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I do not wish to open up the 'right to bear arms' emotions, but this is a sad weekend in Britain.

The first policewoman to be shot dead in Britain for more than twenty years lost her life over the weekend. Police in Britan rarely carry guns .Two policewomen walked into an armed robbery and both were shot. The other policewoman has a shoulder injury and will pull through.

A policeman being shot is a big thing here, as is a policeman using a gun. We do not have the right to bear arms , so anyone with a handgun is breaking the law and if you have a rifle, you better have a license and a darn good reason.

Why do people want to carry handguns ,except to protect themselves from others with handguns? If they were banned except for police officers and carrying one became a five year prison strech , who would have reason to complain?

I hear what you're saying and it's constantly a problem for our law enforcement here in the States where the criminals have more firepower than the ones who should be defending the citizens.

Sorry to hear about what happened, unfortunate when anyone in law enforcement loses their lives for all of the free citizens.

Criminals will always have guns even if they are outlawed. I have several firearms and a concealed weapons permit and would not hesitate to shoot someone should they break into my house and threaten my family.

That was a very sad case of the policewoman who was killed on duty. Given what the police sometimes have to face, I would respect their wish to carry firearms if that`s what they wanted to do. However, I`d be concerned that in time, every `Joe Public` would want to be able to carry a gun...I`ve even read on this forum, about them being taken onto the golf course..

Certainly not criminals...

Lefty, I presume you live in an area with an active police force that does a pretty good job of keeping tabs on what's going on in that area. Some of us aren't in that position. The nearest police department to where I live is nearly a 30 minute drive, so would I really expect them to respond swiftly in the event that something should happen at home? Honestly, no. That's where the issue of personal protection comes into play. It would be ideal if a ban on such weapons would prevent anyone from getting ahold of them, but it would also be incredibly naive to think it would work.

That said, I'm saddened to hear of this woman's death. It is unfortunate that criminals sometimes feel the need to compound their wrongdoings further by taking actions such as that.

You would have to be the world's most totally isolated from reality human to think that "banning" weapons would keep them out of the hands of criminals. I spent several years in law enforcement and working in a jail, and I can tell you from first hand experience, 99.999% of the thugs could not care less what silly, stupid laws the idiot politicians make. If they want a weapon, they will have one. I live in Florida, which has the higest per capita number of concealed weapons carry permits in the USA. We have NO problem from law abiding citizens carrying concealed guns. It will make many criminals think twice about who to acost, since the last thing a thug wants is to try to rob an armed person. Yes, I have a concealed carry permit, and yes, I do go armed at times. I also have the training and experience to do so. No, I don't usually carry a weapon to play golf here. But I have lived in areas of the country where I did, because of crime on the golf course. This is the reality of the times we live in, and no Ivory Tower, idealistic approach will change it.

Felons will always have guns even if they are outlawed. I have several firearms and I wish i had a concealed weapons (CCW) permit and would not hesitate to shoot an intruder should they break into my house and threaten me or my family.

a sad case, that policewoman forced to be unprepared with a firearm who was killed on duty. if such dangerously naively policies can be changed by the police offers that actually go on patrols at least that policeman could have died wihile fighting crime, not just be another helpless victum that'll encourge more of such violence from violent felons.

NO. There is no law stating how many firearms a U.S. citizen can own. There are laws that seriously restrict the type of firearm. Fully automatic weapons can only be owned by legitmate law enforcement agencies or private citizens with a special Federal Class 3 firearms permit.

...GOSH... , I would imagine that huntsmen require different guns/rifles for different purposes, but insofar as self-defence is concerned, is more than one gun necessary ?...or are guns heavily marketed to encourage customers to buy different types for their aesthetic appeal...a bit like me with putters

There are some beautifully crafted guns out there that are kept for aesthetic purposes, but in many cases, the firearms that people would keep in cases of self-defense (in the home anyway) are also employed in hunting. You are right about the need for various types of guns for different animals...but like trying to convince a non-golfer that you need a new driver, you just won't get many non-hunters to believe it!!

That is great! Never thought of it that way. Really, how many drivers and putters do we need? One of each. My driver and putter work great but I still like to look and consider. But we like to have more - just like hunters. I don't care what they say, a .30-06 can take any north american game - period. What worries me is the guy that has to pick the .300 WM just to be able to take the "450 yard shot". No hunter should ever take a shot that long and I don't care how good they are. But if they made drivers and balls to reach the green from 450 yards out....

Very sad about the policewoman - there was a time when the police in the UK were almost never subject to armed violence for a couple of reasons - the 1st was the knowledge of that the entire police force would be out to find the perpetrators generally with the help of informers or 'petty' criminals and the 2nd that the penalty for killing another human being was death!

In SA there's a massive campaign for a "gun free" SA and all holders of licensed firearms -and there are many - have to apply for relicensing. However, the rub is that there are literally thousands of unlicensed firearms in the hands of hardened criminals who have little hesitation in using them on the slightest provcation knowing full well that the worst that can happen to them is prison.

Whatever liberal reasons there may be for abolishing the death penalty, I can never understand how a killer's human rights take precedence over the rights of the innocent victim.

It is said that the death penalty is no deterrent - that may be true but one thing is for sure, the hanged murderer definitely won't do it again.

If there is no limit in America as to how many guns someone may own, what safeguards are there to prevent someone legally buying ten guns and then illegally selling those guns to criminals ?

When you buy a firearm in the US, it is registered in your name with the government. Should you sell to a criminal, and he uses it in a crime, expect a knock on your door by the authorities.