|  | The shooting of four teenagers in Birmingham is the most recent example in a growing catalogue of gun crime in the city. Do you think plans to introduce a minimum five year sentence for anyone carrying guns will cure the problem?
| Gun crime does not exist! Unfortunately, we have criminals who obtain guns illegally & use them to carry out serious offences. The only people who can now obtain hand guns legally are the police & the Armed Forces. This leaves the normal, law abiding citizen with no legal defence against criminal attack. Do not outlaw guns. Most people are responsible adults, & if taught how to handle them responsibly & safely ARE safe. Criminals, if using or possessing illegally held firearms should have an automatic life sentence awarded them. On the subject of custodial sentences to act as deterrents, get rid of several sentences running concurrently, run them consecutively, as one is finished; start the next! No time off for good behavoir, time added for being a bad boy instead!
Bill Gough, Coventry | | The easy way to deal with the gun problem is to arm all law abiding citizens as a deterrent. It seems very strange to me as an American to see so many Brits affraid of the firearm. Criminals love a populous that is disarmed because this lowers risk to themselves. In time most of you will change your attitudes as you see your loved ones fall to crime. The brittish government doesn't want you to have this power to police yourselves because you might soon become a threat to them. A well armed militia on the most basic level can cause great change in your society and it won't turn your streets into Dodge City. Remember that they have been unable or unwilling to protect you and in the end it is your responsibility to protect youselves.
Scott Wassner - Pensacola Beach, Florida | | The English governmental policy of self defense and gun prohibition has obviously failed and English people are being unnecessarily murdered. As found in Joyce Malcolm’s book Guns and Violence: The English Experience, the English experience has been increasing violent crime with self defense and gun prohibition while the American experience has been decreasing violent crime with an increasing number of states passing concealed carry laws. Doesn’t anyone over there read reliable research on crime and violence? Read John Lott’s More Guns, Less Crime for a detailed discussion of the American successes in reducing violent crime through liberalization of gun laws. We have declining violent crime in those states with concealed carry laws and high rates of violent crime in states with restrictive, gun control laws. Joseph L. Bass - Suffolk, Virginia | | Since I am American and staying at the moment here in Birmngham I hope you don't mind me putting my two cents worth in here about gun control. I feel there should be even harsher laws in tact than this...perhaps anyone committing a crime with a gun automatic life inprisonment...offering rewards for anyone knowing of someone owning a gun and upon conviction the rewards granted. My personal feelings are you can not be strict enough to stop crime which guns are used! If you don't get it stopped now you never will and it will spread, the law has to get tough Lynn Reid - Birmingham, UK | | It's time to get tough - as a nation, we're getting softer on criminals year after year, so much so that the criminals are starting to claim that they're victims. Politicians need to stop thinking about their own image and acting in the needs of country by tackling gun crime, among others, head on; they seem too afraid to make hard-hitting decisions in case they're made to look "evil," or "uncaring." My opinion is that if you are caught with a gun, you should be tried for attempted murder. After all, a gun is not really designed to, "give you a bit of a sore finger," is it?
Simon, Cannock | | I get tired of hearing excuses for people's actions whether it's violent computer games, television, or music-if someone pulls the trigger and kills they and they alone are responsible. Everyone is capable of judging what is right and what is wrong and should be held liable for their actions. Make the penalties so tough that nobody should even consider using a gun.
Little D - Bedford |
| I believe that the solution to our problem is truth. If we deal with truth we can't go wrong. After all God is truth. The truth is, things are going to plan. It was intended for black to be killing black. It was intended for black to hate black. The truth is, most have been deceived. Minds have been minipulated. Most are being controlled. The truth is, most need to realise the fact (which is not easy), before there can be any change. The truth issss..........this IS the truth. Seek God and not the things of this world. You can't go wrong. Oh, and another truth. This is all just my opinion. God bless.
Michael - Birmingham |
| Music does not make these manz go out and shoot the music is reflecting on what their life is already like. The five year sentence does'nt mean anything to these manz because what the police need to realise is that they are not afraid.
Cheryl - Smethwick |
| I was a health visitor in newtown and handsworth for 4 years,I now live in Shetland I made this choice to give my kids a better chance the reason for guns in this particular part of Brum is drugs namley Crack, THE POLICE KNOW IT THE GOVERNMENT KNOW IT AND THE RESIDENTS KNOW IT, when will they all do something about it together, it needs a zero tolerance approach by all sides mentioned the decent people need to take back control there are more of them. The one thing they should do it for is the kids I would look into the eyes of children at the nurserys and feel like crying for their future, they deserve better, but its exhausting fighting on your own!!! Valerie Smart - Shetland Isles |
| I think that there are a few different problems that need to be tackled in order to stop gun crime. Why do people want a gun, a) It makes them feel powerful and important, b) It makes them more able to gain what they want from people by threatening them, control, money, etc. c) They think that they gain more respect from there peers. I think prision is not the total solution. It would frighten kids for a short while, but it is not going to frighten an experienced criminal. If any thing they will get a free roof over their heads, free food, free education, free TV, and it gives them an opportunatity to gain more criminal contacts, and learn about criminal skills. It will add to their reputation, just like a normal person would add new skills to his CV. In order to stop gun crimes we need to take away the illutions of a/b/c. We need to make the Law and Prision fearful and threatening to the criminals. We need to make the saying Crime does not pay, actually mean something again. We need a bigger police force which work with communities. The only rights a criminal should have is the right to life, food, shelter, medical attention, their religous beliefs (within reason) and re-education. Contact with the out side should be minised probably a lot more than what it is now. Contact with other criminals should also be kept to an absolute minimum for duration of time. Even the simplest of privilages that we take for granted in the free world should be taken away from the criminal, if the criminal wants the simple privilages back, then they are going to have to earn them back, but over a long period of time.
