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http://www.nationalreview.com/kopel/kopel012201.shtml

1/22/01 10:30 a.m.
Empty-Barrel Gun Policies
A legacy of nonsense from Clinton, Blair, and the Left.
By Dave Kopel, Dr. Paul Gallant, & Dr. Joanne Eisen of the Independence =
Institute

At a January 8, 2001 farewell tribute from the AFL-CIO, President =
Clinton offered advice to his party for regaining Congress in the next =
election. In doing so, he made a stunning revelation about the political =
clout of American gun owners.=20

Union members who had been expected to vote Democrat in the presidential =
election, it seems, were frightened by the prospect of losing their guns =
should Al Gore win. That crucial swing vote cost Al Gore the election.=20

According to the New York Daily News, Clinton "blamed himself for =
failing to make the case that tougher gun-control laws aimed at =
combating crime posed no threat to sportsmen." He noted that, despite =
New York's tough licensing laws, "there's lots of sporting clubs and =
nobody's missed a day in the woods in a hunting season; nobody's missed =
a single sports shooting event."=20

Clinton's statement was nonsense. New York City's gun laws have nearly =
destroyed the shooting sports - such as indoor target shooting - for all =
but a few of the City's residents. The extensive paperwork, long waits, =
and high fees that New Yorkers throughout the state must endure to =
comply with the state's Sullivan Act - a 1911 handgun licensing law =
originally aimed at Jewish and Italian immigrants - depresses =
participation in all handgun sports far below normal levels.=20

Yet, even while claiming that severe gun-control laws do not harm sport =
shooting, Clinton conspicuously avoided the most important reason why =
Americans refuse to surrender their right to firearm ownership: =
self-defense. Most gun owners do not want to imitate Clinton's New York =
utopia, where it is nearly impossible to obtain a permit to carry a =
handgun for lawful protection because the state law delegates nearly =
limitless discretion to local bureaucrats. (For details, see Susan =
Novak's excellent article, "Why the New York State System for Obtaining =
a License to Carry a Concealed Weapon is Unconstitutional," from the =
Fordham Urban Law Journal.)=20

Added Clinton: "I regret that I have not been more persuasive, because I =
came out of that [gun] culture." In the United States, even politicians =
like Clinton and Gore who work assiduously to disarm the populace must =
proclaim their fidelity to the American gun culture.=20

In Great Britain, it's a different story. For years, British gun control =
laws have become ever more severe, and every civilian handgun in the =
nation has been confiscated. And while about 40% of American households =
tell pollsters that they own guns, compare that figure to only 4% in =
Great Britain. (The true ownership rates in both countries are probably =
higher, since some gun owners are reluctant to give personal information =
to people on the telephone.) The confiscation of handguns, as well as =
the registration and regulations which set the stage for confiscation, =
were explicitly aimed at preventing the development of an American-style =
"gun culture."=20

And the British plan succeeded. There isn't a large American-style gun =
culture in England. America's gun culture is comprised of law-abiding, =
hard-working, family-oriented people. In stark contrast, Great Britain's =
emerging gun culture consists of armed criminals, and of police =
"deploying the level of force appropriate to the threat."=20

Signs of the new British gun culture are everywhere. According to the =
December 31, 2000 edition of the Guardian Unlimited, "gun crime in =
Britain is soaring to record levels: executions, woundings and related =
incidents in the past year are set to be the highest ever.. The number =
of armed operations by police is also at a record level." And on January =
11, 2001, the Guardian Unlimited reported that "the use of handguns in =
crime in England and Wales reached its highest level for seven years in =
1999-2000". In 2000 alone, it jumped 37% from the previous year. How can =
this be, when a ban on private ownership of handguns - promising to =
reduce violent crime - became law in November 1997 under what was =
characterized as "the toughest gun control laws in the world"? (The =
British proponents of the new gun law were exaggerating a little. =
Nicolai Ceausescu's Communist dictatorship in Rumania actually had =
tougher laws, until it was overthrown.=20

Britain's new gun-culture has drastically and irrevocably transformed =
the face of law enforcement there. From 1829, when Sir Robert Peel =
re-organized the London metropolitan police force, and introduced =
"policing by consent," the British have been proud that their police do =
not carry firearms. Until now, armed police officers have been deployed =
on mainland Britain for only a few specific purposes: to carry out =
diplomatic duties, to deal with armed robberies or sieges, and to meet =
terrorist threats.=20

