British police officer shot during riot.

[Excel1]

Originally posted by Vulcan
Balled Bearing Gun = BB Gun = Air Rifle.

You can get some fairly high power air rifles these days, combined with heavier grain "hunting" pellets they can be quite lethal.

In NZ they are coming into question as airguns are "unlicensed" but the new high power jobbies are raising a few eyebrows. Someone got shot in the stomach with one recently and it had fairly high penetration.

New regs are on the way. Among them is the requirment to be licenced to own the highest powered airguns.

[lasersailor184]

Soon you'll have to be licensed to own a fork.  

I'm saying that given the choice between having gun rights and enjoying the freedom that Britain offers, most people choose the latter. South Africans are pouring into Britain, and not too many Brits are going to SA any more.

If you had any clue as to why people are pouring out of South Africa, you would realize that the gun issue is minute and does not even matter compared to the other problems.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Ack-Ack
It's a BB gun.





Sadly, this one comes without the compass in the stock.



ack-ack

Careful, you'll put an eye out with that!

[Masherbrum]

Originally posted by Stringer
Everyone is missing the point, including Beetle.

It happened during a riot....I thought that cozy little island was more civilized than that.

The focus shouldn't be the gun, it should be the riot.  And there are two ways to look at that.

1.) What was the fundemental reason for the riot, and want would cause such a well-behaved society to riot, and then after all of that fact finding...

2.) Riots should be banned.

Actually, as long as two human beings inhabit Earth, there will be strife.

Karaya

[Toad]

So Curv and Beet, if you were going to meet Her Majesty the Queen you'd just wear some old jeans and a t-shirt, right?

[SKJohn]

The obvious solution to this problem would be to make British citizens get licenses before they can have riots.  Also, before they can receive a "right to riot" license, they must go through a training course and demonstrate a real need for the license.
In addition, Parliment might want to consider passing a law which imposes a waiting period on the purchase of ball bearings....

[Ack-Ack]

and levy a "riot" tax.



ack-ack

[moot]

Beet I see what you're saying, but what point are you making?
Is the parallel that the US doesn't have as much freedom as Britain, and that it'd be better moving from them despite giving up gun rights?

Tons of people uproot themselves from indonesia and pakistan or wherever, to go study in the US, and this despite the cultural discomforts that come with it... then again?
The way I see it, the US gives you the right to do what you want.  Britain does the same, except it forbids certain wants that have been misused by a few.
A lot lose a little to the few, whereas in the US, a few civil people lose a lot to a few criminals, but could not lose at all if they'd have enough common sense to be safe rather than sorry.

It would make sense that a country forbid something that was misused by more than a few, but then it would also make sense to move out of said country.

[beet1e]

Originally posted by lasersailor184
If you had any clue as to why people are pouring out of South Africa, you would realize that the gun issue is minute and does not even matter compared to the other problems.

That's exactly what I am saying. You have people on this board who cite the level of gun ownership rights as the yardstick of "freedom" - citizens' rights and all that, and in the same breath try to depict the Euros as "subjects" - when most of 'em don't know the difference anyway. You are quite correct - the issue of being able to own a gun is basically... a nonissue - when measured against other factors.

The obvious solution to this problem would be to make British citizens get licenses before they can have riots. - SKJohn

I read that the reason for the riot had something to do with a girl who was here as an illegal alien, ie. not a British citizen, so your proposed legislation might need rethinking.

So Curv and Beet, if you were going to meet Her Majesty the Queen you'd just wear some old jeans and a t-shirt, right? -Mr. Toad

I haven't owned a pair of jeans in well over 30 years. Jeans are so... ubiquitous. I would be wearing a tie, I am sure. But then again, that doesn't mean I'm planning to shoot her!

Is the parallel that the US doesn't have as much freedom as Britain, and that it'd be better moving from them despite giving up gun rights? -Moot

No, it has nothing to do with the US. See my reply to lasersailor ^. I made the point that although people can legally own guns in South Africa, this "huge" "privilege" pales into insignificance against the backdrop of societal woes in that country and, because many of them have parents/grandparents who came from Europe, they automatically have legal right of entry to Britain. Given the choice between the right to own a gun and the right to live in Britain, many choose the latter. The US does not enter into this discussion.

[moot]

Forget it.

[Excel1]

Originally posted by lasersailor184
Soon you'll have to be licensed to own a fork.

Now there's a thought.

But it will depend on the muzzle energy of the fork. If it's greater than 34 joules the fork will be classed as a firearm and fall under the licensing system.

[J_A_B]

Hey Beet1e--

How do you feel about alcohol?  Certainly alcohol kills more people than guns whether the gun shoots bullets or ball-bearings.  I hate the stuff personally, much more than I hate anything that goes "bang".  

I agree with you in that the gun issue is basically a nonissue when compared to the big picture.  This is partly why I wonder about your interest in this particular issue--how does it affect you?  Why is it one of the "major" issues you identify with (at least on the BBS)?

I'll admit that my hatred of alcohol stems both from two main factors.  First, the fact that dad drank over a case of beer a day for longer than I've been alive.  One of my early memories is dad buying an '83 Mercury Marquis specifically because the center console was the perfect size to hold his ever-open "POC" beer bottles.  Second, I have to clean up entirely too many crashes that were caused by a drunk and I've buried some friends killed by it.  Say what you want about guns, but alcohol is vastly more sinister than any gun.

J_A_B

[Vulcan]

Originally posted by J_A_B
Hey Beet1e--

How do you feel about alcohol?  Certainly alcohol kills more people than guns whether the gun shoots bullets or ball-bearings.

ummm... no.

[Holden McGroin]

Originally posted by Vulcan
ummm... no.

He's probably right... drunk driving and alcohol related diesease take an huge toll.

[J_A_B]

"ummm... no."

I'm not counting people involved in wars.  In both my country and his, more people die as a result of alcohol-related incidents than gun-related incidents.  

J_A_B