Yet another stabbing in London

[Blott]

We have a far higher knife crime rate than the US.

The United Kingdom has some of the strictest gun laws in the world, resulting in relatively low levels of gun crime and firearm homicides. In 2021/22 only four percent of homicides in England and Wales were the result of shootings, compared with 85.7 percent in the United States in 2021.4 Jul 2024

It's almost like the two things are linked in some way?  Weird.

People here are wary of attacking someone with a knife if they think their target might be carrying a gun.

Also lots of people carry a knife every day (I do) - they see them as useful tools and not weapons.  They might use one for self defence against a person or animal but o/w wouldn't think about attacking someone with one.

I think you sum up 99 pc of people, decent and don't want to hurt anyone.


The problem is controlling the 1 pc.


I have been to the US many times, I think we have been to 14 states. By a long way it is my favourite country to visit. Not once have I ever felt threatened. Try to explain to a shopkeeper in South Carolina that our police don't have guns.

[Clem Fandango]

I have been to the US many times.  Not once have I ever felt threatened. 

That's what I was trying to explain. 

People in the UK etc think the US gun mentality is based on aggression.  There are undoubtedly some yee-haw idiots here and, of course, criminals and the mentally ill but the vast majority of gun owners see it as a form of defence (particularly against home invasion).  They also see it as a general day to day deterrent helping keep people in check (eg you don't lose it in road rage situations if you think the other driver may be armed).

I am supportive of gun ownership (plus there are simply way too many in circulation to attempt to stop all ownership now) but agree that no civilian needs any form of semi or fully automatic weapon and mental health/ background checks should be performed before and, crucially, during gun ownership.  Licenses should only be given if certain tests are passed each year. 

That said, gun safety is a big problem.  People not adhering to laws around keeping guns in locked safes etc is letting kids, nutters etc get their hands on them and there are too many accidents.

[Ural Quntz]

France has far less crime than we do but a far higher immigrant numbers

Its as though there was a link somewhere?

Never knew.....

[Blott]

We have a far higher knife crime rate than the US.

The United Kingdom has some of the strictest gun laws in the world, resulting in relatively low levels of gun crime and firearm homicides. In 2021/22 only four percent of homicides in England and Wales were the result of shootings, compared with 85.7 percent in the United States in 2021.4 Jul 2024

It's almost like the two things are linked in some way?  Weird.

People here are wary of attacking someone with a knife if they think their target might be carrying a gun.

Also lots of people carry a knife every day (I do) - they see them as useful tools and not weapons.  They might use one for self defence against a person or animal but o/w wouldn't think about attacking someone with one.

I am against gun ownership in the home. I would only allow them with police and the military. But that ship has well past in the US.
I will never understand the need t have a rapid fire gun.

[tunstall]

We were sat waiting for a pizza in a restaurant in New York state and the petrol station over the road was robbed. Shots were fired.

By the time we went outside the one-time were all over the place

Pizza was lush