But on October 23, 2000, the Guardian Unlimited disclosed that "routine =
armed foot patrols are now being operated in Nottingham - the first time =
this has happened on the streets of mainland Britain" - signaling "a =
further sign of a growing gun culture...a gun culture out of control."=20

Stated Ann Widdecombe, Great Britain's shadow home secretary (the =
opposition party's counterpart to the head of the Home Office, which =
incorporates functions similar to the U.S. Department of Justice): "We =
have now reached a situation where police officers need to carry guns =
just to do their job." Some believe that British police may be routinely =
armed within 10 years. Their firearms are worn in open view, "a tactic =
intended to instill confidence in the public and act as a visible =
deterrent to criminals."=20

So much for the tradition of Bobbies (named for "Bobbie" Peel), carrying =
only a truncheon and handcuffs.=20

Lamented one senior police officer: "Arming officers could lead to a =
dangerous spiral of violence. If the police arm themselves, the =
criminals will stay a step ahead by obtaining bigger and better weapons. =
We could be heading for the sort of problems they have in America." =
Actually, the British would be better off if they had America's problems =
instead of the ones created by the British government; Britain's overall =
violent crime rate is higher than the American rate. In previous =
generations, Britain had a long-standing tradition of sporting gun use, =
and a long-standing tradition that both the police and the criminals =
would eschew guns. But now, one third of all British criminals under the =
age of 25 "has access" to a firearm.=20

Delroy Brown, a community leader in a district which is racially mixed =
but where most of the recent violence has involved black youths, =
expressed different concerns. Said Brown, "this marks the =
paramilitarisation of the police. If they are armed, within five years =
you will see a disproportionate number of black youths being killed by =
mainly white officers." With national elections looming this spring, and =
the fate of Prime Minister Blair hanging in the balance, crime control =
is certain to be a major issue. On January 9, 2001, Blair announced a =
10-year government plan to tackle crime. According to Home Secretary =
Jack Straw, because of "underlying economic and demographic pressures, =
over the next 3 years...we will have to work harder than ever to reduce =
the levels of crime."=20

Jack Straw's statement indirectly puts the blame on factors such as =
immigration and the unemployment rate - which conveniently ignores the =
Blair government's role in deliberately destroying a law-abiding gun =
culture, and thereby fostering a criminal gun culture.=20

(Americans may recognize "Jackstraw" as the subject of a Grateful Dead =
song. The original Jack Straw teamed with Wat Tyler in 1381 to lead a =
peasant and labor rebellion against Britain's King Richard II. The King =
met with the rebels, agreed to most of their demands, and once they =
dispersed, had them murdered piecemeal. "Jackstraw" later came to mean a =
man without property, worth, or influence. Today's Home Secretary Jack =
Straw appears to have less in common with his namesake than with Richard =
II.) The gullibility of our British cousins in swallowing the empty =
promises of politicians like Tony Blair and Jack Straw - greater safety =
through the limitation of civil liberties - remains a mystery.=20

One measure proposed by the Home Office is the hotly contested Criminal =
Justice (Mode of Trial) Bill. If enacted, this legislation would =
restrict the right of defendants charged with certain offenses to choose =
whether their case is heard by a judge or a jury. In other words, the =
bill ensures that the criminal-justice process would be entirely in the =
hands of government employees, with no checks or balances from the =
people.=20

And on October 4, 2000, Home Office Minister Charles Clarke unveiled a =
new package of firearm controls. Among these proposals are a national =
database of legal gun owners in Great Britain. The database will contain =
the names and addresses of all licensed rifle and shotgun holders =
(although, such information already exists in the licensing records of =
local police departments). The real value of this "new" and duplicative =
gun registry would appear to lie in providing political brownie points =
to its proponents. Gun crime is going up, so the government responds by =
making another list of law-abiding gun owners. Maybe if crime rises some =
more, the government will make a third list.=20

In the meantime, guns flood into Great Britain from the international =
black market, driven and funded by the demands of Britain's new gun =
culture. It has been estimated that the number of illegally possessed =
firearms in Great Britain has doubled over the past 4 years, and has now =
reached the three million figure.=20

