This is to Jay Pennsylvania has almost no restrictions. We can carry anywhere except a courthouse and Federal land. Including Philly
and we are a shall issue state
Tim

tim, austin, pa

It is obvious that cities and countries that opposes gun bans are the ones that have the lowest crime rate. Gun control activists refuse to accept that fact because they contradicts their opinions. California, DC, New York, New Jersey, Pensilvania and Maine, those states have the strictest gun bans and yet they have the highest crime rate in the U.S. This is more than just irony

Jay, Tampa, FL

If the UK is such a safe, gun-free society, why do the police at Heathrow carry H&K MP-5 Submachine guns in quick-access body armor chest packs ? Despite the rantings by people of the like of Rebecca Peters, the US is not a cowboy society. It has been proven, time and time again that areas where firearms can be owned and self-defense is protected, violent crime goes way down. The anti-gun forces in both the US and UK's major tools are a big rug and a broom to sweep the facts under. Think of the following, if we had told the Russians that we were a "Nuclear Weapons Free Zone", what dialect of Russian would we be speaking today ? or German, or Japanese ? - It's happening in Europe today. bowing over to the insane demands of Muslim Extremists is leading to a very nasty conclusion. Finally, the lack of legitimate firearm ownership, plus a very small portion of the UK police being weapons trained (and carrying) will lead to a huge 9-11 attack way beyond NY and Washington.

Vic F., St. Charles, Illinois, USA

Baloney to you people who want to ban guns. Why do Japnese-Americans-who can legally own guns-have a LOWER crime rate than Japanese living in Japan? I carried a gun "illegally" here in Tampa, Fla. for years when i was deleivering newspapers. The police knew it but none ever bothered me because I am a law-abiding citizen. You need to stop looking at the wrong end of the telescope

Leonard, Tampa, Fla., USA

Political Correctness is to blame for too leniant judges and the high crime rates in the UK. People are afraid to point fingers and lay blame where it belongs and judges with any political aspirations are afraid to convict and imprison for fear of politcal fall-out. Take the politics out of law and order and you will be surprised how quickly people will behave themselves.

Douglas Cochrane, Halifax,

Brown singlehandedly refused to pay for more prison building when chancellor and now as Prime Minister(unelect) is telling Judges to lock armed criminals up longer whilst his ministers are telling Judges to go easy on convicted felons because there are no cells available. Castigating Judges for this farce is a cynical political ploy by Nu labour to shift the blame from where it really belongs.

philip, ipswich,

the trouble is people are getting away with violent crime because the prisons are full of non violent criminals who should be doing community service this week a 64 yr old cancer sufferer war banged up for a year for benefit fraud, our courts have their priorities all wrong

tom, kent, uk

"In a truly free society, owning a gun is not a crime............... then law enforcement and government agencies should likewise be banned from possessing firearms."

Scott,

In a truly civil society, owning a gun in not an option. it is not a right because civil society recognises that guns add to violence & do not remove it. this is not just my opinion but is bore out by a multitude of statistics across the world.

In the UK as in Ireland the "beat cop" does not carry a gun. whilst that is always a danger to the police officer, it is always preferable to a situation where society must advocate the choice to the officer.

No where is gun crime so prolific than in societies where guns are historically or currently available. there is no sane person who will accept that ultimately holding guns will reduce gun crime.

The US has its laws, but remember that the civilised world is beyond your borders and will always remain so.

David, Moscow, Russia

In a truly free society, owning a gun is not a crime. Rather, people retain their natural law rights to arm and defend themselves. How does mere possession of a firearm warrant a five-year mandatory prison sentence? Should it not be what you do with a firearm that matters, not simply whether you have one? If there was a true moral justification for criminalizing mere possession of firearms, then law enforcement and government agencies should likewise be banned from possessing firearms. Obviously, this makes no sense. Perhaps one day you will reclaim your rights.

Scott, Houston, Texas, USA

The USA is not the greatest democracy in history. Greece was. Besides, what does being the greatest democracy on Earth have to do with being pragmatic about gun control. The fact is, without guns, people don't kill other people with guns. I'm sick of such pro-2nd Amendment nonsense! That amendment was made in a time when Native Americans and White Americans were at violent odds. It's a misguided amendment that needs cleaning up--and until that happens, not only is the USA going to be a disgraceful display of gun violence, but other countries that follow our lead may fall into the same inane trap.
Shannon, Richmond, VA, USA

Shannon Warnick, Richmond, USA, Virginia

Your draconian gun control measures will always have an unjust effect on human rights until such time you subject your subjects to compulsory and daily checks for weapons.

And is that the kind of society you want? Perhaps you could all wear matching leotards and be assigned numbers and bar codes to complete the picture.

Ken James, Seattle, Washington, United States

Mr Gordon Brown should remember that America has become the greatest democracy on earth and in history because of the God inspired second amendment to the Constitution. If he wants to keep Great Britain a democracy he should change course.

Ronnie, Paris, France

Ha ha ha ha I Iove this country, nu labour(ious) have screwed thinghs up so bad that the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing. All this bravado talk about 5 years for carrying a gun and then its a case of, oh, all the jails are full.
How about the government pay the indiginous people of this country a lot of money to leave, then they can play all day with the dregs left behind.

Mike Jones, Farnborough, Hampshire

Who do they think they are! I am fed up with the Judges! If they will not obey our elected representatives then we should appoint a committee of citizens to oversee them.
If they abuse democray then they should be answerable to the people.

Andy, London,