Originally posted by Morpheus
Beetle, I think you forget that we dont live on (in comparison of size, in every aspect) a small island. Everything here is bigger, everything... so to compare the US with you (as you always love to do) people really doesnt say much. Its alot easier to walk by and knock down an ant hill than it is to knock down mount Everest.
...none of which has anything to do with the thread title or the topic being discussed.
That is by far, not the way of life here beetle.There is a reason, minorities are called minorities.
I know. I lived in the US for three years. I never felt threatened, but avoided areas like Cabrini Green when I was working in Chicago. In Britain it's the same - most of the country is a CBNZ™ (church bingo night zone) but there are pockets of trouble, particularly in areas of London where wealthy professionals live but there is also a poor black area not far away. There have been several murders committed by non-white thugs recently, mostly stabbings.
Why do you think we have our freedom? Why do you think we were able to write the Bill of Rights? Because a farmer picked up his musket and kicked you people out.
Britain was engaged in an armed conflict to preserve its freedom much more recently than that. Germany came very close to defeating the RAF and invading Britain. Guns were used to keep them out. It was a success... but we didn't then say
"hey, guns are really great - let's arm everyone - including all our criminals!" Many Australians are descended from the British because you took what Natives, that weren't used for building railroads there, and ran them off cliffs (At gun point).
Look up "Transportation". I do believe the origin of the word "pommy" to mean "limey" comes from the acronym POME - prisoner of mother England. Now we're all poms - LOL - I'm not offended by it.
South Africa Vs the United States is a very ignorant and weightless comparison at best. Apples to Oranges. You're going to have to do better than that.
The point I'm trying to make is that given the choice between owning guns in South Africa or living in Britain under what you somewhat disdainfully refer to as "all the restrictions", many thousands of South Africans have chosen the latter. In other words to their minds, gun ownership does not = freedom. One of my favourite cafés is staffed almost entirely by South Africans - I bet Batfink knows it - Fegos in Marlow?
Do you think you're safer because in 1997 your "Government" forced your people to hand over around 170,000 firearms? LOL. I'm sure there were alot of hardened criminals turning in their guns the day those bills were passed. Disarm the honest and inocent, while the criminals celebrate how easy its going to be to hold you, your women and children at gun point while they rape and rob them.
No. Guns were strictly controlled anyway before 1997, and ownership was sod all. The 1997 law made bugger all difference for that reason, which is why I don't think of it as a ban.
