"I can't understand why this debate is now about violent crime"

Well, mainly because someone started making statements about how big and plentiful his weapons are, how much 'ammo' he's got, and how ready, willing and able he is to commit grievous bodily harm, or even murder. Those of our forum with sensitive noses may well have detected a strong smell of testosterone.

My old dad had a mantra regarding aggression and aggressors, which went along the lines of "Don't worry about people who make loud threats, they seldom carry them out, but always fear and respect the Quiet Man".

CarolC and Ebbie's posts are very interesting and enlightening, thanks ladies. The perception that some US-ers seem presently to have of the UK - people with guns running amok in their thousands, blowing away everyone they see, young black men armed to the teeth with knives terrifying the whole population, crowds out rioting in the streets every time a banker farts - just ain't true. We have a few pockets of violent crime (yup, like the USA, mostly the BIG cities like London, Manchester), but in the main it's a peaceful place. Hell, if you wanna see protest and riots, take a look at French farmers!

And I'd lay my pension on the vast majority of British people never having even seen a gun in private or in public, except very, very occasionally in the hands of our armed forces and officers of the police ARU's.