12-04-2009, 11:26 AM
Further to my previous post on gun control the following little anecdote illustrates the paranoia evoked by any mention of guns over here. It has become a little generic with the telling but is based on fact:
A remote-dwelling farmer detects an intruder on his property at night and dials 999 (911 in the US). He is asked if he has been threatened and says "not yet because the intruder does not know he has been spotted". He is advised to go inside and lock the door as there is no police response unit available right now but to call again if he is threatened. He replies "OK then I'll get my shot gun and deal with it myself"
5 minutes later an armed response unit arrives, lights flashing, sirens wailing and complete with hovering helicopter. The chief cop admonishes the unarmed farmer "You said you were going to confront the intruder with a 12 bore shot gun". The farmer replies "And you said there were no police response units available". That sums things up pretty accurately.
Mention guns - in almost any context - and reason flies out the window. Somewhat akin to placing a large life-like illuminated pulsating dildo in a bakers shop window. Ooh's and aah's and outraged over-reaction. And, to continue with the obscene voyeuristic analogy, whenever a TV news item involves footage of the police, you can bet your sweet life there will be numerous zooming close-ups of the guns they are carrying - truly shocking stuff eh? But the viewers love it. Similarly in the cops & robber TV shows everyone carries and uses guns like it's the most natural thing in the world - same with video games etc etc.
But the law-abiding public cannot be trusted with the means to defend themselves. Not only is it a serious criminal offence to posses a handgun in your own home; the same applies to tasers and pepper sprays. The State insists on an absolute monopoly on violence - and boy does it use it. Burglars and other nare-do-wells understand all this only too well; they know that potential victims will be unarmed and they behave accordingly.
It really is a totally crazy world we inhabit over here.
A remote-dwelling farmer detects an intruder on his property at night and dials 999 (911 in the US). He is asked if he has been threatened and says "not yet because the intruder does not know he has been spotted". He is advised to go inside and lock the door as there is no police response unit available right now but to call again if he is threatened. He replies "OK then I'll get my shot gun and deal with it myself"
5 minutes later an armed response unit arrives, lights flashing, sirens wailing and complete with hovering helicopter. The chief cop admonishes the unarmed farmer "You said you were going to confront the intruder with a 12 bore shot gun". The farmer replies "And you said there were no police response units available". That sums things up pretty accurately.
Mention guns - in almost any context - and reason flies out the window. Somewhat akin to placing a large life-like illuminated pulsating dildo in a bakers shop window. Ooh's and aah's and outraged over-reaction. And, to continue with the obscene voyeuristic analogy, whenever a TV news item involves footage of the police, you can bet your sweet life there will be numerous zooming close-ups of the guns they are carrying - truly shocking stuff eh? But the viewers love it. Similarly in the cops & robber TV shows everyone carries and uses guns like it's the most natural thing in the world - same with video games etc etc.
But the law-abiding public cannot be trusted with the means to defend themselves. Not only is it a serious criminal offence to posses a handgun in your own home; the same applies to tasers and pepper sprays. The State insists on an absolute monopoly on violence - and boy does it use it. Burglars and other nare-do-wells understand all this only too well; they know that potential victims will be unarmed and they behave accordingly.
It really is a totally crazy world we inhabit over here.
Peter Presland
".....there is something far worse than Nazism, and that is the hubris of the Anglo-American fraternities, whose routine is to incite indigenous monsters to war, and steer the pandemonium to further their imperial aims"
Guido Preparata. Preface to 'Conjuring Hitler'[size=12][size=12]
"Never believe anything until it has been officially denied"
Claud Cockburn
[/SIZE][/SIZE]
".....there is something far worse than Nazism, and that is the hubris of the Anglo-American fraternities, whose routine is to incite indigenous monsters to war, and steer the pandemonium to further their imperial aims"
Guido Preparata. Preface to 'Conjuring Hitler'[size=12][size=12]
"Never believe anything until it has been officially denied"
Claud Cockburn
[/SIZE][/SIZE]