SAS hero jailed: Sergeant sentenced to two years after gun found

[guru]

He broke the law. I don't see how this is so hard for people to understand. There's no iron fist here,Hardly.

its it that big a deal? can they just look the other way? or let him off with a slap on the wrist ?

[chrisj1968]

He broke the law. I don't see how this is so hard for people to understand. There's no iron fist here, we're a democracy. I wouldn't call it foresight considering most nations with restricted guns seem to be doing just fine. I can't imagine them going "yup, in 2012 they'll be needing guns".

Maybe it made sense to allow people to have guns at the founding of America to protect the republic in its infancy, but now? Hardly.

because they try to soften the blow by talking about his military record but then ream him. ok, yes, he broke the law but, here judges do take into consideration those circumstances and even sentence him to a parole sentencing. but I agree, he did break the law.

they used him to make an example out of him.if not, why the publicity?

[KingCracker]

He broke the law. I don't see how this is so hard for people to understand.

There's no "iron fist" here, we're a democracy. I wouldn't call it foresight considering most nations with restricted guns seem to be doing just fine. I can't imagine them going "yup, in 2012 they'll be needing guns".

Maybe it made sense to allow people to have guns at the founding of America to protect the republic in its infancy, but now? Hardly.

I wish you would take a trip the U.S/Mexican border and sit there for a few days and watch how many illegals come over carrying drugs and then ask yourself if guns were banned would they come through this border? Guns are tighly regulated in Mexico but the drug cartels have no problem getting them.

[FlintyV]

its it that big a deal to look the other way? or let him off with a slap on the wrist ?

Yup else it sets a precedent for other people to do the same.

I wish you would take a trip the U.S/Mexican border and sit there for a few days and watch how many illegals come over carrying drugs and then ask yourself if guns were banned would they come through this border? Guns are tighly regulated in Mexico but the drug cartels have no problem getting them.

And you use your weapons to shoot these illegal Mexicans from entering?

[KingCracker]

Yup else it sets a precedent for other people to do the same.

Just curious has any U.K celebs gotten off lightly for anything?

Yup else it sets a precedent for other people to do the same.

And you use your weapons to shoot these illegal Mexicans from entering?

No I don't. Are you advocating shooting illegals?

[FlintyV]

Just curious has any U.K celebs gotten off lightly for anything?

No I don't. Are you advocating shooting illegals?

Not at all but you brought up illegal immigrants entering your country when I said it might have made sense of weapons when America was founded and still in its infancy.. why did you bring up Mexicans?

I'm not sure about celebrities; I don't really pay much interest to them.

[KingCracker]

Not at all but you brought up illegal immigrants entering your country when I said it might have made sense of weapons when America was founded and still in its infancy.. why did you bring up Mexicans?

Because You cant ban guns here and expect them to go away when you have people crossing over to the U.S illegally with drugs and not expect them to be bringing guns over to arm their gang members. If we did shoot illegals on sight the world would be livid.

[WelshBluebird]

Because You cant ban guns here and expect them to go away when you have people crossing over to the U.S illegally with drugs and not expect them to be bringing guns over to arm their gang members. If we did shoot illegals on sight the world would be livid.

Or perhaps you should just police your borders better? (I'm not saying its easy, but surely that is something that should be done anyway).

[KingCracker]

Or perhaps you should just police your borders better? (I'm not saying its easy, but surely that is something that should be done anyway).

There's parts of the border that is policed heavily and they still manage to dig tunnels to get through and that's just the parts that policed heavily. If they can dig tunnels and they find them all the time think of the other thousands of miles along the border they're coming through freely. The Mexican government even hands out pamphlets that tell the illegals how to cross the border safely. There's a show on tv or there was (don't know if its still airing don't watch tv anymore) called border wars, they catch illegals all the time but still they get through.

