Page 12 | Right to bear arms

Another2356 · 2025-12-13T18:19:29+00:00

I lived in the USA for 8 yrs and all my neighbours had guns, as a Brit I totally disagreed with this…. However since returning to the UK over the last 10 years, I’ve started to think they have a point. If UK law changes and I can purchase guns to protect myself and my family, I will absolutely do this. I feel I have the right to protect myself as the police are not available.

Rituelec · 16/12/2025 17:17

Defo clickbait

tinytemper66 · 16/12/2025 21:41

Another2356 · 13/12/2025 19:32

Actually I was not seeking fighting posts but genuine positive or negative reaction to my post. As a women in the UK I no longer feel safe & I genuinely would aquire a handgun and carry it if allowed. Shotgun or rifle dont work for protection. It would have to be a handgun. But as they are not permitted I won’t do this… but I don’t feel safe in this country anymore.

Fuck off somewhere else then.

BMW6 · 17/12/2025 00:20

BMW6 · 16/12/2025 17:15

So what's the stats in the USA, awash with guns, on assault and rape per capita compared with non gun carrying UK OP? Do show the evidence that having guns stops these crimes. I'll wait.

Show quote history

Still no stats to back up your claim that having guns cuts assaults and rapes?

Boy am I surprised. Not.

BoxesBoxesEverywhere · 17/12/2025 00:54

Another2356 · 13/12/2025 19:32

Actually I was not seeking fighting posts but genuine positive or negative reaction to my post. As a women in the UK I no longer feel safe & I genuinely would aquire a handgun and carry it if allowed. Shotgun or rifle dont work for protection. It would have to be a handgun. But as they are not permitted I won’t do this… but I don’t feel safe in this country anymore.

I'm a woman in the UK too, but couldn't disagree more.
I don't feel any less safe here, in fact I'd feel a hell of a lot more unsafe in the US with all the guns about and with Trump in charge to boot.

BoxesBoxesEverywhere · 17/12/2025 00:57

Another2356 · 14/12/2025 11:20

I no longer feel safe in my own home or honectown. Home security is a false illusion it does not protect you. I have no confidence that the police will attend when called, public walk on by if you are getting hassled, violence against women is increasing, youths are almost feral with minimal parental supervision.

So I don’t go out after dark, I’m aware of my surrounding, I certainly would not walk alone on a public footpath at any time of day.

So I don't go out after dark, I'm aware of my surrounding, I certainly would not walk alone on a public footpath at any time of day.

That's not a mentally healthy place to be, in all seriousness you should get help with anxiety.

thepariscrimefiles · 17/12/2025 06:38

Another2356 · 14/12/2025 12:33

I personally think people who resort to attacking my views with insults about my mental health or being a psycho (probably with an intent to try and shut me up) must have limited intelligence as it is often the ‘bullying and ignorant types’ that do this rather than engaging in a dialogue with different views.

Your views are abhorrent. You seem to think that being insulted on an anonymous forum is worse than school and other mass shootings which are the consequences of the US gun-owning culture that you want to introduce to the UK. I'm not sure why you left the USA. Please go back there.

Leaving aside Nigel Farage's fascist views on non-white immigrants and his track record of abusing Jewish fellow pupils at Dulwich College, Reform have been a disaster everywhere that they have overall control of UK councils. They have no track record of delivery and all they have is hate and division which works for them when electioneering but not when governing.

Peridoteage · 17/12/2025 06:41

The uk has one of the lowest firearm fatality rates in the world and that's because we also have among the strictest gun control laws.

Its a good thing.

I wouldn't move to the US if you paid me £100m.

BogRollBOGOF · 17/12/2025 07:10

Another2356 · 14/12/2025 13:41

Let’s hope it’s not you that get attacked or a member of your family raped. Bet you’ll wish you had a gun for protection then.

I can't think of anything worse than being attacked and having my own weapon turned on me, be it a gun, a knife or an irritant like pepper spray.

There have been women attacked along some of my running routes over the years. Some of them managed to fight off their attacker and run away before serious injury occurred. At least they couldn't be shot in the back once they were out of close range.

So many stabbings are carried out when the victim's knife is turned on them.

I sleep much better for living in a country with tight gun controls that make it very difficult for guns to be in the wrong hands be that criminals, corrupt officials, toddlers, or radicalised students in my school.