A January 15, 2001 item from The Independent, entitled "Police Move to =
Tackle Huge Rise in Gun Crime," noted that "for the past 11 months, a =
team of officers from the National Criminal Intelligence Service has =
compiled details of weapons and ammunition seized by the police and has =
concluded that the scale of Britain's black market in firearms is 'far =
higher than anybody had previously thought.'"=20

British security services revealed that, "as well as eastern Europe, =
America is also a foreign source of illegal weapons." Although it is =
impossible to know with certainty the number of guns smuggled into Great =
Britain, large consignments are being "brought across the Atlantic by =
private yachts and dropped into the sea off the Kent coast."=20

While a no-questions-asked gun-turn-in amnesty is part of Tony Blair's =
anti-crime package, it's likely that hardly any owners of the 3 million =
illegally possessed guns will take advantage of it.=20

Meanwhile, back in the United States, Democratic leaders attempting to =
woo back union and rural voters continue to promise that "sporting" and =
"hunting" firearms will remain inviolate. British gun owners in previous =
decades received similar empty promises. Probably some of the British =
politicians in the 1920s and 1960s who pushed gun control were sincere =
in not wanting to destroy the shooting sports. But these politicians =
naively set the stage for today's British confiscation fiats.=20

It ought to be clear that many of the "sort of problems" we Americans =
face derive from the efforts of the firearm prohibitionists to create a =
society of unarmed victims. And if they ever succeed in removing =
self-defense from the firearm equation, we can be certain of one thing: =
America will indeed go down the British path as we are perennially =
exhorted to do - and straight into the "new" British kind of gun =
culture.=20

Britain's gun policies have succeeded marvelously in ensuring that =
criminals do not obtain firearms lawfully. Only an infinitesimal number =
of legally-owned British guns are ever used in a crime. But these =
effective laws appear to be very ineffective in preventing criminals =
from obtaining guns.=20

Commented Home Office Minister Charles Clarke about the new British =
anti-crime plan: "Our firearms controls are already among the strongest =
in the world, and these new proposals will increase their =
effectiveness." That's true. Provided, of course, that Great Britain's =
criminals decide to start obeying these newest regulations.=20