[KingCracker]

There use to be a time when there were parts of the country where everyone owned a gun,hunted and did what regular folks do and no one would worry about someone shooting them or someone breaking in. My grandma is 90 years old and kept her front door unlocked for years until a few years ago when someone broke in. I don't blame the crime and murder on the gun culture because we've always had a gun culture I blame it on the popularity of the gang culture and the media glorifying thugs. But whenever this guy gets done serving his time I wouldn't have a problem with him living here and owning as many guns as he wish's.

[ozgeek]

Saying that you shouldn't kill someone that's trying to kill you because of the criminals family is hilarious. You think the criminals family gives a damn about me if I die? Funny though when ever some thug gets killed or arrested for murder their family come out and say he was a good kid or the cry and say my baby! My baby! Sure ur baby just got killed because your baby was trying to kill someone else.

While he/she might be a criminal, we respect his/her human rights. It's just that we take away their privelages (freedom), not their human rights. Guns infringe on human rights so that's why we restricted them (NOT outlaw). There are some guns for a good purpose and that is hunting. So our governement is not controlling us, just ensuring we don't go "trigger happy". Too many people here gone crazy thinking they can do what they like without considation for other people around them. Heck you can get a licence to have weapons. Just same as licence to drive. Just need to have a very good reason why you need a gun here and self-defense is not one of them.

On the other hand the border- we get boats of asian people trying to come here (asylum seekers), we have the navy looking after our border. They do not shoot anyone unless absolutely threatened unlike your country who tears up cars or arrest or kill people as they enter your country. People here are not arrested, just processed at a facility offshore (quarrintine), paperwork, and they are welcome in.

[Hardcore Til I Die]

Just curious has any U.K celebs gotten off lightly for anything?

No I don't. Are you advocating shooting illegals?

Yeah some celebs got off real lightly because they can afford the best lawyers.

Not much that can be done about that unfortunately.

[KingCracker]

While he/she might be a criminal, we respect his/her human rights. It's just that we take away their privelages (freedom), not their human rights. Guns infringe on human rights so that's why we restricted them (NOT outlaw). There are some guns for a good purpose and that is hunting. So our governement is not controlling us, just ensuring we don't go "trigger happy". Too many people here gone crazy thinking they can do what they like without considation for other people around them. Heck you can get a licence to have weapons. Just same as licence to drive. Just need to have a very good reason why you need a gun here and self-defense is not one of them.

On the other hand the border- we get boats of asian people trying to come here (asylum seekers), we have the navy looking after our border. They do not shoot anyone unless absolutely threatened unlike your country who tears up cars or arrest or kill people as they enter your country. People here are not arrested, just processed at a facility offshore (quarrintine), paperwork, and they are welcome in.

We kill people at the border? A country surrounded by water is way different than thousands of miles of land that's not protected it would take a hell of a lot of man power, time and money to secure every inch of it. Atleast with the U.K you can use radar and see the boats coming on a land border thousands of miles long you can't do that. In regards to the trigger happy comment I have to laugh a little because the only time I go trigger happy is when I'm shooting a watermelon or something like that lol. Shooting off a bunch of rounds makes me happy lol.

[TheLegendOfMart]

Its happening and a lot of people don't like it. I guess that's where we differ the British seem to except laws regardless. As far as the U.S banning dogs. No the U.S doesn't ban any breed that I know of. Certain cities have bans but as a whole the U.S doesn't.

You clearly have no clue about the UK, so because we petitioned the government to ban handguns we suddenly accept any law regardless because we are ruled by an iron fist?

Get real.

The US is no more 'free' than any other first world country, you are just naive enough to think you are.

[KingCracker]

You clearly have no clue about the UK, so because we petitioned the government to ban handguns we suddenly accept any law regardless because we are ruled by an iron fist?

Get real.

The US is no more 'free' than any other first world country, you are just naive enough to think you are.

If you want to believe that, that's fine and I'll agree we aren't as free as we use to be but we still have the freedom to protect ourselves if need be I can still own certain things that I can't some where else. Isn't that some form of freedom?

[TheLegendOfMart]

We are free to protect ourselves, the difference is we don't need guns to do it because the average criminal doesn't have access to a gun, and just because we are banned from owning handguns doesn't mean we aren't free.