RhwDjj · 17/12/2025 09:13

BogRollBOGOF · 17/12/2025 07:10

I can't think of anything worse than being attacked and having my own weapon turned on me, be it a gun, a knife or an irritant like pepper spray.

There have been women attacked along some of my running routes over the years. Some of them managed to fight off their attacker and run away before serious injury occurred. At least they couldn't be shot in the back once they were out of close range.

So many stabbings are carried out when the victim's knife is turned on them.

I sleep much better for living in a country with tight gun controls that make it very difficult for guns to be in the wrong hands be that criminals, corrupt officials, toddlers, or radicalised students in my school.

Show quote history

An American would take CCW lessons to use their weapon safely and effectively. Many places (and local police departments) teach people how to effectively use their self defense weapons.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2NSy9Z4ca5w

Here's a woman who has practiced her quick draw.

I don't think guns would work here because we definitely aren't trained to use them and have already low gun rates anyway.

I've seen videos of woman using pepper spray in Europe to ward of attackers. I think that would be sensible to have at least.

So don't resist because they have a weapon. But also don't have a weapon because it can be used against you? Make it make sense. Also we ban knives here, but knife crime is still rampant. If someone is around crazily waving a knife. You're kinda screwed.

I did some research and it turns out 2/3 of gun deaths in the USA are due to suicides, gang violence and accidental firings. Each state has varying levels of gun crime and homicide. Most mass shootings will happen is in what is already a gun free zone. The lowest 2 states for their homicide rate have quite permissible gun laws.

I've spoken to my ex-US army friend about this as well. In the states he's always packing (legally). And he'd use force if someone is trying to attack him, his family or steal their property.

MrsTerryPratchett · 17/12/2025 13:41

RhwDjj · 17/12/2025 09:13

An American would take CCW lessons to use their weapon safely and effectively. Many places (and local police departments) teach people how to effectively use their self defense weapons.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2NSy9Z4ca5w

Here's a woman who has practiced her quick draw.

I don't think guns would work here because we definitely aren't trained to use them and have already low gun rates anyway.

I've seen videos of woman using pepper spray in Europe to ward of attackers. I think that would be sensible to have at least.

So don't resist because they have a weapon. But also don't have a weapon because it can be used against you? Make it make sense. Also we ban knives here, but knife crime is still rampant. If someone is around crazily waving a knife. You're kinda screwed.

I did some research and it turns out 2/3 of gun deaths in the USA are due to suicides, gang violence and accidental firings. Each state has varying levels of gun crime and homicide. Most mass shootings will happen is in what is already a gun free zone. The lowest 2 states for their homicide rate have quite permissible gun laws.

I've spoken to my ex-US army friend about this as well. In the states he's always packing (legally). And he'd use force if someone is trying to attack him, his family or steal their property.

Show quote history

Did you read my post about pepper spray or are you just repeating yourself over and over in the hopes that repetition makes you right?

People can be trained to use guns but even police officers get their guns turned on them. For example, police in Canada have guns which take a lot of strength to shoot for this exact reason.

Guns, even when you’re trained, don’t make the average person safer.

VivX · 17/12/2025 22:33

RhwDjj · 17/12/2025 09:13

An American would take CCW lessons to use their weapon safely and effectively. Many places (and local police departments) teach people how to effectively use their self defense weapons.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2NSy9Z4ca5w

Here's a woman who has practiced her quick draw.

I don't think guns would work here because we definitely aren't trained to use them and have already low gun rates anyway.

I've seen videos of woman using pepper spray in Europe to ward of attackers. I think that would be sensible to have at least.

So don't resist because they have a weapon. But also don't have a weapon because it can be used against you? Make it make sense. Also we ban knives here, but knife crime is still rampant. If someone is around crazily waving a knife. You're kinda screwed.

I did some research and it turns out 2/3 of gun deaths in the USA are due to suicides, gang violence and accidental firings. Each state has varying levels of gun crime and homicide. Most mass shootings will happen is in what is already a gun free zone. The lowest 2 states for their homicide rate have quite permissible gun laws.

I've spoken to my ex-US army friend about this as well. In the states he's always packing (legally). And he'd use force if someone is trying to attack him, his family or steal their property.

Show quote history

If nobody has a gun, one can't be used against anyone, whether it's owned by the attacker or the victim.

What point are you making about 2/3 of the gun fatalities in the US are due to suicides, gang shootings and accidents?
Are you trying to say that it would be good if people outside the US had more options to die by suicide, gang violence and accidents?
Or gun ownerships is justifiable because only a minority of gun fatalities are intentional shootings? (And presumably then the suicides, gang shootings and accidents are deemed acceptable collateral damage?)

