[dave]

Check it:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2656875.stm



Whats the verdict?

[Bubba]

Hmmmm..... Although in theory, some of these arguments may stand, and if we look at Canada, and not the States, then the amount of gun crime per gun ownership is much lower than the States, I still don't think the solution to rising gun crime in the UK (which is still extremely low) is to just arm the whole population.

Surely a better solution would be if Customs, etc got their act together to
stop the guns getting here in the first place?

As an aside, I believe that the rise in gun crime is not attributed mainly to actual shooting incidents, rather people being threatened with guns, many of which may be replicas.

[dobbin]

I reckon that most of the 'outlaws' who tout guns do so as result of drug shit, i.e. they need to protect themselves against rival dealers, addicts, the law - and the most effective way to do this is with a shooter.

The best way to stop rising gun crime in this country is by decriminalising drugs. If that happened the market would drop out of the drugs trade, there'd be no need to go shooting other dealers cos they wouldn't exist, addicts would just go to the chemist - job's a good un.

Hurrah! Dobbin for El Presidente!

[Bubba]

You're so right there - everything must be legalised and then the bottom will be taken out of the black market, the drug gangs won't have any purpose any more, and smackheads won't need to burgle your house any more to feed the habit...

Even some police chiefs are calling for this to happen, but let's face it, it never will coz it's not really a vote winner is it?

Look at the States, their "war on drugs" is long lost, and how much has it cost so far? It's no coincidence that some Columbian drug cartels actively try to ensure that coke remains illegal, thus keeping their profits sky high with some cartels now being as rich as some small countries. But can you see Bushbaby ever admitting that it's not working? No way, Jose...

[dobbin]

everything must be legalised and then the bottom will be taken out of the black market..

I think the main reason that will never happen is that at the moment there are too many people out there with the impression that one tote on a spliff is a straight road to heroin addiction. Perhaps in the future when you and I are old crows and know that drugs can be used recreationally and that addicts need help not persecution things will change...

I doubt I'll see it in my lifetime to be honest!

[dave]

This reminds me of Harry Enfield's Dutch Coppers sketch:
"We used to have a problem here with murder, but since we made it legal, its no longer a problem"

To be honest, you're not going to stop dealers by legalising shit like coke and smack. If the Government legalized it, i recon they would put a tax on it, like with tobacco - after all it would be a nice little earner. So there would still be a market for dealerz offering illegal smuggled shit in the same way you get blokes in pubs with a holdall selling smuggled fags.

[Bubba]

I could rant on and on about this one - it's bizarre that people can't see that the current policies are not working. My girlfriend works with young homeless people - a few years ago only some of them were on the brown, but now every single one of them is....and apart from a few who are strong enough to resist, the rest of them all shoplift, burgle and deal themselves to feed that monkey - Sheffield (and just about everywhere else) is in an H epidemic, and it's certainly not going to get any better...... and with crack on the rise, be prepared for a newer, nastier breed of addict. Scary.

[Bubba]

To be honest, you're not going to stop dealers by legalising shit like coke and smack. If the Government legalized it, i recon they would put a tax on it, like with tobacco - after all it would be a nice little earner. So there would still be a market for dealerz offering illegal smuggled shit in the same way you get blokes in pubs with a holdall selling smuggled fags.

That's only because the government choose to tax these things out of all proportion. If they did that then yes, the same problems would manifest themselves, although to a much lesser degree. Would you rather buy cheap but probabaly cut to fook gear from the man down the pub, or would you rather buy pricier but guaranteed pure stuff from a legal outlet? I know which one I'd choose....

[dave]

You speaka da truth.

Like Ali G said - "so does Class-A guarantee that its good quality?"

My solution to crime, in a nutshell:

• Give the rozzers more resources
• Legalise the hard stuff on prescription (not too fussed about Es or soft stuff cos theres not the same addicts market)
• Re-licence handguns, as a deterent to burgulary, but on a strict license, since gun crime pre-dunblane was hardly ever with legal weapons anyway.
• Cut overcrouding in prison by giving shorter sentences but making em more deeply unpleasant, put away more gun/dealing related offenders for the first offence.
• Unrestrict p0rn - just for fun
• Ban ITV, cos its shit.

Probably won't work, but hell its worth a try.

[Bubba]

Re-licence handguns, as a deterent to burgulary, but on a strict license, since gun crime pre-dunblane was hardly ever with legal weapons anyway.

I know what you're saying, but would you really want to kill someone for nicking your telly?

[dave]

No, but if they thought they would get iced into the middle of next week they might think twice about breaking in. Or at least thats why they recon it works in the US.

[dobbin]

Or they would break in to steal your firearm. guns should be banned full stop. Can you really justify why you need it?

Thought not. BTW, you missed one on the list of things you'd do as PM:-

Make all climbing areas national parks and prohibit building on them.

[dave]

Maybe, but to be honest we'll never know cos thye ain't never gonna do it. Instead i just gotta buy a bullet vest and learn some Bruce Lee moves......

[dobbin]

Unfortunatly you are correct. Let me know if you find out how to kill a man with a one inch punch....