I think I know where I am NEVER going to live! Heck I don't even want to visit the U.K. now.

Dear British friend,
"Oh how the mighty have fallen..." a quote from the Bible and my feelings exactly. This in a country that 60 years ago repulsed the mighty Nazi hordes! I did not know the terrible "state" of affairs when it came to self defence in Britain!!!
Arizona is an "open carry" state here in the US. That means you can carry a gun/knife on you as long as it is within open sight (there are of course restrictions upon this in government buildings/bars/ etc.)
I had thought I wanted to visit the UK, but no longer!!!

Er, perhaps Dave is a Brit living in Scotland? Ah well, a citizen of the UK in any event...

Thank you. That's about what I expected to hear. It does sound as if some local police / courts take some leeway in deciding who to charge with a crime, which is not as bad as I thought. Still, not an encouraging situation.

Tom

I stand corrected, Dear Scottish friend.
Is there any movement at all, Dave, to see these laws reversed?? Or is it like here in the US, where the PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. are in the vast majority?

Dave750gixer:

I asked one of our U.K. female participants this question, and I don't remember if she answered it completely, so I will put it to you.

If someone breaks into your house and sets about raping your wife or daughter, or starts beating or stabbing you, what are you supposed to do?

If the your Government says you have to stand there and take it, maybe it is time to vote the Govenment out and send those type of people to that warehouse in Nuremburg with a whole new set of gallows.

Bountyhunter

Brit living in Scotland? <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Full name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. UK or GB for short. Made up of England, Wales, Scotland and Northen Ireland (or Ulster) which are seperate countries. By definition all Scots are also Brits.

The PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. are definately in the majority. Especially in the cities. In the countryside areas openly carrying a knife is accepted as entirely reasonable. As is ownership of firearms for hunting/ vermin control. In the cities no one understands why anyone should have any knife and cannot see why hunting and all other traditional pursuits should not be stamped out. More people live in cities therefore more votes so no way on Earth are these laws going to be relaxed.

there is a large confusion in the law and lots of grey areas. If someone was attachked then I would use reasonable force to protect them. Its the definition of reasonable that is the problem. If someone was mugged and I shot the perpetrator then that would be murder. If on the other hand someone was being raped at knifepoint and I sneaked up behind them with a baseball bat and smacked them with it that would probably be justified. There would be no charges probably even if I killed them. If however i then repeatedly struck the attacker it would be back to an assault or attempted murder charge for me. People in the UK have used weapons to protect themselves and it been ok under the law on many occasions it just has to be an appropriate level of action. The problem is that this is subjective and open to the opinion of whichever judge hears your case. (not saying I agree with this just trying to say what the law is)

In the UK there have been several cases of people suffereing domestic violence snapping and stabbing their partner multiple times and beeing freed as what they did was seen as "reasonable" in the circumstances. If someone was being raped and snatched up a kitchen knife and killed there attacker then it would be investigated to see whether the woman should be charged but she almost certainly would not be (has happened)

one thing I should point out though is that the amount of gun crime in the uk is very vey small. The chances of you being shot unless you yourself are part of the drug gang culture or a terrorist is vanishingly small and you really would not need to carry a knife or gun to protect yourself against it. And I currently live in Mosside in Manchester (England) which is the gun crime capitol of the UK!