I absolutely love the headline on this story from The Observer from October 5,
Police fear they are losing control of gun-crazy Britain
Now wait a minute — starting in 1998 Great Britain banned the private ownership of handguns and forced everyone who had registered a handgun to turn their weapons over to the state.
And yet, according to The Observer, gun crime has doubled since the Labour Party came to power.
Apparently, as best I can tell, criminals aren’t abiding by the law and are obtaining weapons illegally — imagine that. The nerve of some people.
Not to worry, though, the government apparently has a plan. They’re talking about mandatory minimums for illegal possession of a gun. I’m sure that will accomplish what the ban on guns hasn’t.
Source:
Police fear they are losing control of gun-crazy Britain. Tony Thompson, The Observer, October 5, 2003.