy sound byte from a laughable source and say that it is connected to the "landed gentry" who as a communist you despise.
DeleteAs I am typing this I am sat in my Land Rover in a field in the glorious English countryside with a rifle on my wing mirror killing rabbits. Why? Because they refuse to stop eating the crops. Perhaps you should invite them to a Marxist re education camp to show them that the crops have rights too. Until you do that I shall be right here humming "bright eyes" S I do my job.
It beggars belief that our modern society continues to (Though once did not) prohibit law abiding citizens the right to have an effective means of defending themselves against violent criminals who remain illegally armed despite whatever 'laws' are enacted. By default, you are supporting the rape, assault and murder of state enforced defenceless victims.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all let me say that I grew up on a council estate in Salford and if I must be pigeon holed I may best be described as 'working class' by anybodies definition. I have shot and owned firearms for many years enjoying both target sports and hunting, I eat what I shoot. Shooters are on the whole very friendly and the social side of my sport is something I particularly enjoy, in many ways it is class less.
ReplyDeleteI also find your comments about the morality of shooting animals strange, am I to take it you are a Vegan? Certainly if like me you are an omnivore I would suggest you are a hypocrite. One of the satisfying things about shooting say a Rabbit and then making a meal of it is knowing that it has not lived the horror of factory farming and a trip to the abattoir. It has lived a free and natural life and then fallen victim to predation AND its end has been swift and with the minimum of suffering.
Finally, as many others have said, THE VAST MAJORITY OF GUN CRIME IS COMMITTED WITH ILLEGALLY HELD GUNS WHICH HAVE NEVER BEEN OWNED BY A LEGITIMATE LEGAL SHOOTER.
I suggest you read up on the subject, think, read some more and formulate a more logical and adult position on this.
If you want to see some figures for deaths look at cars and alcohol. I don't hear you saying how bad these things are. ?
ReplyDeleteI know of no-one who `kills for fun`. Tell that to the gamekeepers and stalkers I recently spent a few days with protecting new lambs from foxes. lambs that your constituents will eat. We are not `sick` for taking an active role in wildlife management. Why do you think the British Association of Shooting and CONSERVATION exists? Oh..sport. Yes, it gets you outdoors, socialising and exercising....something the 'playstation generation' might have heard of, and benefit from. You come across as very ignorant to the shooting/country community with your comment on 'killing for fun'. I eat what I take whenever possible, as does everyone else I know who shoots. Just remember that your vegetable crops would be ravaged if the crow/pigeon/deer population wasn't controlled.
ReplyDeleteIf you aren't just fishing for easy votes, I suggest you focus on gun CRIME rather than gun ownership. Illegaly owned/imported handguns are the issue, used by young city boys against each other in drug turf wars. I am a police officer. I know this to be true. Targeting middle-Britain isn't going to do ANYTHING to reduce gangland killings with illegaly held firearms. Have you even checked to see how many legally held guns and licence holders have been involved in crime? For your sake, I'd avoid bringing those figures up in debate.although your opponents gladly will.
I'll end by saying that the shooting industry is worth around £1.6 BILLION a year. Try promoting rather than ignorantly attacking it.
In a nutshell Chris you have no idea what you are talking about, the usual hype and jumping on the band wagon, after guns shall we also ban, Javelin, Shot put, Archery and hammer throwing ?
ReplyDeleteI'm ashamed that this character is an MP for Derby. I'm from Derby and proud of that fact. I'm also pro-gun and pro-freedom and I'm disgusted at yet another attack on a legitimate sport, not to mention the implicit support for disarming law-abiding citizens. All for the sake of foxy-woxy. I'm glad I moved away from Derby so I didn't even get the chance for vote for this clown.
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't say that the weapons used were legally held. Most of those people probably topped themselves even if they were. If i kill something it will either be vermin or eaten, or both - where do your bacon sarnies and chicken dinners come from? Cuddled to death? Feel free to tighten the checks on license applications, i think you will find most gun owners would be in favour, i know i wouldn't disagree. I can think of multiple instances where the said firearms should clearly have been removed previously. Who's fault is that?! Now on your bike Labour and shove your scaremongering bigotry where you should have shoved your fox hunting ban. And one other thing. THANKS FOR THE DEFICIT.
