Nigel bloody Farage sinks hope of pistol ban repeal

[Christel]

Gaz, well said

[mackie]

Back to the "need" argument.

No-one needs a car (or motorbike) that is capable of going faster than 70 miles an hour as that is illegal on UK roads. How many people are killed on the roads every year?

I have a gun and a 180mph+ car. I have not killed anyone ever. Thankfully the current law does not talk about "need" and hopefully will not change in that direction.

[joe]

Back to the "need" argument.

No-one needs a car (or motorbike) that is capable of going faster than 70 miles an hour as that is illegal on UK roads. How many people are killed on the roads every year?

I have a gun and a 180mph+ car. I have not killed anyone ever. Thankfully the current law does not talk about "need" and hopefully will not change in that direction.

it will, a couple a months ago some dick in the liberal party (suprise suprise) said that he wanted to see ban on any cars that can do more 70 mph....few years ago another bright spark wanting to ban the flying of light aircrafts out right untill someone asked him how will would potential airline pilots learn to fly !
off course these stpuid ideas didnt go no ware but its bad sign for the future !

[Dougan]

Back to the "need" argument.

No-one needs a car (or motorbike) that is capable of going faster than 70 miles an hour as that is illegal on UK roads. How many people are killed on the roads every year?

1764 is the lowest figure recorded which was a few years ago...plus tens of thousands of seriously injured...quite a figure!

Btw: I only know this as I was on a 'Driving awareness course' last week...if you're going to ban anything, ban bloody speeding cameras!

[Dougan]

few years ago another bright spark wanting to ban the flying of light aircraft

They are starting to put parachutes in light aircraft to lessen the impact if they come down in a populated area - It's a great idea, but expensive, and now it's available could become more or less an insurance requirement; which would rule many out of flying as a hobby.

Unfortunately we're living in a country where people are actually growing up thinking they're entitled to a risk free life...

[nfrancis]

Many people have died over football...still not banned, I wonder why there has not been a public outcry about the need to ban football with all the associated deaths as there has been with the shooting of people? Could this be a financial thing?

It doesn't really matter how football survives. Why would anyone want to ban football anyway? Comparisons like this are completely irrelevant - shooting it perfectly capable of standing up on its own two feet if represented appropriately. Football is a game, a sport and yes - to some extents a business. Very lucrative for some and not so much for others (talk to chairmen/owners of many football clubs, big and small). Shooting is a hobby, a sport and to some extent a business. Compared to football shooting is small beer - tiny in comparison.

Guns however are a different matter. Guns are different. Guns worry and scare people only a little bit less than the people who drool over and covet the guns that worry and scare people. Anyone who doesn't realise this needs to have a good long hard think about why this is the case.

People continuously mix up guns and shooting - even people who advocate shooting and are involved in it continuously mix up guns and shooting. If you care about guns the reality is you are going to be perceived as having a bit of a problem and a bit weird. If you care about shooting you are probably going to be accepted a bit more rationally.

Frankly, "get on with our shooting"...we may not be able to for much longer because if we do not stand united and accept all shooting disciplines we will end up with nothing.

Two things - firstly - the more people that go shooting the harder it is to get rid of it. Go shooting - go shooting more often and encourage people to go shooting with you. Why do you think football is almost immune to all sorts of social negativity - real or imagined. Its because its so immensity popular.

Secondly - promote the shooting and only the shooting. Enter more competitions, promote the sport and only the sport. Forget the guns - guns don't really have anything to do with shooting - I don't even own any guns - I just have sporting kit.

Whilst we're there lets forget the politics, the conspiracy theories, the looney MPs and the endless pointless on-line petitions as well.

[Christel]

I guess on that note from nfrancis, I have to admit that I am weird and that I have a problem.

Not that I see it that way

[mackie]

I've yet to meet any foamy mouthed "gun nuts". If you're a shooter then how is being interested in guns any different to being interested in what golf clubs you use or racing cars or skis or whatever other sporting equipment is out there. They are just objects, pieces of engineering, often quite beautiful and ingenious. By your standard anyone who collects firearms is a weirdo.
I don't want this to come across badly, but it seems to me that you are the one that has the strange relationship with guns.

[ordnance]

People continuously mix up guns and shooting - even people who advocate shooting and are involved in it continuously mix up guns and shooting. If you care about guns the reality is you are going to be perceived as having a bit of a problem and a bit weird. If you care about shooting you are probably going to be accepted a bit more rationally.

You seem to be the one that sees anyone that has an interest in firearms the history engineering etc , and not just shooting them as a bit weird. I don't see it any differently than someone having an interest in cars.

We have a proper firearms licensing system in this country and the ban on handguns is not ludicrous. Its perfectly understandable that certain types of firearms are not generally available to members of the general public

I am just glad that you have no influence on what type of firearms we are allowed in the UK.

[hobbesy]

I don't support banning certain types of guns and not others, except perhaps full autos.

Why fully auto's, aren't you just putting yourself into the box of telling other people what they should own?

Why am I going to suddenly turn into some killer because I own a pistol, a semi/fully auto rifle when I don't using my .22 M4 and I own enough mags and ammo to do massive damage if so inclined.

The reason we were singled out and lost our pistols was to divert the attention away from the mess the police and government made of Dunblane and operation Orre, we will only see this in 70 years when the files are public.