Violence Increases In Wake of British Gun Ban
A couple of years ago we reported on Britain's draconian
Firearms Act of 1997, which tightened that country's already-severe gun
laws and virtually disarmed the population, making armed self-defense
illegal.
Now the mainstream British media is reporting a massive new wave of crime,
including gun crimes.
On January 18, BBC News Online reported "a huge surge in muggings": "The
figures for recorded offences, a blow to the government's anti-crime
crusade, show the first rise in England and Wales for six years. The number
of robberies - most of them muggings - increased by 19% in the year to
September 1999 compared with a fall of nearly 6% over the previous 12 months."
The headline for a January 16 London Times article was: "Killings Rise As 3
Million Illegal Guns Flood Britain." Total crime in London rose by 22% for
the year September 1998-1999, and armed crime rose 10%. Gun prohibition has
also created a massive new black market smuggling in powerful guns for
criminals.
The January 14th Manchester Guardian reported that city is now being called
"Gunchester." Police -- who are usually unarmed -- report some gangs are
now armed with fully automatic weapons and that guns are
"almost a fashion accessory" among young street criminals.
The June 20, 1999 Sunday Express reported: "In recent months there
have been a frightening number of shootings in Britain's major cities,
despite new laws banning gun ownership…Our investigation established that
guns are available through means open to any criminally-minded individual."
The government's response? Plans being discussed include: further
increasing penalties for gun possession; cracking down on drugs; creating a
national DNA database of both innocent and convicted citizens; and
restricting knives and air guns.
(Sources: papers as named; BBC News Online; op-ed by Michael S. Brown)
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