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<DIV><FONT size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.nationalreview.com/kopel/kopel012201.shtml">http://www=
.nationalreview.com/kopel/kopel012201.shtml</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><STRONG><FONT size=3D1>1/22/01 10:30=20
a.m.<BR></FONT></STRONG><STRONG><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, =
serif"=20
color=3D#990033 size=3D4>Empty-Barrel Gun Policies<BR></FONT><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#999999 size=3D2>A legacy =
of nonsense=20
from Clinton, Blair, and the Left.</FONT></STRONG>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D2>By <A=20
target=3D_blank href=3D"http://www.davekopel.com/"><FONT =
color=3D#333333>Dave=20
Kopel</FONT></A>, Dr. Paul Gallant, &amp; Dr. Joanne Eisen of the <A=20
target=3D_blank href=3D"http://www.independenceinstitue.org/"><FONT=20
color=3D#333333>Independence Institute</FONT></A></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3D3>At a January 8, 2001 farewell tribute from the =
AFL-CIO,=20
President Clinton offered advice to his party for regaining Congress in =
the next=20
election. In doing so, he made a stunning revelation about the political =
clout=20
of American gun owners. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>Union members=20
who had been expected to vote Democrat in the presidential election, it =
seems,=20
were frightened by the prospect of losing their guns should Al Gore win. =
That=20
crucial swing vote cost Al Gore the election. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000><A =
target=3D_blank=20
href=3D"http://www.nydailynews.com/2001-01-09/News_and_Views/Beyond_the_C=
ity/a-95171.asp"><FONT=20
size=3D3>According to the <I>New York Daily News</I></FONT></A><FONT =
size=3D3>,=20
Clinton "blamed himself for failing to make the case that tougher =
gun-control=20
laws aimed at combating crime posed no threat to sportsmen." He noted =
that,=20
despite New York's tough licensing laws, "there's lots of sporting clubs =
and=20
nobody's missed a day in the woods in a hunting season; nobody's missed =
a single=20
sports shooting event." </FONT></FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>Clinton's=20
statement was nonsense. New York City's gun laws have nearly destroyed =
the=20
shooting sports &#8212; such as indoor target shooting &#8212; for all =
but a few of the=20
City's residents. The extensive paperwork, long waits, and high fees =
that New=20
Yorkers throughout the state must endure to comply with the state's =
Sullivan Act=20
&#8212; a 1911 handgun licensing law originally aimed at Jewish and =
Italian immigrants=20
&#8212; depresses participation in all handgun sports far below normal =
levels.</FONT>=20
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>Yet, even=20
while claiming that severe gun-control laws do not harm sport shooting, =
Clinton=20
conspicuously avoided the most important reason why Americans refuse to=20
surrender their right to firearm ownership: self-defense. Most gun =
owners do not=20
want to imitate Clinton's New York utopia, where it is nearly impossible =
to=20
obtain a permit to carry a handgun for lawful protection because the =
state law=20
delegates nearly limitless discretion to local bureaucrats. (For =
details, see <A=20
target=3D_blank href=3D"http://www.saf.org/LawReviews/Novak1.html">Susan =
Novak's=20
excellent article</A>, "Why the New York State System for Obtaining a =
License to=20
Carry a Concealed Weapon is Unconstitutional," from the <I>Fordham Urban =
Law=20
Journal</I>.) </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>Added=20
Clinton: "I regret that I have not been more persuasive, because I came =
out of=20
that [gun] culture." In the United States, even politicians like Clinton =
and=20
Gore who work assiduously to disarm the populace must proclaim their =
fidelity to=20
the American gun culture. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>In Great=20
Britain, it's a different story. For years, British gun control laws =
have become=20
ever more severe, and every civilian handgun in the nation has been =
confiscated.=20
And while about 40% of American households tell pollsters that they own =
guns,=20
compare that figure to only 4% in Great Britain. (The true ownership =
rates in=20
both countries are probably higher, since some gun owners are reluctant =
