I feel SOOOOO much safer now

[Rob M]

Nice post URX, that is spot on!

I have said it many times, governments (especially this one) have no compunction whatsoever against clobbering law-abiding shooters... Registration will have next to no effect on airgun crime (will the chavs register theirs?)... So who will they clobber when the public realise that airgun crime is still a problem?

Accepting controls or a registration scheme is trusting a politician... We all know how trustworthy politicians are!!! Plus this government mostly hate guns, shooters and shooting sports in general, so we would be doubly open to getting screwed over...

[Sony]

...and we all think we have a say in it... What about all these terrorist measures giving the police the right to enter your house without a warrant and arrest you? Previously the only way they could do this was if it was a drug arrest and they eventually had to provide evidence. Whereas now, no questions asked at all.

Ok, all measures in protecting our society, our country and preserving the our freedom are well accepted and welcomed. On the other hand, when it comes to compromise your freedom and part with a dear sport/hobby, which has been practiced throughout the centuries, one must wonder....

Still, if its going to happen it will happen. And this goes both ways. i.e. if some nutcase finds/purchases/steals an airgun and shots someone or if they want to further regulate/ban airguns.

Allthough I don't want to say or believe it, seems like we do not really have a say in it...

I hope God proves me wrong!

[justicepig]

I hear all the errosion of rights stuff but I put this to you:

If airguns were registered and they they issued a ban it would be easy to located and destroy them.

If there were no registration process and they issued a ban it would be nigh on impossible for them to locate them.

If they were illegal would you feel comfortable holding on to your guns knowing that there would be severe penalties if you were found out?

Comments?

[urx]

no one here wants to be holding guns illegally, so I doubt anyone is going to feel 'comfortable' about it.

The message is :- dont give up, dont give in, never forget, never surrender.

Dont give up on your fellow shooters and your sport(s), write to your MP
Dont give in by thinking 'if we give a little now then the nasty bullies will go away'. They have us in their sights as an easy target, we need to convince them unequivocally otherwise.
Never forget all the rights to shooting sports now denied to us in the name of supressing guncrime. Self loading rifles, all pistols, multi shot shotguns all in the name of a little tightening of regulation here or there. Yet crime continues to increase because laws are just hot air without enforcement to cement their deterrent effect.
Never forgive the obsessive fools that seek to take away our sports in the name of their lack of understanding and fear. They are to be pitied but not trusted or forgiven for they will attack us remorselessly until they feel their mission is accomplished. What drives them,? voices from god? trauma from some nasty incident? I dont know but they have picked a 'cause' and will pursue it mindlessly ignoring logic, reason and everyone elses perspective but their own, convinced that they speak for the moral majority (who actually couldnt give a toss one way or the other).
Never stop fighting to retain our sport for the moment we relax our vigilance will be the moment another freedom is lost. We will be steamrollered into some stupid position where only criminals have guns.

I present yet more evidence in the creeping barrage of smoke and mirrors
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?...8&id=691612005

here the shock horror headlines of a huge rise in airgun abuse in my region is actually down to the fact that now incidents that are thought to possibly involve an airgun are recorded as incidents (no evidence actually required, kiddie in street with water pistol reported as 'man with gun') previously an airgun incident required hard evidence of the involvement of said airgun (they arent weapons until you use them to injure or kill a person so dont fall for the anti stigamtisation)

This is typical of the ongoing demonisation of airgun shooting preparatory to getting good old joe public to surrender yet more of his/her rights or freedoms in the name of greater 'safety' and control for the government.

I do not deny that there are a few bad people who misuse airguns(kitchen knives, cars, bottles, golf clubs etc also) but laws exist to punish the guilty with penalties which if properly enforced would have the deterrent effect that is desired. These few weeds in the garden of society do not justify the wholsale use of agent orange. Individual responsibility and culpability not mass denial of freedom and so much cotton wool we stifle.....grrrr

[justicepig]

no one here wants to be holding guns illegally, so I doubt anyone is going to feel 'comfortable' about it.

The message is :- I do not deny that there are a few bad people who misuse airguns(kitchen knives, cars, bottles, golf clubs etc also)

It's true, the weapon of choice for the scroats in our area is the golf club, now I grant you, you need to be closer with a golf club but by je*us you can do far more damage with a 3 Wood than you can with a S410.

Ban Golf, thats what I recon! well after kitchen knives, cars, bottles and anything else that could be used as a weapon, even frozen legs of lamb.

[urx]

hmmm dunno about the frozen legs of lamb being banned


I'm partial to a nice leg of roast lamb....