J.Conroy | | Being a teenager i have fired weapons (with the military) and believe if people wish to use firearms they sould join the army or a cadet force as thi would allow them to use weopons in controlled enviroments as well as learning self disipline.
Anon- BIRMINGHAM |
| It started with westerns, then war films and cops and robbers. all American violence, they were shot groaned a little then limped off, only to reappear later, fit and well. It is about time we stopped hiding the truth about the effects of gun shot injuries. Lets demand that film makers show in detail the result of a gun wound, that it is bloody, painfull and in most cases fatal or incappacitating. We have a magnificent tool in television, able to demonstrate to millions the result of our actions. LET US BE HONEST WITH OUR SELVES
J.C.TONES - BIRMINGHAM |
| Music does not make these manz go out and shoot the music is reflecting on what their life is already like. The five year sentence does'nt mean anything to these manz because what the police need to realise is that they are not afraid.
Cheryl - Smethwick |
| The criminals have the guns. What a laugh
Stepen - Clover USA |
| You will not stop the gun gangs by offering them a computer course or a job in sainsburys,if they are driving around in BMWs have lots of money/girls/jewellery/status in there own groups/etc etc.the only way to stop it is to concentrate on the next generation and get this one of the streets,as they are a lost cause and will never conform to what we call a:A NORMAL LIFE :
Paul - Birmingham |
| I LIVE IN THE U.S. AND GUN CRIME IS OUT OF CONTROLE.ITS HARD FOR ME TO BELIVE GUN CRIME IS IN YOUR GREAT COUNTRY.
ERIC BROEN- conoga park USA |
| Guns don't cause crime, this is true. But having said that, pointing your finger at someone and shouting bang isn't going to kill them. You need a gun for that. NO GUNS=NO SHOOTINGS. And if using a potentially lethal weapon is your idea of sport, try taking up paintball
Matt Standley, Birmingham |
| Only responsible persons should be allowed to ear guns. As criminals are not responsible persons nor good ones, then for the sake of the protection of the people, you should not be left behind in the amrs race.
Maximiliano Braun- Santa Cruz, Bolivia |
| what ever happened to the old fasion way of fist fighting but now technology has produced killing tool for tommarow why can it not be that people of earth can just settle there differences by talking them over or comming to a settlement anymore . guns are the worst thing to be on the streets is coward to own one.
mr johal |
| It apparently takes about 1 hour in London to get a gun (illegally), and quite cheaply. It took me 8 weeks and approximately £1000 to get a shotgun licence and a shotgun!
If I was a criminal, I suggest that I would take the former route, which avoids being a "registered" gun owner. More restrictions on gun ownership, and longer sentences will make no difference to the use of guns for crime.
If you are going to commit a crime, you don't want to fill out forms, and why not be prepared with a nice 9mm? The only deterant to use of guns is if the gun user is likely to be met with the barrel of another gun, and someone equally likely to use it. You can't play fair in a war with no rules.
Richard |
| Yet again the government talks about controlling guns as a way of preventing gun crimes. Before Dunblane I held several friearms legally and was a range officer at a pistol range. Nobody turned up with a submachine gun for target practice and the police would only issue a Firearms certificate after three months membership of an approved club.
Almost immediately after the handgun ban, several children were injured by a drug and drink crazed lunatic in Wolverhampton from the same community involved in the shootings in Birmingham. The proposed five year sentence comes in the presumption will be that anyone carrying a gun is guilty of an offence, yet the laws on possession of cannabis have just been relaxed. I don't propose bringing back hanging, just the execution of drug dealers in public, using an overdose of the rubbish they sell. Then the streets might be safe again.
John, Cannock |
| Well this is my own opinion. I think that if it wasn't for all these music crews like so solid crew and the hoodies n hats and caps no-one would be like this. As i say this is my own opinion
Emily |
| If ever a society took a wrong turn and drove off into the abyss, it is yours. First, there is no such thing as "gun crime." Just crime.
Gun control isn't about public safety, it is all about "control." The public safety motive is just a shill to enlist public support. Gun control in britain is a resounding success - creating a helpless, defenseless population of sheeple has been achieved.
The rise in your overall crime rates is, of course, an unintended consequence, but since you are all effectively disarmed, you won't be able to do much about that.
Guns don't create crime. People do that. And when good people can't defend themselves, bad people tend to catch on to that and voila, you have a crime wave.
The right to keep and bear arms is a priviledge and a responsibility of citizenship. Thank God for the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Lawrence C. Ransom, Jr. from Tucson, Arizona, USA |
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More Legal Guns = Less Crime
Less Legal Guns = More Crime
C'est la vie. But most hate realities.
Mark from Switzerland |
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