Stabbing, Oxford Street

[AJS-]

Lost_BMW said:

One thing that might, just might, have a positive effect - and Jesus, do we need to try something - would be for those we put in office to alter the law to make, to ensure, a mandatory life sentence the de-facto punishment for anyone convicted of smuggling, re-commissioning, selling or carrying - let alone using - an 'ilegal', unlicensed firearm.

That might alter the mind set of some of those who risk it thinking it better to risk a few years in jail to make a quick buck or than be an 'undefended' target or without their "respek". But of course, despite all the blather and the tough on crime crap these crapists speak of, they'll shirk anything that looks too tough or could be criticised by the middle Englander liberal (small 'l') media/speaking head types.

No, no and 100 times no.

There are a hundred ways to kill someone, and even if it was possible to uninvent the firearm it wouldn't save above a handful of lives per year in Britain. I would rather a law making it mandatory for every own occupied house in the land to have a loaded firearm.

How about making a mandatory life (meaning life) sentence for murder?

I'll be you if these scroats are ever caught they will be given about 12 years for manslaughter and be out in five.

I will further wager that these scum bags have a string of previous convictions for offences against people and property, and if my 3 strikes and your out policy was already law then they would not have already been locked safely away and wouldn't be coming out any time this decade or the next.

The great perversion of British justice is our habit of preempting crimes by restricting what people may do before they harm others, and failing to punish them when they do harm others. We do not need more preventative measures, we need people to realise that when they do harm another person they will be sent away for a good long time.

[Fer]

GarryA said:

Nine out of ten people enjoy it.

Bad man.

[Lost_BMW]

AJS- said:

No, no and 100 times no.

There are a hundred ways to kill someone, and even if it was possible to uninvent the firearm it wouldn't save above a handful of lives per year in Britain. I would rather a law making it mandatory for every own occupied house in the land to have a loaded firearm.

How about making a mandatory life (meaning life) sentence for murder?

I'll be you if these scroats are ever caught they will be given about 12 years for manslaughter and be out in five.

I will further wager that these scum bags have a string of previous convictions for offences against people and property, and if my 3 strikes and your out policy was already law then they would not have already been locked safely away and wouldn't be coming out any time this decade or the next.

The great perversion of British justice is our habit of preempting crimes by restricting what people may do before they harm others, and failing to punish them when they do harm others. We do not need more preventative measures, we need people to realise that when they do harm another person they will be sent away for a good long time.

Where did I mention restricting existing rights for law abiding (licensed) people, legal behaviours etc.?

I wrote illegal, unlicensed etc.

So, what have you got against harsher punishments for illegal sellers/users/carriers of firearms?

[AJS-]

Lost_BMW said:

Where did I mention restricting existing rights for law abiding (licensed) people, legal behaviours etc.?

I wrote illegal, unlicensed etc.

So, what have you got against harsher punishments for illegal sellers/users/carriers of firearms?

What I have against it is that the laws are already ridiculously restrictive for peaceful gun owners, and it isn't working. It's a few years since I lived in the UK, but when I did I knew a few farmers and hunters who had rifles and shotguns of questionable legality. They were not the problem and they are not now. The problem is a certain subclass of utter scum who car nothing for killing someone, whether they do it by way of a gun, knife or by simply kicking them in the head until they feel they have gained nuff respek.

By the same token why not ban people from having the strength to throw a good punch? Or prosecute them if they sell the weights that would help them do so.

The problem is not the tools available, but the way in which certain people abuse them.

[Lost_BMW]

AJS- said:

Lost_BMW said:

Where did I mention restricting existing rights for law abiding (licensed) people, legal behaviours etc.?

I wrote illegal, unlicensed etc.

So, what have you got against harsher punishments for illegal sellers/users/carriers of firearms?

What I have against it is that the laws are already ridiculously restrictive for peaceful gun owners, and it isn't working. It's a few years since I lived in the UK, but when I did I knew a few farmers and hunters who had rifles and shotguns of questionable legality. They were not the problem and they are not now. The problem is a certain subclass of utter scum who car nothing for killing someone, whether they do it by way of a gun, knife or by simply kicking them in the head until they feel they have gained nuff respek.

By the same token why not ban people from having the strength to throw a good punch? Or prosecute them if they sell the weights that would help them do so.

The problem is not the tools available, but the way in which certain people abuse them.

So, apart from defending the rights of hunters and farmers to break the law your response to my post was utterly irrelevant. Thanks for clearing that up.

[AJS-]

Lost_BMW said:

So, apart from defending the rights of hunters and farmers to break the law your response to my post was utterly irrelevant. Thanks for clearing that up.

Where it's relevant is that you first suggested we

Lost_BMW said:

alter the law to make, to ensure, a mandatory life sentence the de-facto punishment for anyone convicted of smuggling, re-commissioning, selling or carrying - let alone using - an 'ilegal', unlicensed firearm."

So you would happily hand out a life sentence to the hunters and farmers I knew with illegal firearms before giving a reasonable (10+ years) sentence for a non-fatal violent assault. I know that you didn't define priorities in that way, however my point is that the focus should not be the weapons these people are using, but the utter disregard they have for the sanctity of human life and the values of the otherwise civilised society they live in. I don't give a damn what weapons someone has in their cupboard, but I care very much if someone throws a punch at me. That punch may kill me if I fall wrong, the weapon will not hurt me until someone chooses to use it against me.

[AJS-]

Lost_BMW said:

So, apart from defending the rights of hunters and farmers to break the law your response to my post was utterly irrelevant. Thanks for clearing that up.

And please don't forget the realities of enforcing such a law. Like so many law enforcement exercises the innocent would suffer while the guilty would carry on as normal. Those who have no part in it would continue to have no part in it until some thug with a knife, a half brick or a completely illegal firearm came up on a dark street one night and ended their life because they didn't feel they had enough respect from the guy who was walking down a quiet street and unwittingly entered their territory.