[Frisp]

I might be a class a cynic. but to my mind this hype by the Scottish parliament is a means to divert the gase of the Scottish media and therefore the people of Scotland from the important Political issues which affect Scotland. This to my mind seems to be the first chance the MSP,s have had to embark on a crusade. and for a change have the press on their side. How long have they been on the recieving end of negative press e.g. the costs and delays involved in that carbuncle at Hollyrood, the fist ministers alledged improprieties etc.
Until the focus of the press is redirected to the ineficiency that is the Scottish parliament there will be no chance of having any degree of sense injected into this subject.
The press need another toy to play with before that will happen. So if anyone ot there has any good dirt to dish......Dial 118 and ask for the number of the daily record in Glasgow.

[robinghewitt]

One has to wonder how many of these 240 offences were repeats by the same hooligan and how many were law abiding sportsmen nailed on a technicality because some over-enthusiastic plod didn't want to look like a twit.

But even if there were 2400 offences a year in Scotland, doesn't that leave 397,600 law abiding guns who's owners should expect not to be penalised because they have done nothing wrong.

OTOH, "having done nothing wrong" was Lady MacDuff's defense, didn't stop her and her children from being hacked to death by government lackeys

[Frisp]

how are thes so called airgun incidents collated are the reports of crimes which happen to include the word airgun i.e. My window must have been broken with an airgun but I have absolutley no proof iof this only a deep seated loathing for the bloke next door who has an airgun.

Im pretty sure if you sat down and analysed these figures you would find no more than a handfull of serious incidents.

Secondly heres one for robbinghewitt If sportsmen are law abiding they can never be nailed on a technicality. however enthusiastic the plod!!!!
Im not having a pop at the comment all im saying is that with the press feeing frenzy surrounding this we all need to be squeeky clean and resist the temptation to swell these already inflated and inflamatory figures

[BOFH]

doh, the only reason they arent going to ban them is its too difficult
its too difficult because they dont know where they all are
if you register them it makes it easy to round up all the registerd guns for destruction. registration/licensing etc etc is the thin end of the wedge.
think how great it will sound for a meeja sound bite
200,000 airguns registered
then 6 months later 199,999 airguns confiscated after numpty with bb gun waves it around, 1 air gun license holder prosecuted for refusing to give over his rifels till the ARU accidentally thought it was a table leg a nd shot him.

Seriously tho, I have no problem with the police or the even the courts they are all doing the best they can (must try harder). My problem is with the bandwagon politicians who see a tradgedy and try to manufacture political capital from it at our expense.

The legitimate shooting community are penalised again
multi sho shotguns go sec1
self loading rifles banned
pistols banned
brococks banned
..
give them an inch by letting them think we will take anymore lying down is asking for the next two lines which GCN and the rest will be happy to support with media friendly predigested mcburger soundbites

..airguns banned
.. 22self loading rifles banned
shotguns banned
rifles banned
fishing banned
archery banned
crossbows banned
catapults banned
biro pens banned
sharp pointy sticks outlawed
etc

DO NOT make the mistake of trading away hard won and defended freedoms in the hope that the big nasty bullies will go away and leave you alone. its akin to blackmailers ...too much is never enough, they always want to take more of what you have. And if you let them they will.

Well said, I'm going to write to my MP and find out his opinion, this is very worring and we should all try and do something about it before it's to late.

[urx]

go for it Gavin, the more that write to their MPs and join an association like SARPA, BASC etc then the better our chances of resisting this tide of (*&^*^%*^^%$^%$&^$$

Frisp I dont think you are being at all cynical, I would say you are about spot on.....sadly

[Professor]

doh, the only reason they arent going to ban them is its too difficult
its too difficult because they dont know where they all are
if you register them it makes it easy to round up all the registerd guns for destruction. registration/licensing etc etc is the thin end of the wedge.
think how great it will sound for a meeja sound bite
200,000 airguns registered
then 6 months later 199,999 airguns confiscated after numpty with bb gun waves it around, 1 air gun license holder prosecuted for refusing to give over his rifels till the ARU accidentally thought it was a table leg a nd shot him.

Seriously tho, I have no problem with the police or the even the courts they are all doing the best they can (must try harder). My problem is with the bandwagon politicians who see a tradgedy and try to manufacture political capital from it at our expense.

The legitimate shooting community are penalised again
multi sho shotguns go sec1
self loading rifles banned
pistols banned
brococks banned
..
give them an inch by letting them think we will take anymore lying down is asking for the next two lines which GCN and the rest will be happy to support with media friendly predigested mcburger soundbites

..airguns banned
.. 22self loading rifles banned
shotguns banned
rifles banned
fishing banned
archery banned
crossbows banned
catapults banned
biro pens banned
sharp pointy sticks outlawed
etc

DO NOT make the mistake of trading away hard won and defended freedoms in the hope that the big nasty bullies will go away and leave you alone. its akin to blackmailers ...too much is never enough, they always want to take more of what you have. And if you let them they will.

You forgot one!

Pointing a finger at someone whilst frowning.