To the citizens of the United States of America from her Majesty's Home Office

[oggbashan]

Firearms

It is illegal in the UK to own any kind of short firearm or semi-auto longarm. Our Olympic pistol shooters have to keep their guns abroad in France for example.

Genuine single-shot antiques and deactivated arms are still allowed - this week. There is a movement to ban replica guns and air-powered weapons such as BB guns.

Carrying a dangerous weapon in public is an offence. Any knife with a blade longer than 3 inches, Mace or Pepper sprays - those will get you arrested. Mace and CS are illegal to own.

Defending yourself from attack by using anything as a weapon is considered unreasonable force unless it was a weapon of opportunity such as a kitchen tool you had by you IN THE KITCHEN when attacked. The prudent householder, on discovering a burglar in the house, calls the police and runs for it... Stupid but true.

Og

 

[zeb1094]

The prudent householder, on discovering a burglar in the house, calls the police and runs for it... Stupid but true.

Og

Mmmm..., someone breaks into my castle and the portcules comes down and boiling oil is poured on them. Then the hounds are released and the arrows loosed.

Actually, the shotgun would be brought to bare and used liberally.

Then the police are called.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

In Sweden, you can go to jail if a burglar hurts himself when entering your house. If you're lucky, you'll ONLY get sued and forced to pay for the crook's hospital bills.

 

[zeb1094]

In Sweden, you can go to jail if a burglar hurts himself when entering your house. If you're lucky, you'll ONLY get sued and forced to pay for the crook's hospital bills.

No that is just wrong, wrong, wrong! He will sue me if he get's hurt committing a crime!

Then when I shoot him, I better make sure he's dead!

 

[Svenskaflicka]

No that is just wrong, wrong, wrong! He will sue me if he get's hurt committing a crime!

Then when I shoot him, I better make sure he's dead!

There was also a man who witnessed a guy steal the purse from an old lady. The man chased after the chief, knocked him down, and gave the purse back to the old lady, who was very grateful.

The thief then sued the man for hurting him when he knocked him down - and the thief won...

Welcome to Sweden.

 

[zeb1094]

There was also a man who witnessed a guy steal the purse from an old lady. The man chased after the chief, knocked him down, and gave the purse back to the old lady, who was very grateful.

The thief then sued the man for hurting him when he knocked him down - and the thief won...

Welcome to Sweden.

There is something wrong with a society when the criminal can turn around and sue the victim or good samaritian and have the judicial system find in the criminals favor.

It is happening or has happened here in the states as well. In most cases the judge threw the case out, but in the rare instances that it went to trial the jury held that the criminal was responsible for his own injuries and denied the suit.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

There is something wrong with a society when the criminal can turn around and sue the victim or good samaritian and have the judicial system find in the criminals favor.

It is happening or has happened here in the states as well. In most cases the judge threw the case out, but in the rare instances that it went to trial the jury held that the criminal was responsible for his own injuries and denied the suit.

Have you seen the episode of Married With Children when a burglar sued Al for sexual harassment because Al mistook the guy for Peg and fondled the man's butt? The burglar told the judge he might never be able to rob again, because of the mental trauma he had suffered.
He actually won that case - but then Al punched him in the face and broke his knuckles against the burglar's jaw, sued him right back, and the whole thing broke even...

I think the man who wrote that episode had taken a vacation in Sweden. It COULD really happen!

 

[3113]

In the absence of an aristocracy, he believed, the country would be subjected to mob rule. The values of society would be determined by what's popular, not by what's wisest or best, and so values and ideals would fall to the lowest common denominator. Our leaders would be elected based on popuarity and graft rather than merit and suitability.

I'll leave the judgment as to how right he was to you.

A valid point, Mr. Webster made...but he forgot the other side which is that an aristocracy puts a person in charge who is usually completely out of touch with the common man and his problems (because said person is filthy rich and belongs to an elite club--a club that doesn't allow people in on merit, just birth) and whose only qualification for the job is that his father use to be in charge....

Hm. That sounds familiar, too, doesn't it?

Personally, I favor a meritocracy.

 

[zeb1094]

Have you seen the episode of Married With Children when a burglar sued Al for sexual harassment because Al mistook the guy for Peg and fondled the man's butt? The burglar told the judge he might never be able to rob again, because of the mental trauma he had suffered.
He actually won that case - but then Al punched him in the face and broke his knuckles against the burglar's jaw, sued him right back, and the whole thing broke even...

I think the man who wrote that episode had taken a vacation in Sweden. It COULD really happen!

That was actually based on a several cases in the states, the sexual harrassment thing was thrown in just to be funny.

 

[indianPilot]

Any chance we can see some online references to these cases you speak of in Sweden

Old jungle saying - believe nothing you hear - and only half what you see

indianPilot

 

[Wildcard Ky]

It is illegal in the UK to own any kind of short firearm or semi-auto longarm. Our Olympic pistol shooters have to keep their guns abroad in France for example.

Genuine single-shot antiques and deactivated arms are still allowed - this week. There is a movement to ban replica guns and air-powered weapons such as BB guns.

Carrying a dangerous weapon in public is an offence. Any knife with a blade longer than 3 inches, Mace or Pepper sprays - those will get you arrested. Mace and CS are illegal to own.

Defending yourself from attack by using anything as a weapon is considered unreasonable force unless it was a weapon of opportunity such as a kitchen tool you had by you IN THE KITCHEN when attacked. The prudent householder, on discovering a burglar in the house, calls the police and runs for it... Stupid but true.

All of which makes me glad to be an American. Things definitely aren't perfect here, but we've still got the best gig going.

 

[Huckleman2000]

Works for me. We never should have trusted the French, anyway.

Quick learners!

 

[cloudy]

Quick learners!

Only took us about 300 years.

 

[rgraham666]

I guess I shouldn't mention my plans to move to the French or Italian Riviera then, should I?

 

[zeb1094]

Any chance we can see some online references to these cases you speak of in Sweden

Old jungle saying - believe nothing you hear - and only half what you see

indianPilot

Ref: See my sig!

 

[Huckleman2000]

Only took us about 300 years.

Hmm, I don't know if that's faster than the British or not.

I worked for a small British consulting company years ago, and I'll never forget the sales meeting where we were making a pitch to a very large American software company that was in the process of developing a truly useless piece of hardware that managed to catch the interest of France Telecom as a possible successor to Minitel. We were trying to convince them of their futility, but they kept pointing to this France Telecom interest as validation of their vision.

Finally, my Veddy Proper British boss exploded in frustration, "You're going to base the future of your business on the FRENCH??!!

 

[Tom Collins]

5. You should relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The Queen"

Only if we can sing it the way Eddie Izard does.

 

[indianPilot]

Ref: See my sig!

Okay I will take that as - No there are no references then. So maybe I need to visit some urban legend sites to get the goss?