Re: UK bans import of replica firearms...
Well as a old fart I can help answer a couple of questions:
Years ago here in AZ we had a problem where it was NOT a gun crime if you used a toy gun in a robbery. Criminals were getting away with nearly murder this way.
Even when it looked totally real and caused real fear in the victims.
I think someone even died of a heart attract due to fear of a toy gun, anyway they passed a law that if you brandish a toy gun as real, then it is real, in the eyes of the law, in the committing of a crime and in the eyes of the police.
They did not ban toy guns at that time, just made using them in a crime the same as using a real gun.
Later they then made the rule that toy guns had to have the braze orange barrels and better to be other bright colors so they look less real.
Here within the gun owners clubs, the feeling has been, IF they get to ban toy guns then it will be just a another step towards banning real guns, as in let them win one they will then go for another: so we fight even that.
We here in the states have a very real fear that if they take away our guns we will find ourselves in a police state. Many fear the taking away of many of our personal freedoms. (Many are already going…) And I for one fear that may be a very real fear.
There are things going on outside our hobby that are very bad.
Anyway that could be a part of the reason for the ban.
You might check and if the above is the reason, suggest that the use of any weapon of any kind, toy or real gun, pickle/finger in a pocket or bag be treaded as a gun crime, as in attempted murder, as in assault with a deadly weapon, make the ACT of acting like you have a gun in fact the crime, not ownership of the toy or even the real guns, make the act of brandishing a toy or real gun the crime.
After all, if they go that far, then all men should be castrated, as all men carry the weapon of rape.
It is a little like the Philip K. Dick story about stopping future crime, Minority Report.
And just as unworkable.
My 2 cents.
Rich
Well as a old fart I can help answer a couple of questions:
Years ago here in AZ we had a problem where it was NOT a gun crime if you used a toy gun in a robbery. Criminals were getting away with nearly murder this way.
Even when it looked totally real and caused real fear in the victims.
I think someone even died of a heart attract due to fear of a toy gun, anyway they passed a law that if you brandish a toy gun as real, then it is real, in the eyes of the law, in the committing of a crime and in the eyes of the police.
They did not ban toy guns at that time, just made using them in a crime the same as using a real gun.
Later they then made the rule that toy guns had to have the braze orange barrels and better to be other bright colors so they look less real.
Here within the gun owners clubs, the feeling has been, IF they get to ban toy guns then it will be just a another step towards banning real guns, as in let them win one they will then go for another: so we fight even that.
We here in the states have a very real fear that if they take away our guns we will find ourselves in a police state. Many fear the taking away of many of our personal freedoms. (Many are already going…) And I for one fear that may be a very real fear.
There are things going on outside our hobby that are very bad.
Anyway that could be a part of the reason for the ban.
You might check and if the above is the reason, suggest that the use of any weapon of any kind, toy or real gun, pickle/finger in a pocket or bag be treaded as a gun crime, as in attempted murder, as in assault with a deadly weapon, make the ACT of acting like you have a gun in fact the crime, not ownership of the toy or even the real guns, make the act of brandishing a toy or real gun the crime.
After all, if they go that far, then all men should be castrated, as all men carry the weapon of rape.
It is a little like the Philip K. Dick story about stopping future crime, Minority Report.
And just as unworkable.
My 2 cents.
Rich
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