Paramount Theatre
What the UK Should Do About Guns
RECEIVED Tue., Oct. 14, 2003
Mr. Kovacevich ["Postmarks," Aug. 1] claims that in the UK, where "handguns are illegal and even the police don't carry guns, the number of shooting deaths each year is only a fraction of those in the U.S."
It's unfortunate that gun haters only care about shooting deaths, and not about knife deaths, baseball bat deaths, etc. In the UK, total crime and deaths have risen sharply since they banned guns, and the sale of medieval weapons is on the rise. Tony Martin, a farmer, served at least four years in prison after he shot burglars who were breaking into his home for the fifth time. This is wrong.
People with bad intentions will use anything they can lay their hands on. The best thing the UK could do to reduce the current crime wave would be to restore their citizen's right to defend themselves with firearms. It's called giving honest citizens a fighting chance.
It's unfortunate that gun haters only care about shooting deaths, and not about knife deaths, baseball bat deaths, etc. In the UK, total crime and deaths have risen sharply since they banned guns, and the sale of medieval weapons is on the rise. Tony Martin, a farmer, served at least four years in prison after he shot burglars who were breaking into his home for the fifth time. This is wrong.
People with bad intentions will use anything they can lay their hands on. The best thing the UK could do to reduce the current crime wave would be to restore their citizen's right to defend themselves with firearms. It's called giving honest citizens a fighting chance.
Tam Thompson
