No, Moral-man, you are quite right. The ONLY reason to own a hand-gun is to kill. And the only thing a hand gun is good for is killing people: it's not a sports gun. So if anyone has a gun for protection in this day and age, it's because they contemplate killing an intruder who is probably after no more than a few dollars. That's not "necessary force" in my opinion. I know money's important in a material world, but a burglar isn't there to threaten your life, he's there to steal your credit cards. You can phone the bank afterwards to cancel the cards without loss of anyone's life.

So, if it's not "necessary force" and it's contemplated beforehand, doesn't that count as premeditated murder?

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People have no reason to own a hand gun and should hand them in before they (or their kids) do something they'll regret forever after.

People who own target pistols and the like should leave them at their shooting club.

Hunters (what an unspeakable passtime: killing for amusement! They then drive home with the poor beast strapped to the front of their truck so that like-minded morons can think "What a great guy!") need hunting rifles I suppose. They should be licenced. They should pass a weapons handling test and pass an exam on the gun laws. They should also notify the police at least 24 hours ahead of any hunting expedition so they can be aware of where shooting is likely to take place.


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After Dunblane happened, we were horrified at how anyone could get hold of weapons so easily. But at least kids can't buy them at ASDA (our version of WalMart). There was a short amnesty before all guns above .22 (I think) were banned. As has been noted above. The effect was to get old guns and collecters' item handed in. Criminals kept their sawn-off shotguns and other weapons. So nowadays the only people with weapons in UK are criminals, members of the armed forces and CIA agents.

As for our criminals, they tend to carry their guns as a threat rather then use them. Drug dealers tend to carry the really dangerous weapons, and they will use them - but mostly against each other. So, although gun crimes are on the increase, the victims tend to be criminals too. And by "carry" I mean, they give them to kids to look after. Sometimes the kids do silly things ... and recently an eleven year-old kid was killed for no evident reason at all.


The rest of us are relatively law abiding and we still have the luxury of police who don't routinely carry guns, although we do have Armed Response Units and armed police at airports (a fairly recent phenomenon). The first time I saw a real gun in my life was when I was 18, on holiday, in Italy. Somehow that makes me feel good. No, not good - superior.

I have no time, and utter contempt for people who think there is a single valid reason why an ordinary citizen should have a gun. They are intending killers, even if they never actually fulfil that intention.

And, as far as my understanding of American law goes, the constitutional right to bear arms is restricted to people actively taking part in a militia to protect themselves against the British or the Indians. How much of a threat is either group now?