ReplyDeleteGood heavens, even by normal MPs standards this rant is remarkably devoid of truth or common sense. I respectfully suggest that your constituents would be better served by another candidate at the next election as you are quite obviously not up to the task.
ReplyDeleteIf only the supermarkets disappeared overnight....Where then will you procure your meat I ask?
ReplyDeletePlease read my articles. I hunt for food. Not sport.
http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/page/index.html/_/hunting-country-life/food-from-the-fields-not-the-aisles-r44
http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/page/index.html/_/hunting-country-life/hunting-its-spiritual-and-mythological-connec-r46
As everybody else has said, this man is talking utter drivel. I think the most worrying thing is that he hasn't even the spine to comment on his ill informed opinions. He will probably just laugh all of the comments off as the ramblings of the lower class! The sooner that the likes of this narrow minded idiot are out of office the better. I don't know what the solution to gun crime is, maybe better, harsher sentencing but views like this, coming from people that have been democratically voted into power are very worrying.
ReplyDeleteIn this piece you cover two topics which do not coincide. The licensed and legally owned weapons are not the ones which are used in shootings (apart from the odd anomalous case such as Hungerford or the cumbrian shootings). The truth is banning these arms will not stop these extreme events, a man intent on an insane killing spree will find a weapon.
ReplyDeleteYour anti-hunting feelings cannot be backed up by statistics of shootings involving illegal guns.
Firstly, I am most certainly not of landed gentry, I am however educated. I’ve spent virtually my whole life in the countryside and so I think that I have a pretty good handle on how things work unlike you Mr Williamson. I find your comments unjustified, unsubstantiated and very ill informed. I hold a firearms certificate and my sport is deer stalking. Yes a sport that produces quality organic humanely killed meat from an animal that has had an excellent quality of life and one that has been longer than a farmed animal (and no I’m not having a pop at farmers, as Britain produces the best meat and has the highest animal welfare in the world). Britain’s wild deer are all managed as we no longer have apex predators. What do you Mr Williamson know about deer management indeed the countryside as a whole? Your “majority” of countryside people are they your weekend country folk with second homes, who want Daffodils planted on the country lanes and complain about manure being spread on fields.
ReplyDeleteI would like to know how many other people in our society have to have 2 people vouch for them, medical records made available, police background checks made and home inspected by police? And then have this every 5 years! Other than that how many legally held firearms are used in crime?
To reduce gun crime, border detection of smuggled guns needs to be better and urban gangs need to be tackled. As I do not reside in a town or city I feel I cannot comment on how gangs or inner-city crime should be tackled. I would suggest however that you should take your blinkers off and get out of your urban haven and see what the countryside is about, how it works and how much you have offended some of the most law abiding people in this country.
But basically you are a disgrace, narrow minded, uneducated fool and I can only hope that at the earliest possible moment you lose your seat and never re-elected, you certainly are not suitable for public office and a feel sorry for the people that you are supposed to represent.
The man just talks nonsense. Unsubstantiated nonsense. Why do we continue to elect and pay for these inadequate people? They contribute nothing to our society.They are divisive. They try to play rich man against poor, solely for their own gain. They fail miserably to appreciate that the shooting community includes people from all walks of life and is, without doubt, consistently the most law abiding and that it promotes good behaviour in our children. I am nearly embarrassed that I am bothering to respond to his tripe.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me Chris that your agenda is somewhat unreasonably,biased given your background & your general views on shooting sports,which quite frankly astounded me.Im an animal lover & a shooter & Ive never harmed an animal, except in self-defence,by hitting a dog,before it bit a chunk out of my hand.I sent a letter to Hilary Benn on the subject & he seemed to not have a problem with shooting & neither do any of your fellow MP colleagues,like Vernon Coaker,Stephen Pound ,Dr Jon Cruddas,Charles Clarke & Clive Efford.The handgun ban was done to help get your party elected into power,possibly created up by Peter Mandleson or Alistair Campbell,to win elections.That I believe is the truth,as it did little to stop gun crime & annoyed Olympic shooters too.Even most people thought it was ridiculous to ban pistol-shooting,who weren't shooters themselves.Also Chris 20 years ago most young people only wanted airguns for a laugh in the back garden.No one ever spoke about real guns,even though handguns were legal at that time in 1993.Nowdays most kids know how guns function. Computer games & gangsta rap is to blame,along with inadequates who have lots of children on the states welfare system.
ReplyDelete