Yes Bill, I know YOU understand it, I wasn't thinking of you when I posted, but I get sick and tired of seeing Americans on TV, weeping and wailing every time a bunch of kids are shot, emoting at vigils, etc., then, when some UK-er gives them the answer, they can't or won't face it and they come out with dumbfuck drivel like "I don't see any lessons there. I have been reading that violent crime is increasing on your islands, and have also read about a person called Gary George who murdered and tortured one Andrew Nall, as another of your citizens, Christine Holleran, stood by. One is inclined to think that you are on the same path, though perhaps you don't realize it." Complete hogwash. And quoting one single incident in order to justify the argument is.....ludicrous.

The UK's shooting rate has been steady at between 50 (fifty!) and 100 (one hundred!) for the past twenty-odd years, and a large percentage of those are gang-on-gang shootings related to drug turf-wars (and those arseholes are welcome to blow each other to hell AFAIC). Criminals such as burglars (home-invaders, to use your quaint expression) don't carry guns here because, if they did and get caught, the jail-time they would get is very much heavier - even though they haven't actually shot anyone, just being armed is regarded as extremely serious, and only slightly less serious than actual murder.

And I get sick to the back teeth of hearing about "the bad guys", and the "mad-dog killers" that people keep drivelling on about needing to protect themselves from. It's testosterone-fuelled crap. Bad guys and mad-dog killers are only those things because they have easy access to guns! Take the fucking guns away and they're just Wimpy Joes with no more power to do harm than anyone else who doesn't have a gun. I've travelled all over England and Scotland, to cities, rural areas and wild country - I've never seen a gun (except in the hands of farmers, the Armed Forces or Police Officers) and I've never, ever had any reason to fear that I've been in danger from someone with a gun. I wish I could say that's the case when I've travelled in the USA, but it's far from it.

I wish the lead-heads would wake up over there.