The tragic events of the past 24 hours are a reminder that the knee-jerk gun bans of the past Conservative and Labour governments have had no effect on the potential use of firearms in mass murders.
Before 1967, when anyone could go into a shop and walk out with a shotgun, gun crime was rare and gun massacres were unheard of. Since then, the systematic legislation and confiscation of privately owned firearms has not hampered shootings, which have risen despite the most draconian laws in the western world being implemented.
Banning semi-auto centre-fire rifles was sold as a measure to stop a repeat of the Hungerford massacre.
Banning pistols was sold as a measure to stop a repeat of the Dunblane massacre, almost ten years later.
Fourteen years later a shotgun and a rifle are used to indiscriminately kill 12 and wound 25 people.
Restrictions on the type of gun someone can own does not hamper a gun owner's ability to shoot human targets. These restriction do however hamper a gun owner's ability to partake in certain sporting disciplines, pursue a harmless interest, and if necessary, defend one's self from an attack.
As libertarians, we must continue to vehemently oppose any further attempts to widen the failed experiment of gun control and instead point to the ineffectiveness of restrictions already in place - the toughest in the western world.
10 comments:
And, to quote the LPUK manifesto:
"We will amend the Firearms Acts to repeal the pistol ban, which has both completely failed to reduce armed crime and crippled our country's ability to compete in the pistol shooting events in the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, while depriving law-abiding householders of the ability to defend their homes with one of the most suitable weapons available. We will also remove the legal anomaly that requires antique-patterned muzzle-loading firearms to be licensed and registered as if they were modern weapons, when the originals can be bought over the counter. Since the technology is long obsolete, we will
follow the path of most European countries by removing this bureaucratic requirement."
http://lustandfury.blogspot.com/2010/06/gun-powder-farce.html
I'm nt sure that the "impeding sports" argument can do the work it needs to here. For, presumably if it was made illegal to keep a gun of any kind at home and instead guns had to be locked away in the gun club, this would not impede firearms sports significantly. Yet surely that would not be the law that a libertarian wants!
So, libertarians need stronger arguments in this case.
And here is an interesting and relevant story at Classically Liberal.
Peter - You shouldn't need any arguement at all to defend keeping basic freedoms.
Bucko,
well the thing is, not everyone views the right to bear arms as a basic freedom, do they? And if LPUK can't come up with arguments for their position they will never be a serious political party.
Guns give the law abiding weak a chance of defending themselves against the law breaking strong.
That is a basic freedom I will want in my old age.
I personally think the right to bear arms ain purpose is to enforce the basic right to defend ones self. also, that government must never have an upper hand over people and impose on people which is does not on itself. not to mention the very ability of a criminal to obtain a weapon if they wish to do so. Let us not forget that the crime is the crime. if the tool can be used for good as evil then it it not relevant. that goes the same for internet freedom and that of association and speech.
NEVERTHELESS, THE CIVIL LAW is and must be neutral about who has a more noble or rewarding faith. The breakaway parishes ought to win every Office 2010facet of the lawsuit not becauseMicrosoft Office 2010 their beliefs or their politics are better, Microsoft wordbut because both lawOffice 2007and equity, along with common sense, are on Microsoft Officetheir side.Microsoft Office 2007 Not only does Virginia state law (the Division Statute)Office 2007 keyexplicitly apply to just such a Office 2007 downloadsituation as now exists, but the history Office 2007 Professionalespecially of The Falls Church argues against the claims of Outlook 2010the Virginia Diocese with which theyMicrosoft outlookhave disassociated.Microsoft outlook 2010First, The Falls Church wasWindows 7 founded, formed, and developed long before the diocese, or the national Episcopal Church, even existed.
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