The Second Ammendment Lobby and Police Safety

[Stan]

Stan, the funny thing is that American's, as a group, have more rights (or more correctly, fewer governmental restrictions) than they did fifty years ago. Segregation is one example, marihuana, profanity, along with interracial marriage, birth control, and any number of other "blue laws" that have been relaxed. I am not sure that people today would recognize the America of the 1950's. Now on the flip side of that, and in line with Carl's comments on religion, many of these blue laws had a religious basis. It is not so much that people are becoming less free as it is that the traditional religious based restrictions on society are falling away, perhaps creating a feeling of being lost, without a harbor in the storm of social change. I really can't say. But it could be a contributing factor.

Stan,
Not near as funny as just strange. Where I spent my youth just south of Reading, and to this day, no alcohol sales on Sunday. You're right though, doesn't seem to matter and perhaps even a false sense of security. The Amish still do their thing, everyone gets along.

However, if we were to one day tell all those folks they could no longer hunt, use a firearm, etc. that would be something I would dare to witness. You may end up going into the forest to find them, and would indeed be met with stiff opposition if not shot.

[Stan]

David,
I recall our SO-13/15 instructors telling us that "3rd world immigrants and their offspring" involved in gang wars posed the worst threat with firearm related crimes in 2009 increasing by nearly 50%.

There was even talk that white British children attending schools in London would soon be considered a minority.

I have not done my homework (I have a day job too), but would assume this has changed ?

[davidbfpo]

David,
I recall our SO-13/15 instructors telling us that "3rd world immigrants and their offspring" involved in gang wars posed the worst threat with firearm related crimes in 2009 increasing by nearly 50%.

There was even talk that white British children attending schools in London would soon be considered a minority.

I have not done my homework (I have a day job too), but would assume this has changed ?

Some short answers.

London certainly has a widespread problem with knife crime, gangs, drugs and more - the roots of which can be seen coming from immigration. Many of the offspring, let alone their parents, are now British-born and hold UK citizenship. I don't know any stats, but 95% of all murders in London are detected - the Met's Commissioner on BBC TV last week.

Locally firearms-related incidents have dropped off, with fewer fatalities, instead the preference is for "punishment" injuries and very few ever complain officially.

Nationally the prisons have a higher number of non-white (often called BME officially) inmates.

There have been numerous references, said with pride - except for a few - that London's population is now 40% non-British born. That does not mean non-white as the last ten years have seen large French (500k mainly in London & south-east) and Polish (1m plus across the UK) communities arrive. It has been reported, mainly using polling, that "new comer" communities are more loyal to Britain than the indigenous!

[TheCurmudgeon]

There have been numerous references, said with pride - except for a few - that London's population is now 40% non-British born. That does not mean non-white as the last ten years have seen large French (500k mainly in London & south-east) and Polish (1m plus across the UK) communities arrive. It has been reported, mainly using polling, that "new comer" communities are more loyal to Britain than the indigenous!

On a personal note, I am a first and a half generation American. My mother was born in a part of Poland that is now part of the Ukraine and my father was a first generation American who fought in WWII. My mother did not teach me Polish, much to my chagrin, because we were now Americans. And even though she hated Truman for selling out Poland in the treaties with Stalin, America was her home and we were Americans.

I always assumed this was an American thing, but I guess I can see it from any group that moves to a country they see as "Utopia".

[Stan]

On a personal note, I am a first and a half generation American. My mother was born in a part of Poland that is now part of the Ukraine and my father was a first generation American who fought in WWII. My mother did not teach me Polish, much to my chagrin, because we were now Americans. And even though she hated Truman for selling out Poland in the treaties with Stalin, America was her home and we were Americans.

I always assumed this was an American thing, but I guess I can see it from any group that moves to a country they see as "Utopia".

Stan,
A valid point. I'm 50% Swiss and mom from Singapore. But, you would not hear anything bad from either about being American. Different time zone. I doubt that feeling exists today.

I once had a school mate draw a swastika on my arm in 7th grade. when I made it home, I got the daylights slapped out of me. Might have been the only time I recall mom doing that and being so adamant that this would never occur again in our American household.

[TheCurmudgeon]

However, if we were to one day tell all those folks they could no longer hunt, use a firearm, etc. that would be something I would dare to witness. You may end up going into the forest to find them, and would indeed be met with stiff opposition if not shot.

I built a couple of roads in Afghanistan. We would always go to the next village the road would pass through, meet with the elders, and explain who we were and what we were doing. It was always standard to ask if there was anything else we could do. In one village the elder said "No, you come you build your road, you leave. We don't want your religion or your culture." That is a bit of a paraphrase, but generally accurate. That is not too far from the feeling you are describing. Human nature is pretty standard across the species even if what we want is not always the same.

[TheCurmudgeon]

Jumping to the Social media, every now and then I see this.