After the Dunblane School massacre of 1996 the British government enacted among the strictest firearms laws in the world. The Firearms Acts in 1997 criminalized private possession of most handguns with a caliber of .22.
In 2008, the largest peaceful protest in British history was held in opposition to the gun controls by the government.
The Brits had seen about a 40 percent increase in gun violence since the ban.
One Brit who participated in the protest said ‘it is very simple. The authorities have no way of controlling the criminals anymore, so they are now controlling the law abiding. Making us easy targets.”
One British woman said at the protest that if Americans “had seen what we have seen they will fight for it,” meaning gun ownership rights. Another British man said, “The Americans need to learn from us. Don’t give an inch your Constitution matters. “Pericles said it better than me, responded one protester, “Freedom is only for those who have the guts to defend it.”
Handguns and automatic weapons have been effectively banned in Britain, but it is possible to own shotguns, and rifles if a person can demonstrate to the police that they have a good reason to own one, such as target shooting at a gun club, or deer hunting. According to an article in a December 2012 issue of The Economist, “The firearms-ownership rules are onerous, involving hours of paperwork. You must provide a referee who has to answer nosy questions about the applicant’s mental state, home life (including family or domestic tensions) and their attitude towards guns. In addition to criminal-record checks, the police talk to applicants’ family doctors and ask about any histories of alcohol or drug abuse or personality disorders.”
This week, protesters are expected at the Tucson City Council meeting as Councilman Steve Kozachik presents a proposal to Mayor and Council asking them to adopt the requirement that private gun sales occurring on City property have background checks prior to the sale. Kozachik says o his recent newsletter, “with the Mayor and Council’s agreement we’ll be telling the State that we are going to require background checks when private sales occur on our property.”
One Tucsonan said of the British gun laws and the proposals to restrict 2nd Amendment rights around the country, “What comes to mind is the fact that the Obama administration wants to employ the British model…and then you have Chicago, a state that employs the British type gun ban and it’s the most deadly state in the US….let Brittan be a shining example of what will happen to not only Chicago but to the rest of the nation if we go along with their stupid game.”