to give=20
personal information to people on the telephone.) The confiscation of =
handguns,=20
as well as the registration and regulations which set the stage for=20
confiscation, were explicitly aimed at preventing the development of an=20
American-style "gun culture." </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>And the=20
British plan succeeded. There isn't a large American-style gun culture =
in=20
England. America's gun culture is comprised of law-abiding, =
hard-working,=20
family-oriented people. In stark contrast, Great Britain's emerging gun =
culture=20
consists of armed criminals, and of police <A target=3D_blank=20
href=3D"http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4111096=
,00.html">"deploying=20
the level of force appropriate to the threat."</A></FONT>=20
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>Signs of the=20
new British gun culture are everywhere. According to the <A =
target=3D_blank=20
href=3D"http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4111096=
,00.html">December=20
31, 2000 edition of the <I>Guardian Unlimited</I></A>, "gun crime in =
Britain is=20
soaring to record levels: executions, woundings and related incidents in =
the=20
past year are set to be the highest ever&#8230;. The number of armed =
operations by=20
police is also at a record level." And on January 11, 2001, the =
<I>Guardian=20
Unlimited</I> <A target=3D_blank=20
href=3D"http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/breakingnews/UK/0,2478,665043,=
00.html">reported</A>=20
that "the use of handguns in crime in England and Wales reached its =
highest=20
level for seven years in 1999-2000". In 2000 alone, it jumped 37% from =
the=20
previous year. How can this be, when a ban on private ownership of =
handguns &#8212;=20
promising to reduce violent crime &#8212; became law in November 1997 =
under what was=20
characterized as "the toughest gun control laws in the world"? (The =
British=20
proponents of the new gun law were exaggerating a little. Nicolai =
Ceausescu's=20
Communist dictatorship in Rumania <A target=3D_blank=20
href=3D"http://www.nationalreview.com/kopel/kopel091100.shtml">actually =
had=20
tougher laws</A>, until it was overthrown.</FONT>=20
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>Britain's new=20
gun-culture has drastically and irrevocably transformed the face of law=20
enforcement there. From 1829, when Sir Robert Peel re-organized the =
London=20
metropolitan police force, and introduced "policing by consent," the =
British=20
have been proud that their police do not carry firearms. Until now, =
armed police=20
officers have been deployed on mainland Britain for only a few specific=20
purposes: to carry out diplomatic duties, to deal with armed robberies =
or=20
sieges, and to meet terrorist threats. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>But on=20
October 23, 2000, the <I>Guardian Unlimited</I> <A target=3D_blank=20
href=3D"http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4080254=
,00.html">disclosed</A>=20
that "routine armed foot patrols are now being operated in Nottingham =
&#8212; the=20
first time this has happened on the streets of mainland Britain" &#8212; =
signaling "a=20
further sign of a growing gun culture...a gun culture out of control." =
</FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>Stated Ann=20
Widdecombe, Great Britain's shadow home secretary (the opposition =
party's=20
counterpart to the head of the Home Office, which incorporates functions =
similar=20
to the U.S. Department of Justice): "We have now reached a situation =
where=20
police officers need to carry guns just to do their job." Some believe =
that=20
British police may be routinely armed within 10 years. Their firearms =
are worn=20
in open view, "a tactic intended to instill confidence in the public and =
act as=20
a visible deterrent to criminals." </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>So much for=20
the tradition of Bobbies (named for "Bobbie" Peel), carrying only a =
truncheon=20
and handcuffs. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>Lamented one=20
senior police officer: "Arming officers could lead to a dangerous spiral =
of=20
violence. If the police arm themselves, the criminals will stay a step =
ahead by=20
obtaining bigger and better weapons. We could be heading for the sort of =