If anything we are more free because the government didn't just outlaw guns on a whim, the people petitioned the government to ban handguns, look up the Snowdrop Campaign.

[KingCracker]

We are free to protect ourselves, the difference is we don't need guns to do it because the average criminal doesn't have access to a gun, and just because we are banned from owning handguns doesn't mean we aren't free.

If anything we are more free because the government didn't just outlaw guns on a whim, the people petitioned the government to ban handguns, look up the Snowdrop Campaign.

Id rather bring a gun to a knife fight but that's personal preference. Your people banned guns because you're afraid of yourselves. Kind of ironic really a country that conquered the world at one point in time now the citizens have conquered themselves by forfeiting the ability to arm themselves. Sure you don't need guns now but what if your government grew out of control in your eyes. What if it grew to the point to where you didn't like it. You going to stage protests and just get beaten back? Or will you just take it and deal with it? Never underestimate what a government with power can do, not saying its happening or will happen soon i'm just saying it could and how would you deal with it.

[Noir Angel]

The law is the law and being a war hero doesn't give a person the right to break the law.

Id rather bring a gun to a knife fight but that's personal preference. Your people banned guns because you're afraid of yourselves. Kind of ironic really a country that conquered the world at one point in time now the citizens have conquered themselves by forfeiting the ability to arm themselves. Sure you don't need guns now but what if your government grew out of control in your eyes. What if it grew to the point to where you didn't like it. You going to stage protests and just get beaten back? Or will you just take it and deal with it? Never underestimate what a government with power can do, not saying its happening or will happen soon i'm just saying it could and how would you deal with it.

Technically our armed forces are still loyal to the queen and not the government which means that under special circumstances, say if the government were to try to impose some form of tyrrany or dictatorship the queen could theoretically order our armed forces to remove the government by force, and we have a political constitution that limits what governments can and cannot do. We aren't as powerless as you think, and we achieve it without 8,000 people a year capping each other's asses :laugh:

[TheLegendOfMart]

Id rather bring a gun to a knife fight but that's personal preference. Your people banned guns because you're afraid of yourselves. Kind of ironic really a country that conquered the world at one point in time now the citizens have conquered themselves by forfeiting the ability to arm themselves. Sure you don't need guns now but what if your government grew out of control in your eyes. What if it grew to the point to where you didn't like it. You going to stage protests and just get beaten back? Or will you just take it and deal with it? Never underestimate what a government with power can do, not saying its happening or will happen soon i'm just saying it could and how would you deal with it.

Our monarch has the ability to dissolve parliament and take control of the country if she wanted to. You don't need guns to overrun a government.

No one is afraid of guns, you keep making the same ridiculous assumption. It is legal for us to own shotguns and .22 weapons if we have a legitimate reason for doing so.

We don't need guns to feel 'free' or 'safe'.

[KingCracker]

Our monarch has the ability to dissolve parliament and take control of the country if she wanted to. You don't need guns to overrun a government.

No one is afraid of guns, you keep making the same ridiculous assumption. It is legal for us to own shotguns and .22 weapons if we have a legitimate reason for doing so.

We don't need guns to feel 'free' or 'safe'.

From one tyrant to another I see. I have a legitimate reason to own my guns to. Today its not like the 1950s when everyone owned guns and everyone got a long. Now we have to deal with gangs and drug addicts and mad men. I bet you can see where i'm going with this don't you. A lot of anti's live in big cities as well they see a gun like an AR-15 and see no need for one but tell that to a rancher living on the border of Mexico, if hes out there mending his fence and an illegal crosses into his land and begins to shoot at him, hes gonna need something to fight back. Don't think illegals don't come armed either because they do.

[theyarecomingforyou]

Your people banned guns because you're afraid of yourselves. Kind of ironic really a country that conquered the world at one point in time now the citizens have conquered themselves by forfeiting the ability to arm themselves.

