The Student Room Group
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Legalise Firearms in the UK

In my view, I can see no valid reason as to why the state should prevent its citizens from owning a firearm for the purposes of self-defence (as people were previously able to do prior to 1920).

Statistics show that in the UK: A rape is reported every 6 minutes, every 30 minutes someone is robbed at knife-point, a house is broken into every two minutes and on average two women a week are murdered as a result of domestic violence.

People should be able to fully defend themselves and their families.

What are your thoughts?

Edit: Many people are commenting 'Firearms are legal, you idiot!' - yes, certain firearms can be acquired once being issued a licence after strict conditions are met (generally being a member of a shooting range or something of that nature), but not for the purposes of self-defence, which is what this thread is about.
(edited 9 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
Avatar for rainingmen
rainingmen
There hasn't been a school shooting since 1996, the US has had 31 since Columbine. Guns on their own can cause no good or bad, but the more guns there are the more likely they are to be used incorrectly
There is also no real reason to think that legalising firearms will make crime go down. It's quite an attractive prospect from the point of view of 'if I had a gun I could shoot rapists/burglars/muggers', but in fact (a) it would make it easier for the criminals to get hold of guns as well, and (b) there's not a black-and-white distinction between 'criminals' and 'good guys', the easier it is to get hold of guns the more tempted people will be to use them. I don't see how legalising firearms would solve any of the problems mentioned in the OP.
Reply 3
Avatar for nic-nac
nic-nac
15
Firearms are legal. Your statement is as ignorant as saying we should legalise driving. We do, we just make it so people have to have a licence, so we know they're safe to have a firearm/drive.... Anyway using your examples, it's more likely to be the criminals that would have the firearms, not the shy young woman.
(edited 10 years ago)
Exactly. This is what I've been saying all along. Ak47's ahoy!

No seriously, I should be able to carry around a RPG-7 without anyone bothering me. LEGALISE THEM! For everyone
Reply 5
Avatar for lucaf
lucaf
13
Legalize firearms and that "robbed at knife point every 30 minutes" becomes "robbed at gunpoint every 30 minutes".

Guns may make it easier to protect yourself from crime, but they make it even easier to commit it.
Original post by FreedomCostsTax
In my opinion, there is no real reason why we shouldn't be able to own a firearm, for self defense.

Statistics show that in the UK: A rape is reported every 6 minutes, every 30 minutes someone is robbed at knifepoint, a house is broken into every two minutes and on average two women a week are murdered as a result of domestic violence.

People should be able to fully defend themselves and their families.

What are your thoughts?


You don't need a gun to defend yourself
Legalising firearms will increase the chances of you being vulnerable to criminal activity. Drive-by shooting. Robberies at gun-points. armed burglars. Innocent people are more at risk. Organised crime will also have much easier access to guns. As unsafe as some council estates are without legalised firearms, legalised firearms means every member of a gang will have access to guns which will cause terror to the whole community

America is a money-grabbing, trigger happy country that I wouldn't feel safe in. Legalising firearms would make public areas less safe
Original post by lucaf
Legalize firearms and that "robbed at knife point every 30 minutes" becomes "robbed at gunpoint every 30 minutes".

Guns may make it easier to protect yourself from crime, but they make it even easier to commit it.


More like robbed at gunpoint every 10/15 minutes
Original post by nic-nac
Firearms are legal. Your statement is as ignorant as saying we should legalise driving. We do, we just make it so people have to have a licence, so we know they're safe to have a firearm/drive.... Anyway using your examples, it's more likely to be the criminals that would have the firearms, not the shy young woman.


What are you talking about lol? You aren't allowed to own a firearm for the purposes of self-defense.
Why don't you give people personal drones while you're at it. America has over 40 times the amount of deaths caused by shootings than the UK* so the silly "making guns illegal takes them away from the good guys" argument is invalid.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_firearm-related_death_rate
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 10
Avatar for Scoobster
Scoobster
Original post by FreedomCostsTax
In my opinion, there is no real reason why we shouldn't be able to own a firearm, for self defense.

Statistics show that in the UK: A rape is reported every 6 minutes, every 30 minutes someone is robbed at knifepoint, a house is broken into every two minutes and on average two women a week are murdered as a result of domestic violence.

People should be able to fully defend themselves and their families.

What are your thoughts?


And that time will only be decreased when people are robbed at gunpoint.
Original post by lucaf
Legalize firearms and that "robbed at knife point every 30 minutes" becomes "robbed at gunpoint every 30 minutes".

Guns may make it easier to protect yourself from crime, but they make it even easier to commit it.


Guns are already extremely easy to get a hold of. Legalising them wouldn't make them anymore prominent in the criminal world, seriously.
Reply 12
Avatar for nic-nac
nic-nac
15
Original post by FreedomCostsTax
What are you talking about lol? You aren't allowed to own a firearm for the purposes of self-defense.
I'm just pointing out that we can own them ... in some cases, they would be considered 'reasonable force' depending on the situation and how good your lawyer is.
A gun isn't going to stop a rape or a mugging, its just going to result in you getting raped or mugged at gun point.

The bottom line on US gun laws is as a law abiding citizen you are more likely to get shot than you would be in the UK. Guns in the US have made the US population less safe it hasn't reduced their crimes below a normal level and has introduced a whole host of other problems we don't need to deal with like mass shootings.
Original post by nic-nac
Firearms are legal. Your statement is as ignorant as saying we should legalise driving. We do, we just make it so people have to have a licence, so we know they're safe to have a firearm/drive.... Anyway using your examples, it's more likely to be the criminals that would have the firearms, not the shy young woman.


Firearms cannot be used in self defense so you are completely wrong.
And criminals already get their hands on illegal guns, the only people who cannot get a gun are the legal citizens.

Crime in the UK is catastrophic, the overall crime rate is higher than the US.
Original post by nic-nac
I'm just pointing out that we can own them ... in some cases, they would be considered 'reasonable force' depending on the situation and how good your lawyer is.


No. To get a firearms licence, you need to fill out a firearms application that requires you to state a "good reason", for wishing to own one. Being a member of a shooting range for several years is just about the only "good reason" that they tend to accept.
Reply 16
Avatar for Emma122
Emma122
10
yeh like that's gone so well in America, the numerous school shootings, no way in hell should fire arms be legalised, I will move out of the country if that happened
Reply 17
Avatar for Marcus1992
Marcus1992
Original post by FreedomCostsTax
In my opinion, there is no real reason why we shouldn't be able to own a firearm, for self defense.

Statistics show that in the UK: A rape is reported every 6 minutes, every 30 minutes someone is robbed at knifepoint, a house is broken into every two minutes and on average two women a week are murdered as a result of domestic violence.

People should be able to fully defend themselves and their families.

What are your thoughts?


I want a gun but don't want people walking on the street with guns. But I guess we could compromise and all have guns.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/human_nature/2012/12/connecticut_school_shooting_semi_automatic_weapons_and_other_high_speed.html

An article on this theme that I think is worth reading.

A madman in a school with a gun vs a madman in a school with a knife - how many children die?
Reply 19
Avatar for Quady
Quady
20
Original post by FreedomCostsTax
Guns are already extremely easy to get a hold of. Legalising them wouldn't make them anymore prominent in the criminal world, seriously.


Cool, where can I get one?

PM me if you know someone.

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you