thank you for your respect paxx

And I'd prefer to live in a peaceful society. And in a peaceful society there is no violence (except for football hooliganism), so no need for self-defense either. Trust instead of fear and paranoia.

But let's _not_ turn this into a gun control thread.

Care to compare statistics for home break ins between the US and England?

Break into a home in the US and your liable to be facing a shotgun. A shotgun the owner would be perfectly within his rights to kill you with since he is defending his home and family. This tends to make burglars think twice.

Your right, lets not turn this into a gun control thread.

You're right Griffinme. I would much rather have a gun with me when a burgular broke into my home...but, lets not turn this into a gun control thread....

I have a club (piece of hickory with a lead weight at the top). It's a non-lethal weapon. I've never had to use it though, the one time I had a chance I yelled at the guy and he ran away... I also have lots of guns but I'd never shoot anyone... or an animal or even a snake... they are only for shooting holes in paper and harvesting misseltoe.

Not to turn this into a gun-control thread but... the worst thing about most people that own guns is they've never thought it through to the conclusion. Could I do it? What's it feel like to confront an intruder with a lethal weapon? etc. I know for a fact that I couldn't shoot anyone so it's not an issue. I wouldn't go get a gun if someone broke in. It's a very bad idea to point a gun at someone and then change your mind, or hesitate. The only thing worse is to actually shoot someone and then spend the rest of your life trying to get over it... with no guns, neither scenario is likely to happen.

/me don't like guns
see wayyyy too much end result of ppl playing around w/ them thinking they are just fun toys to own...

How does the saying goes? The sword brings the sword? I don't exactly know how it's translated in English...
It's a fact that burglars in Canada never carry a gun. They come into your home with no weapon, and most of the time don't expect anybody to be home: they dfon't come to kill, they come to rob.
Now, in countries where people have guns at home, burglars have no choice but also bring a gun when they break into your home.
Result: a lot more casualties.

Yes, we may have more roberies in the end, but a whoooole lot less victims. Again, I rather see my TV stolen and stay alive. My insurance will get my money back but not my life.

Gun...control...thread...must...resist...posting....

Growing up a rural setting here in Texas, I was taught gun control.
You never point a gun at anything, unless you intend to shoot it' and you hit what you intend to shoot.

What part of Texas? I'm near San Antonio.

/me bangs head on desk

Argh, not a gun control thread...

Anyway, seems like gun control threads are like religion and political threads. If the USA is OK with being by far the country with the most homicides, so be it. It's not my life at stakes.

. . . until you go visit.

That's the first thing I noticed when I went in last time - cops wearing guns. Never saw that before.

I was in England a few years back. The second thing I noticed was the cops don't carry guns! I think that is much scarier. Trained professionals who can only defend themselves and the public with a whistle and a stick. If you make it down to the southern half of the USA next time you visit you might even see regular citizens carrying guns too! You want to kow what the first thing I noticed was.... The gambling! It seems on almost every street there is a gambling parlor.

Not a gambling thread...

Over here in Los Angeles the cops carry Shot guns and Blow torches! hehe
(We have the highest death rate due to GSW's really bad) and the cops are included in those stats too, I would not want to be a cop over here, the pay ain't worth it...

Cops in Canada are armed, except they're not allowed to toch their gun. hehehe!
I'm serious. No cop is allowed to put his hand on his gun unless he is resonnably certain that he his facing somebody that is armed with a firearm.

and our cops are not allowed to take their hands off of their guns cuz they have to always be ready... hehe

jcg.... I grew up about 50 outside Nacogdoches, in a tiny community called Laneville.

Well, cops over here are no where around when something happens. The nearest police station is about three kilometers away (and that's in the city). Maybe I've played too much SimCity, that I expect every neighbourhood to have a police station.

I haven't seen a policeman or police car in my area of the city for months. Some 'youth' was stealing cars a couple of years ago, but it's been quiet since then.

Must be exciting living in one of these US cities where there are criminals and police with guns - almost like the TV.

I wonder how someone from Northern Ireland feels about gun control, or someone from central Africa where they seem to prefer machettes.

I wonder what it is like to live in a country where people go to football games to start a riot.

I happen to live in a city where I have heard a few gunshots in the night over the years. It isn't very exciting.

I come from a country where your house is your fortress, barbwire fencing combined with electric fencing, infra red beams in the garden alarms in the house. Ontop of this your car still gets broken into while it is parked in your garage. My car was broken into 3 times in 2 months. I've had 2 cars stolen and never seen again. People die daily from hijackings, and the like. People even die going to soccer matches.

I'd much rather live in a quite place that isn't very exciting.

And how do you feel about gun control?

I live in the sub-urbs of Michigan near Detroit. I actually don't know anyone who has suffered crime. I don't own a bike lock and have never had my bike stolen.

Don't think gun control works. As far as I know they do try implement it but you find people killing police officers just to get their guns. There is very little way to control that. Just too many guns on the streets.