problems they have in America." Actually, the British would be better =
off if=20
they had America's problems instead of the ones created by the British=20
government; <A target=3D_blank=20
href=3D"http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/html/cjusew96/contents.htm">Brit=
ain's=20
overall violent crime rate is higher than the American rate</A>. In =
previous=20
generations, Britain had a long-standing tradition of sporting gun use, =
and a=20
long-standing tradition that both the police and the criminals would =
eschew=20
guns. But now, one third of all British criminals under the age of 25 =
"has=20
access" to a firearm. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>Delroy Brown,=20
a community leader in a district which is racially mixed but where most =
of the=20
recent violence has involved black youths, <A target=3D_blank=20
href=3D"http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4099970=
,00.html">expressed=20
different concerns</A>. Said Brown, "this marks the paramilitarisation =
of the=20
police. If they are armed, within five years you will see a =
disproportionate=20
number of black youths being killed by mainly white officers." With =
national=20
elections looming this spring, and the fate of Prime Minister Blair =
hanging in=20
the balance, crime control is certain to be a major issue. On January 9, =
2001,=20
Blair announced <A target=3D_blank=20
href=3D"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=3D004183999229454&amp;rtmo=3DVDq=
wD33K&amp;atmo=3Drrrrrrrq&amp;pg=3D/et/01/1/10/nblur110.html">a=20
10-year government plan</A> to tackle crime. <A target=3D_blank=20
href=3D"http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crimprev/crsdoc1.htm">According to =
Home=20
Secretary Jack Straw</A>, because of "underlying economic and =
demographic=20
pressures, over the next 3 years...we will have to work harder than ever =
to=20
reduce the levels of crime."</FONT>=20
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>Jack Straw's=20
statement indirectly puts the blame on factors such as immigration and =
the=20
unemployment rate &#8212; which conveniently ignores the Blair =
government's role in=20
deliberately destroying a law-abiding gun culture, and thereby fostering =
a=20
criminal gun culture. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>(Americans=20
may recognize <A target=3D_blank=20
href=3D"http://arts.ucsc.edu/GDead/AGDL/jstraw.html">"Jackstraw"</A> as =
the=20
subject of a Grateful Dead song. The original Jack Straw teamed with Wat =
Tyler=20
in 1381 to lead a peasant and labor rebellion against Britain's King =
Richard II.=20
The King met with the rebels, agreed to most of their demands, and once =
they=20
dispersed, had them murdered piecemeal. "Jackstraw" later came to mean a =
man=20
without property, worth, or influence. Today's Home Secretary Jack Straw =
appears=20
to have less in common with his namesake than with Richard II.) The =
gullibility=20
of our British cousins in swallowing the empty promises of politicians =
like Tony=20
Blair and Jack Straw &#8212; greater safety through the limitation of =
civil liberties=20
&#8212; remains a mystery. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>One measure=20
proposed by the Home Office is the <A target=3D_blank=20
href=3D"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=3D004183999229454&amp;rtmo=3DVDq=
wD83K&amp;atmo=3Drrrrrrrq&amp;pg=3D/et/00/9/27/nlab927.html">hotly=20
contested Criminal Justice (Mode of Trial) Bill</A>. If enacted, this=20
legislation would restrict the right of defendants charged with certain =
offenses=20
to choose whether their case is heard by a judge or a jury. In other =
words, the=20
bill ensures that the criminal-justice process would be entirely in the =
hands of=20
government employees, with no checks or balances from the people. =
</FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>And on=20
October 4, 2000, Home Office Minister Charles Clarke unveiled <A =
target=3D_blank=20
href=3D"http://live.altavista.com/scripts/editorial.dll?ei=3D2249831&amp;=
ern=3Dy">a=20
new package of firearm controls</A>. Among these proposals are a =
national=20
database of legal gun owners in Great Britain. The database will contain =
the=20
names and addresses of all licensed rifle and shotgun holders (although, =
such=20
information already exists in the licensing records of local police=20
departments). The real value of this "new" and duplicative gun registry =
would=20
appear to lie in providing political brownie points to its proponents. =
Gun crime=20
is going up, so the government responds by making another list of =
law-abiding=20
gun owners. Maybe if crime rises some more, the government will make a =
third=20
list. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>In the=20
meantime, guns flood into Great Britain from the international black =
market,=20
driven and funded by the demands of Britain's new gun culture. It has =
been=20
estimated that the number of illegally possessed firearms in Great =
Britain has=20
doubled over the past 4 years, and has now reached the three million =
figure.=20
</FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>A January 15,=20
2001 item from <I>The Independent</I>, entitled <A target=3D_blank=20
href=3D"http://www.independent.co.uk/news/UK/This_Britain/2001-01/gun1501=
01.shtml">"Police=20
Move to Tackle Huge Rise in Gun Crime,"</A> noted that "for the past 11 =
months,=20
a team of officers from the National Criminal Intelligence Service has =
compiled=20
details of weapons and ammunition seized by the police and has concluded =
that=20
the scale of Britain's black market in firearms is 'far higher than =
anybody had=20
previously thought.'" </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>British=20
security services revealed that, "as well as eastern Europe, America is =
also a=20
foreign source of illegal weapons." Although it is impossible to know =
with=20
certainty the number of guns smuggled into Great Britain, <A =
target=3D_blank=20
href=3D"http://www.sightings.com/general/failure.htm">large =
consignments</A> are=20
being "brought across the Atlantic by private yachts and dropped into =
the sea=20
off the Kent coast." </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>While a=20
no-questions-asked gun-turn-in amnesty is part of Tony Blair's =
anti-crime=20
package, it's likely that hardly any owners of the 3 million illegally =
possessed=20
guns will take advantage of it. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>Meanwhile,=20
back in the United States, Democratic leaders attempting to woo back =
union and=20
rural voters continue to promise that "sporting" and "hunting" firearms =
will=20
remain inviolate. British gun owners in previous decades received =
similar empty=20
promises. Probably some of the British politicians in the 1920s and =
1960s who=20
pushed gun control were sincere in not wanting to destroy the shooting =
sports.=20
But these politicians <A target=3D_blank=20
href=3D"http://www.2ndlawlib.org/journals/pdf/okslip.pdf">naively set =
the=20
stage</A> for today's British confiscation fiats.</FONT>=20
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>It ought to=20
be clear that many of the "sort of problems" we Americans face derive =
from the=20
efforts of the firearm prohibitionists to create a society of unarmed =
victims.=20
And if they ever succeed in removing self-defense from the firearm =
equation, we=20
can be certain of one thing: America will indeed go down the British =
path as we=20
are perennially exhorted to do &#8212; and straight into the "new" =
British kind of gun=20
culture.</FONT>=20
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3>Britain's gun=20
policies have succeeded marvelously in ensuring that criminals do not =
obtain=20
firearms lawfully. Only an infinitesimal number of legally-owned British =
guns=20
are ever used in a crime. But these effective laws appear to be very =
ineffective=20
in preventing criminals from obtaining guns. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=3D#000000 =
size=3D3><A=20
target=3D_blank =
href=3D"http://www.sightings.com/general/failure.htm">Commented Home=20
Office Minister Charles Clarke</A> about the new British anti-crime =
plan: "Our=20
firearms controls are already among the strongest in the world, and =
these new=20
proposals will increase their effectiveness." That's true. Provided, of =
course,=20
that Great Britain's criminals decide to start obeying these newest=20
regulations.</FONT> </P>
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