I feel SOOOOO much safer now

[urx]

thanks to soundbiting tokenistic politicians hungry for favourable meeeja coverage
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?...8&id=688172005

barf

[Mad Pierre]

A total of 600 guns, including airguns, BB guns and shotguns, have been handed in to Lothian and Borders Police since November.

There are thought to be as many as 400,000 air weapons in Scotland

So out of half a million they got 600 people scared enough to 'take action'.
I'm thinking that the people of Scotland care less about this issue than the media are telling them they should.
Surely with this amount of guns in the country there should be a far higher casualty rate? You know, more than the 1 death........what with these guns being do dangerous and all.......

[Professor]

So out of half a million they got 600 people scared enough to 'take action'.
I'm thinking that the people of Scotland care less about this issue than the media are telling them they should.
Surely with this amount of guns in the country there should be a far higher casualty rate? You know, more than the 1 death........what with these guns being do dangerous and all.......

I emailed the First Minister months ago when the idea of a Scottish ban was first mooted, but all I got was pre-prepared reply explaining the serious threat to law and order that airguns present. The usual stuff - you know, 'We in our wisdom have decided that jumping on this bandwaggon will make us popular and so I'm not even going to respond to the points you made about dealing severely with criminals and leaving law abiding people to enjoy their sport responsibly'.

[urx]

its much easier to sit in committees shaping absurd new sticking plaster laws than it is to support the enforcement of the existing ones by backing the Police Courts and Penal system. It gets the same brwonie points at election time but takes less effort and you dont have to worry so much about funding the result you want

[starrysmoothhound]

i heard one of these silly buggers saying they were looking for a new law to stop happy slapping or whatever, surely this is assault, actual bodily harm, etc etc.

[SteveH]

I find it incredible that these initiatives by the police are always treated with such derision by people.

Many of the "offence" committed by people using airguns are opportunistic committed because someone who probably would not go and buy a gun has picked up an old gun that been lying around for years - "Kids find Dads air rifle in the shed and take it for a spin".

There are always the nutters like the chap that shot young Andrew Morton , but all the police have said is that if anyone has a weapon that is not being used and they have no need for it then lets get rid of it.

You never know - might save a kids eye or even a young uns life. No doubt some would argue that the answer would be to prosecute someone after the event. Think about it.

Steve H

[shrendi]

NO NO NO, it stigmatizes us and plays right into the antis hands, more pandering to this nonsense will only raise the bar for the next initiative. They should sell them to somone who could get some fun or use not treat it like radio active waste.

[Mad Pierre]

I find it incredible that these initiatives by the police are always treated with such derision by people.

Many of the "offence" committed by people using airguns are opportunistic committed because someone who probably would not go and buy a gun has picked up an old gun that been lying around for years - "Kids find Dads air rifle in the shed and take it for a spin".

There are always the nutters like the chap that shot young Andrew Morton , but all the police have said is that if anyone has a weapon that is not being used and they have no need for it then lets get rid of it.

Steve H

All good points Steve but if this was a genuine campaign by the Police it would be on 24hrs x 365days, it isn't. It only started after the murder.
It is a reactive measure, along with all the above hot air. What we should see is a permanent 'weapons' amnesty whereby anyone finding a tool that can, or can be perceived to be misused in such a fashion can hand it in to a box in the Police Station with very few questions asked.

[Professor]

One thing about the USA is that individuals have certain inalienable rights. Here we only have rights at all, while the mob don't take against us. So when politcians excite the masses against age old country sports - they're gone. Why not? Their logic is inescapable - most people don't do it, in some way it is possible to make it look objectionable and while the prolls are occupied with hating - - - - - - (fill in the blanks) they're not looking at manifest political failure. Turning on a minority get's votes and headlines. So, when some d*ckhead next does something nasty with an airgun, you'll know what to expect from the smoke and mirrors people.

[Kes]

I find it incredible that these initiatives by the police are always treated with such derision by people.

Many of the "offence" committed by people using airguns are opportunistic committed because someone who probably would not go and buy a gun has picked up an old gun that been lying around for years - "Kids find Dads air rifle in the shed and take it for a spin".

There are always the nutters like the chap that shot young Andrew Morton , but all the police have said is that if anyone has a weapon that is not being used and they have no need for it then lets get rid of it.

You never know - might save a kids eye or even a young uns life. No doubt some would argue that the answer would be to prosecute someone after the event. Think about it.

Steve H

Anyway Steve, IMO the derision of which you speak (on this BBS at any rate) is generally directed at the sensationalist media mate. Not the police.

[Keef]

By SteveH

No doubt some would argue that the answer would be to prosecute someone after the event. Think about it.

I think Steve that it would be great to prosecute someone afterwards. Regretably the police do not always catch the scum and when they do the punishment awarded does nothing to really punish the scum nor deter others.

If we are to keep our sport/hobby/pastime/whatever then something has to be done to advertise what the law is, what consitutes an offence and give a promise that breaking the law will result in a severe punishment.

Joe public knows nothing about the law that governs our sport and most believe new laws are needed to prevent the scum from hurting others. Education on the law and an insistance that it is enforced would have more effect than bringing new laws that will still not be enforced properly.

The current law on there being an automatic five year sentence for illegal possesion of a firearm has already been ignored by one judge in Wales, what message does that send? It is also said that in the major cities young men will continue to carry guns as a five year sentence is never served in full and they can do a couple of years as a stroll, so they will continue to carry.

Drinking and driving is kept at a reasonably low level because it is accepted that there is a fair to middling chance of being caught and on going to court there is a minimum sentence that will be imposed, come what may. This is the attitude that should be taken with those who break firearm laws.

Regarding the handing in of airguns, providing they are sub 12ftlbs they can be handed in at any time and this should be a constantly advertised point, not something that only comes out after an event where someone is killed or injured.

[fudstoneboy]

I am in Ayrshire,Glasgow is 20 miles from me here,I am in Glasgow between 2 and 6 times a week,so you would think with access to a major city if it's size I would constantly see advertising for the police campaign regarding this matter,to date I have yet to see any tv or other media advertising on this campaign after it's much vaunted launch it seems to have died a slow miserable death,the police officers who shoot my ground and I socialise with all say the same thing,it is just more crap that Cathy Jamieson and co have decided to burden the police with and as a result they basically do as little as possible to publicise it,also they have a problem with accepting any weapons handed in as they do not have the storage facilities for these items,and our station is part time too,and I have also found that most of the people I talk to really could not care less about this issue,unless it directly affects them,until then if you have a gun the law states is legal then well here in Scotland,the majority of people don't worry about it,personally I feel that the msp's and the media know this and are trying desperately to make this an issue to the scottish people so they can gain the brownie points these situations provide.Or am I being cynical ??????

[aaront]

Would it be good to have rifle registration, not licence.

Name of owner and make, model & serial number of the gun.
they could make this a free service and it would deter some "Accidents" as you would need your registration with the said tool.

Could be complicated though but worth it if it takes the heat of the legal air gunner and points the finger to the criminal that done the deed instead of the tool he used to do it.

[urx]

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.

[aaront]

Cheers,
Good to know the spark is still there and that is pretty much the responce I was looking for.

Thanks greatly.

Kind Regards: Aaron.