SF doesn't seem inclined to listen to the ghost of D.C. past or the ghost of Chicago present, maybe this will help SF see the light:
"BRITONS are for the first time more likely to be attacked than burgled, police watchdogs warned last night.
Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Keith Povey blasted the rise in violence recorded by police as 'unprecedented'."
Note that this island nation has an almost (but not quite) complete ban on all firearms. If memory serves handguns are not allowed at all. Yet there's a rise in violence? How can this be? Easy - otherwise law abiding citizens (in this case subjects) being disarmed does nothing better than to embolden the criminals.
"He stressed: 'The public, police and the Government are rightly concerned about the level of violence routinely displayed on our streets.
There has been a troubling increase in the use of firearms.
Although the rate of increase has slowed, the overall picture is one from which one can derive little comfort.”
The government apparently isn't so concerned as to try something effective - like repeal the laws that prohibit owning the means of self defense. & since the last bits of the almost complete ban took effect on this island you'd think that the incidents of gun violence would be reduced wouldn't ya? I mean if it's illegal to possess a gun then the criminals will just stop using them right? Well the latest theory is that criminals who will use violence to further their crimes aren't opposed to violating laws concerning possession of objects.
"He also highlighted the terrifying knife culture spreading across the country.
His warning came within hours of a man going on a stabbing rampage in North London, leaving one dead and five seriously injured."
Knife culture. Lemme explain this knife culture: when a person with harmful intent knows his victims are armed, he arms himself as well. But in a place where his victims are almost 100% guaranteed to be defenseless he can cut a little overhead & just use a knife or a club or a freakin' rock.
But a man going on a rampage with a knife? There are two rules I want y'all to memorize:
1: Always bring a gun to a knife fight
2: Never bring a knife to a gun fight
Now since Her Majesty's government has negated most if not all ways of complying with Rule No. 1 then the violent thugs can break Rule No. 2 with little or no ill effects.
In Japan a while back a man killed a bunch of kids & wounded a bunch of other kids in a school using a kitchen knife. Now in England a man went on a rampage with a knife. Do you see this being possible in NC? Or Georgia? Or Arizona?
Do you see it being possible in California? Or Massachusetts? Or New Jersey?
Know the difference?
The people in NC, Georgia & Texas A: have firearms & B: even if they didn't they wouldn't just sit by while a fellow with a blade cut people up at random - well unless the victims were damned revenuers, but that's another story.
In California, Massachusetts & New Jersey A: firearms aren't usually carried outside the home & B: the people don't have the mindset to intervene. Now this isn't universal; there are some people left in all those states (& England as well) who don't think they should be good little sheep & totally dependant on the government for their protection. But I fear those good people are the exception rather than the rule.
Of course the British government claims the stats aren't as bad as Sir Povey claims. & in all fairness they may be correct: it's possible that crime isn't as bad as it appears on the surface. I'm not a statistician nor do I want to be. What I am is a person with a little common sense (not much but just a little). Common sense tells me that if you disarm a people then the thugs will have an easier time of it & act accordingly. It also tells me that despite what stats may or may not prove or disprove my conclusions about the effects of crime in a defenseless society the most important thing is that denying someone the means he feels is necessary to defend his life, family, property & community is immoral.
I wish the people of SF would vote down the proposed handgun ban, but I simply don't have faith in them. I feel they've become as dependent on government as the people in England. Anytime you depend on government for your safety you're already in a bad spot. Government will try to increase your dependence & if you allow that to happen your situation will get worse. Look at D.C., Chicago or England. Or just wait a few years & look at SF.