BBC amazed to find many residents of America unshot

[subtlesquid]

Folks will have guns in all of these places and if you break into their homes they will probably kill you.

They will occasionally kill each other in anger or by mistake, but you never feel as unsafe as you can feel in south London.

It is a paradox. Along with the guns there is a tranquillity and civility about American life of which most British people can only dream.

At least one BBC reporter is coming to terms with the idea that an armed society is a polite society.

 

[theGringo]

No paradox, really. An armed society IS a polite society. Still, we do have our share of jerks.

 

[doobie]

Speak for yourself.... I always get shot when I go to the doctor...

 

[copterdoctor]

Speak for yourself.... I always get shot when I go to the doctor...

 

[Big_Red]

Still, we do have our share of jerks.

That we do but at least we have the means for dealing with them

 

[gene]

I watched a show about these gangs in Britian the other night which I think was worst crimes against civilians. Several clips were in Britian where gangs randomly attacked people on the streets quite violently I might add. Apparently there defense are random cameras that came in quite handy AFTER the attacks. They have issues!

 

[Yelena]

Only a prohibitionist can see a paradox here. In the armed society, oyu better be polite. Yes, occasionally legally obtained firearms used unrighteously, however, that usually leads to troubles for the owner. But if burglars know that there is a chance that the house residents are armed, they will think twice berofe breaking in.
I honestly think, and hope, that I will never ever have to use my handgun for self-defense. But this is partially because of the People who had to shot ro defend their lives.

 

[Garys]

A co worker of mine went to London not to long ago. He was there to attend a conference on the subway bombings and ended up speaking with a lot of their emergency and security people. One thing he said when he came back is that in London there are more cameras than you can imagine. I think I read somewhere that on average a person is taped more than 300 times a day as they walk around London.

As Gene points out, the cameras are a great help in post crime investigations, but they do absolutely nothing to prevent crimes or lower the crime rate.

Self defense is pretty much illegal in England, it IS illegal using a firearm or knife. Using any weapon in self defense is frowned upon and the government considers it better for a subject to be injured or die than to defend themselves. To this end, it's not unusual for victims to be charged with crimes if they hurt an attacker in the process of defending themselves. All of which is pretty well documented and can be easily researched on line if you are so inclined.

Gary

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

RE:BBC amazed to find many residents of America unshot

Really doesn't take much to "amaze" the BBC.

 

[Du510]

Just a point to note - this was written not by the BBC we assume, but rather their BBC North America editor, in Missouri.