Yawn. :sleep:

We didn't ban guns, we placed restrictions on their ownership. And we did so based upon evidence that they posed a threat to society. The UK is far from the only country to impose such restrictions, so let's not turn this into a UK vs. US debate. In fact it's the US that is at odds with the rest of the world on this matter and suffers one of the highest rates of firearms fatalities as a result. It's not because we are "afraid" or that we're sissies - it's because it's the responsible and informed thing to do.

You talk as if the US has absolutely no restrictions on firearms when that simply isn't the case.

[TheLegendOfMart]

From one tyrant to another I see. I have a legitimate reason to own my guns to. Today its not like the 1950s when everyone owned guns and everyone got a long. Now we have to deal with gangs and drug addicts and mad men. I bet you can see where i'm going with this don't you. A lot of anti's live in big cities as well they see a gun like an AR-15 and see no need for one but tell that to a rancher living on the border of Mexico, if hes out there mending his fence and an illegal crosses into his land and begins to shoot at him, hes gonna need something to fight back. Don't think illegals don't come armed either because they do.

What are you blithering on about, tyrants?

I'm not anti-gun, and I don't live in a big city, what other completely wrong assumptions are you going to make up next?

[KingCracker]

Yawn. :sleep:

We didn't ban guns, we placed restrictions on their ownership. And we did so based upon evidence that they posed a threat to society. The UK is far from the only country to impose such restrictions, so let's not turn this into a UK vs. US debate. In fact it's the US that is at odds with the rest of the world on this matter and suffers one of the highest rates of firearms fatalities as a result. It's not because we are "afraid" or that we're sissies - it's because it's the responsible and informed thing to do.

You talk as if the US has absolutely no restrictions on firearms when that simply isn't the case.

Responsible thing to do. Yep that's why there was a gun ban in effect at a certain school in Virginia and at a certain theatre in Colorado, gun bans work so well. The U.S isn't at odds with anyone We're not fighting the world to keep our 2A right. 8000 deaths vs the number of gun owners is ridiculously small so don't try to spin it as its triple that number.No the U.S has restrictions of guns you are correct and I never said we didn't.

What are you blithering on about, tyrants?

I'm not anti-gun, and I don't live in a big city, what other completely wrong assumptions are you going to make up next?

Who did we fight to dissolve ourselves from? Let me give you a hint. It has to do with King and country.. And in regards to the big city comment a lot of people that live in big cities don't take into consideration why someone might want to own an AR-15 or AK-47 I wasn't targeting you per say I was just making an argument. And you're not anti-gun? Could of fooled me. I have yet to see a pro gun statement come from you.

[Calum Veteran]

Maybe I shouldn't have said that. At the time when I first found out about the story it kinda made me angry more because of the law than anything else. Sure he broke the law he as to do the time. Still think its a crappy law, which I know the majority of people there think its a just law. I mean I have a handgun sitting right next to me now and I look at it and think if I was in the U.K id get 2 years for that??

Thanks for clarifying :) I am personally fine with this law, considering the "gun culture" in the UK (i.e. I don't feel unsafe without a gun here and I don't believe anyone should be allowed to carry guns here), but considering the problem with guns in America and your views on guns, I can see why you wouldn't be happy with such a law. I think it's just important to see this from the view of someone who lives in the UK?most of us would probably feel more unsafe if people (like this man or otherwise) were allowed to carry handguns, and if the police hadn't punished this man for him having this handgun and ammo.

[MikeChipshop Member]

-snip-

You're back peddling so fast it's making me dizzy! :D

So our country isn't free because we have restrictions on hand guns eh? (Although we can, and i do, own rifles and shotguns)! What a load of pish.

I live it in Scotland where we happily tuck in to many a haggis. So, i'm over in the good ol' US for a holiday but i fancy a taste of home.. but oh no! America has banned haggis!

That's fine, i'll drown my sorrows with a nice gulp of Absinthe... *gulp* ARGHGH *spits out, what the hell is this crap? Oh yeah that's right, the main ingredient of Absinthe is banned in the US.

Shall i go on? Or do you finally realise you're no more free than us just because you can carry a hand gun?