The tragedy of the multiple shootings have brought out the inevitable kneejerk calls for tougher gun laws.
That people holding gun licences should be checked is common sense, but what about the more dangerous illegal guns used in far more murders such as that of the Indian student in Salford?
More draconian gun laws would have no effect and we are rapidly getting to the situation even now where the only people who have access to guns are the criminals.
And what about knives?
In our village 40 years ago a man killed his wife and children with a knife and strangled his mistress with a rope.
There was no call for a ban on knives or ropes, and indeed the majority of murders are committed with a knife or rope, should we ban these as well?
The talk in the papers illustrates how little media people know about the requirements needed to obtain a gun licence.
I know how the system works as I sign many gun and firearm certificates, unlike the "experts" in the media
A full medical history is needed for a firearm certificate (rifle) and any suicidal or other signs of mental instability and even marital disharmony preclude the issuance of such a certificate.
It is my job to unearth any dangers before signing them fit to have a rifle.
The killer in Peterlee had a firearms certificate (and shouldn't) but the weapon used was a shotgun, not a rifle, for which the rules are less draconian and a certificate easier to gain.
Long range,(up to a mile) rifles are far more dangerous than shotguns and they are rightly heavily controlled, but shotguns are safe at 150 yards but devastatingly lethal at short range.
Shotguns are an essential part of country life, without them farm crops would be devastated by crows and pigeons and many of the people who control these pests are welcomed by farmers on to their land.
Yes they get pleasure but they do a lot of good, but they are generally stable and law abiding or they wouldn't have got a certificate in the first place.
Unfortunately people sometimes do flip and tragedies occur but to ban all guns would deprive the vast majority of owners of pleasure and incur great losses in agricultural production.
And the criminals would still kill with their unlicenced guns and knives.
Leave the gun laws as they are, if mad men do not use them they will kill in other ways and those killed would be--
JUST AS DEAD.