If nobody is allowed a gun, then the changes of anyone being killed (either accidentally or deliberately) by one is almost nil, as the UK has been actively proving since 1996. So problem prevented. Whereas the US has not managed to find a solution to gun violence in over two hundred years.

CotswoldsCamilla · 17/12/2025 22:36

I hope it never happens. It won’t have a happy ending.

RhwDjj · 17/12/2025 22:45

MrsTerryPratchett · 17/12/2025 13:41

Did you read my post about pepper spray or are you just repeating yourself over and over in the hopes that repetition makes you right?

People can be trained to use guns but even police officers get their guns turned on them. For example, police in Canada have guns which take a lot of strength to shoot for this exact reason.

Guns, even when you’re trained, don’t make the average person safer.

Show quote history

I did read it. I found it silly. There are many pepper sprays that are direct streams. I saw a video of a woman in Spain use it against a migrant man who was following her. Just saw a video on YouTube of a man in Israeli using it to protect himself from a knife attacker.

I've discussed all this with my friend who is a US Army Veteran. In the USA guns work and are an integral part of the culture. They would not work here. But here the criminals who want to rob us will have a knife. We are completely unarmed.

MrsTerryPratchett · 18/12/2025 01:45

RhwDjj · 17/12/2025 22:45

I did read it. I found it silly. There are many pepper sprays that are direct streams. I saw a video of a woman in Spain use it against a migrant man who was following her. Just saw a video on YouTube of a man in Israeli using it to protect himself from a knife attacker.

I've discussed all this with my friend who is a US Army Veteran. In the USA guns work and are an integral part of the culture. They would not work here. But here the criminals who want to rob us will have a knife. We are completely unarmed.

Show quote history

In a bus?

Which was one of the examples.

Kimura · 18/12/2025 02:50

As someone with a lot of experience handling and shooting guns, I am firmly against gun laws every being relaxed here in the UK.

Real life is not the movies; it's not as simple as pointing the shooty end at your problem, pulling the trigger and that's your problem solved. It can take years to become even basically competent with a single firearm in a controlled environment - people fantasizing and whipping out a pistol while being mugged and shooting the mugger are just that, fantasists.

If you're carrying a gun in a handbag or a holster about your person, you'd be dealing with zips, clasps and layers of clothes, that's before you've even got it in your hand to deal with taking the safety off, aiming correctly etc. Hopefully your attacker is willing to wait.

I expect that most of us like to think that we'd happily shoot a 'bad guy' or someone wishing to do us harm, but very few of us know how we'd react in a scenario where ending a human life is a possibility.

'Pepper spray' and tazers can also be much more trouble than they're worth.

blueberrymuffin88 · 18/12/2025 02:56

We can buy a gun. And the op didn’t say anything about ‘easily available’.

Kimura · 18/12/2025 03:07

RhwDjj · 17/12/2025 22:45

I did read it. I found it silly. There are many pepper sprays that are direct streams. I saw a video of a woman in Spain use it against a migrant man who was following her. Just saw a video on YouTube of a man in Israeli using it to protect himself from a knife attacker.

I've discussed all this with my friend who is a US Army Veteran. In the USA guns work and are an integral part of the culture. They would not work here. But here the criminals who want to rob us will have a knife. We are completely unarmed.

Show quote history

In the USA guns work.

I can't agree with that at all. It implies that all the excess, needless gun death that occur there are somehow part of the system working.

Guns are part of American life/culture because they can't get rid of them.

IainTorontoNSW · 18/12/2025 05:19

When I hear about the "right to bare arms", I think it's a groundswell of support for short-sleeved shirts. 🤗🙃🤗

PermanentTemporary · 18/12/2025 06:37

27,000 US suicides by gun a year aren’t an element to be dismissed. You know that of course. Every suicide is an act of appalling violence that affects huge numbers of people and increases the risk of more suicide, particularly in the children of those who died. My husband should not have died. My son (and I, and many others) are at increased risk of suicide because he died.

Suicide can be reduced - it is not true that people who want to do it will just pick another route if one is made more difficult. One of the most effective ways you reduce it is making methods that are available on impulse less available. Guns are the ultimate impulse method.

Take your silly thread and go and reflect on whatever is making you troll Mumsnet for giggles. Find something more positive to do with your one precious life.