water cannon

[ruggbutt]

Originally Posted by Lixma

The dumb teenager who sneaks his dads gun out. The children who go rooting around the house. The burglar who comes across a 'safely' locked gun cabinet. The responsible gun-club member who accidentally left his pistols on the train. It's also the chancers who during a riot helped themselves to some armament from the gun store.

There's just so much stereotype there that isn't true. When I was in high school half of the kids that drove had pickup trucks with rifle racks in them. And rifles and shotguns often in those racks. I had a .357 magnum that was under the seat of my 4x4. And I was in plenty of fights. Never once thought I should get out the pistol. Then again, I knew first hand what the end result of what kind of damage a firearm would do. I'll discuss your examples in order: Dumb teenager: That happens. Not often. Even here in the states it's rare, and we have enough guns for every person in this country. Kids who "root" around the house: Again, such a small percentage that it's almost non-existent. The key is education. A close friend of mine has 3 kids. At the time the oldest was 8, the youngest 4. Cops chased a guy in his neighborhood, dude ditched his gun in my buddy's back yard. The kids found it. They went and got dad. Because dad made them watch the NRA's Eddie Eagle video so that they knew exactly what to do when they found a gun. The kids were also allowed to go to the range with dad and to shoot, so that the gun wasn't a "mystery". They felt the same way about firearms as they did the kitchen dishes. They pretty much didn't care. Burgler: It happens. Yet you are still blaming the inanimate object. I've never once had one of my guns shoot anyone all by themselves. Gun club member: I'm pretty sure that people are as responsible in your country as they are in mine, at least as far as gun owners go. I've never seen anyone leave a firearm behind in the thousands of matches I've shot. Ever. It doesn't happen. Rioters: Every gun store I've been to puts their guns in a safe every night. They aren't left in the glass viewing cases. Almost forgot: I was a gun dealer and I had the right to deny service to anyone. And I did. If dude looked or acted sketchy no sale.

I actually think marijuana is informally encouraged these days. Safer for the staff that way.

Doubtful. At least in the U.S. it isn't and drugs are the single most cause of inmate problems in U.S. prisons.

I'm not arguing for putting the genie back in the bottle, I don't want him let out in the first place. Mercifully, in Great Britain we still have that option.

Too late. I've never been to the UK but I bet I could find a firearm to purchase within 24 hours.