What have been the worst home handyman accidents you've had,or seen so far ?

[Lobster]

What, for cleaning the stump grinder, you mean?

David

[John Rumm]

This is one of those occasions where the subtle difference in language use between UK and US does rather change the implications!

[raden]

One of the more sensible laws we have

[raden]

Ah, that's why they are allowed in Septicstan

[raden]

Spoils your day a bit if you're not a baddie, though

[raden]

We don't have a second amendment, you thick septic

[willshak]

Here in the US it is called a crew cut too. Back in the 50's there was a singin8 group called "The Crew Cuts" The "Life is but a Dream" melody immediately comes to mind, but I don't know if that was by the Crew Cuts

[willshak]

Between then and now, your recollection of the length of the tendon has been growing longer with each telling. :-)

[raden]

In message , willshak writes

We used to call it a "bog brush" at school

[Gunner]

True. Here in the US we dont let the mentally ill own firearms either. Pity your nation is filled with such.

Gunner

[Gunner]

Of course it does. Nearly as bad as crashing through your windshield on the highway.

Or falling off a ladder

Or drowning in a swimming pool

Or bleeding to death after misusing a power tool

Or choking to death on food

Etc

So you have no issues with banning motorcars, ladders, swimming pools, power tools and food.

Correct?

Gunner

[Gunner]

Actully..you did have a Bill of Rights, which guarenteed weapons ownership, until you used it for bumwad

Now you are simply a serf, owned by the State.

Doesnt that collar around your neck bother you?

Gunner

[Mark & Juanita]

Seems there is a significant scandal in the UK right now regarding ministers having cooked to books to under-report the number of, and escalating amount of gun crimes in that safe, gun-free country.

Free men own guns, slaves don't.

[Gunner]

why would anyone want to brush a swamp?

Gunner

[willshak]

Why is it that some believe that the US Constitution guarantees weapons ownership? Most of these people have never read the law, and those that have read it, completely ignore the first clause of the sentence. "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed". How many gun owners belong to a "well regulated militia"?

[Morris Dovey]

| Why is it that some believe that the US Constitution guarantees | weapons ownership?

Because it does (in the last fourteen words of what you've quoted below.)

| Most of these people have never read the law, and those that have | read it, completely ignore the first clause of the sentence. | "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free | state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be | infringed".

That first clause is the rationale for what follows. If you don't understand the motivation, a review of colonial history will contribute to your appreciation of the principles involved. You might find a review of the grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence illuminating. The authors of the Constitution ensured that citizens would be empowered to say "No!" to tyranny - both from outside and from within our borders.

If you want to rebut by pointing out that there is no tyranny, then I give you my very happiest smiley. :-)

| How many gun owners belong to a "well regulated militia"?

I, and a great many others here, have so belonged. I was a gun owner before, during, and after so belonging - not much different from millions of other Americans. Like those others I took an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and I intend to keep that oath. You might prefer that I do so with a pitchfork or club, but the authors of the Constitution preferred otherwise and gave their preference force of law.

My _preferred_ weapons are keyboard and ballot.

-- Morris Dovey Declaration of Independence:

Constitution:

[Gunner]

It doesn't. It guarantees the Right to own a weapon. If you choose not to exercise that right...you don't have to.

You seem to have missed that tiny little "comma" between the first and second clauses in the verbiage as well as the third clause.

Is there some reason for your reading comprehension issues? Some form of autism perhaps?

Gunner

[Colin Wilson]

Perhaps you can enlighten us with the number of murders by gun crime both in the US and the UK then - just to prove you're right.

Remember to cite your sources.

[Gunner]

Of course.

Note that those are total murders by all methods

Now lets look at those committed with firearms

Seems that you have more than your fair share of murders by means other than firearms.

So a murder by blunt object is superior to murder by bullet eh?

Oh..it should be noted that the UK has been under reporting its crime rate by a significant number of incidents. Millions in fact.

Now..lets look at gun crime in the UK shall we?

"By 1995 English rates of violent crime were already far higher than America's for every major violent crime except murder and rape.

You are now six times more likely to be mugged in London than New York. Why? Because as common law appreciated, not only does an armed individual have the ability to protect himself or herself but criminals are less likely to attack them. They help keep the peace. A study found American burglars fear armed home-owners more than the police. As a result burglaries are much rarer and only 13% occur when people are at home, in contrast to 53% in England. "

"A study comparing New York and London over 200 years found the New York homicide rate consistently five times the London rate, although for most of that period residents of both cities had unrestricted access to firearms.

When guns were available in England they were seldom used in crime. A government study for 1890-1892 found an average of one handgun homicide a year in a population of 30 million. But murder rates for both countries are now changing. In 1981 the American rate was 8.7 times the English rate, in 1995 it was 5.7 times the English rate, and by last year it was 3.5 times. With American rates described as "in startling free-fall" and British rates as of October 2002 the highest for 100 years the two are on a path to converge. "

Oh oh.....

Geeze..seems like its (murder) is out of control ..and they want to redefine it in the UK....

2006 totals of murders by country (by all methods)

United States: 12,658 United Kingdom: 850

US population 302,849,527 UK population 60,600,00

US population is nearly 5 times that of the UK

Adjusted UK murder rate is 4250

Murders committed by gang members in the US (ages 12- 30yrs)

8,239

12,658 minus 8239 = 4419 or 169 more in the US than in the UK.

Odd..shouldnt the numbers be radically different? Odd that with so many guns in the US, as opposed to so few in the UK...why is there only 169 more in the US than in the UK?

The numbers of course should be zero or close to it in the UK, with their draconian gun ban.

Why isnt it?

But then..that explains why rape, hot burglarly and assaults are higher in the UK, by an order of magntude than those in the US. Because its illegal to defend oneself in the UK.Ne?

gunner

Odd..while the crime rate in the US is falling like a rock..it seems to be skyrocketing in the UK, along with gun crime.

Strange how that happens

[Gunner]

United States Code 13

§ 311. Militia: composition and classes

(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard. (b) The classes of the militia are? (1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and (2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.

Pay particular attention to Section 2

Gunner