It's an AMENDMENT dummy. It's already been altered....


Do I have to  see my dear transatlantic cousins twist and turn in the wind of argument over gun control? I know this is a subject that has undone many a Brit scribbler but I am deeply perplexed at the argument that it's practically divine a right to bare arms.... or arm bears.... and then quote the second amendment. Isn't that the point? It was an AMENDMENT. The original needed altering. It wasn't right first time. Perhaps in this day and age it ain't right now? The constitution was changed to allow you Colonials to bear arms to form a militia against perfidious Albion....but we ain't coming after you anymore. And if you think even a battle-bus full of patriotic armed citizens was going to prevent a modern attack such as 911 or the Boston bombers, that's wildly optimistic? A hand gun revolver if you must, and a bolt action rifle for hunting, but Yogi and Boo-Boo don't wear Kevlar nor run at 70 miles an hour so you don't need armor piercing bullets that pop out at a zillion rounds a second to stop them. Clearly if you have a country with a gabillion guns sloshing around in it, it's a trifle tricky to ask everyone to hand them back. And I suspect the least likely to then hand them back are those that you would most like to. It's therefore tough beyond belief but you have to start somewhere. How about the manufacturing bullets for certain weapons becomes an imprisonable offence unless supplied at a shooting range? I accept there are some countries who's citizens are armed to the teeth and live a relatively peaceful existence; Switzerland for instance (I claim a little bias here as I have a Swiss passport). Every citizen is issued with a rifle to defend against invasion. It's actually pretty pointless because if Uncle Putin wanted to get in, all the passes are mined and blowing those up is far more effective than a bunch of yodeling bankers trying to take pot shots at the Russian Army. Still no one has gone on a murdering rampage as far as I know. However maybe it's because gunfire exchange is less evident in Swiss culture. Heidi was not packin' an Uzi as she wandered around the Alps, and even William Tell could only fire one arrow at a time...even if it was at his son's head! The peaceful locals are renowned for whipping up cuckoo clocks not 3D printed handguns, chocolates not 1, 000 round magazines.

...and another thing

I know in the US

Have Gun

Will travel

Is a refrain but in my simple view it’s

Have Gun,

Will go bang!


…..And that bang I just heard was all my former US readers who have slammed shut their iPads, un- subscribed from this Limey’s blog and just fondled their NRA membership card. I own a shotgun and have a gun license. Does that make you feel better?

At the end of the day is it not a simple question? Do you want your neighbor to have a garrison full of assault weapons?

We have all lived opposite dodgy neighbors and even occasionally exchanged heated words…..Wouldn’t you rather know that the most heated exchange you or your kids will ever have is questioning whether either of you were born out of wedlock or had sexual relations with your own mother, rather than risk being aerated in a hail of hot lead? And if you don’t want your neighbor to have a gun in case he has a bad day at work (or worse works for the Postal Service) then surely you don’t want anyone else to have one.

...and another thing

As for those who have sadly lost loved ones in too many incidents to even remember, I offer my condolences and hope you do not find my musings offensive. From those terrible moments sometimes surprising things can emerge. By the time you read this, a boy who was at the school in Dunblane which suffered such a terrible massacre 20 years ago, has won his second Wimbledon title. Well done Mr. Murray.

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