Can a Brit explain this to me please?

[Sarien]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/5130218.stm

I don't like to step on the laws of any other country, but, does this actually seem right to anyone? I mean I'll fully grant that a law was broken, but the guy is an upstanding citizen, co-operated completely, never hurt anyone, and he's going to jail for four years?

I don't get it. That seems a little evil, actually.

[ZeUs!!]

Its probably in the news because of Tony Martin:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3672701.stm

However in this case, rules are rules

[Suh]

hmm that does seem a tad harsh

[Sufficient]

While you're at it ... if chips = fries in England ... than what do (potato) chips = ?

[scumbag]

While you're at it ... if chips = fries in England ... than what do (potato) chips = ?

if you mean potato chips as in chips n dip, then (potato) chips = crisps

[DoTheFandango]

He had 19 illegal weapons dude. That's why.

And hollow points.

[Colossos]

we like to make school shootings as rare as possible, so a teacher with a load of guns doesn't please us

[Sarien]

He had 19 illegal weapons dude. That's why.

And hollow points.

You can buy hollow point rounds in America at pretty much any place that sells any kind of ammunition. They are not in anyway super deadly cop killer ammunition. The bullet is just a different shape, so that on impact the round expands easier.

And 21 "illegal weapons" is to be blunt with you here, an idiotic justification for taking away four years of this man's life.

I concede it's their law, and against their law, but that doesn't make it any less evil to my point of view. Of course they've their right to have whatever system of laws that their country wants, but I can't help but believe that it's wrong and horrible. My question was, how can a person support that kind of law and that punishment when the guy hasn't harmed anyone, co-operated completely, and is quite obviously just a collector that hadn't gotten around to sawing a big chunk out of each receiver to make them non weapons.

Gun bans are by far some of the most moronic sets of laws on the face of the earth. They're nonsensical and only serve to make pussies "feel safer". If you're scared of guns for just existing, not talking about being used against you, mind you. Just the fact that they exist and make you uncomfortable, you're not an enlightened human being. You're a coward. 500 years ago you would've been the type of person to yell "WITCH!" at the top of your lungs and try to get someone burned to death for other things that made you uncomfortable or that you couldn't understand.

we like to make school shootings as rare as possible, so a teacher with a load of guns doesn't please us

Last I checked, pretty much every shooting I've ever heard of has been by a student with "emotional problems" that illegally obtained a firearm and went on a murder spree. Not the legally licensed and responsible headmaster.

The best two posts here I happen to think are Zeus' and Suzie-Q's. Rules are Rules, not talking about right and wrong, that just simply is the way their law is set up. I just happen to see it as terribly wrong.

[genocidal]

Hell in America they give you free membership to that National Guard for that.

[NaiLed]

don't see the problem. he knew the law and decided to break it

[Aquatiq]

My question was, how can a person support that kind of law and that punishment when the guy hasn't harmed anyone, co-operated completely, and is quite obviously just a collector that hadn't gotten around to sawing a big chunk out of each receiver to make them non weapons.

Meh, that seems like an extremely far-left way of looking at it.

[Sydi]

Gun bans are by far some of the most moronic sets of laws on the face of the earth. They're nonsensical and only serve to make pussies "feel safer". If you're scared of guns for just existing, not talking about being used against you, mind you. Just the fact that they exist and make you uncomfortable, you're not an enlightened human being. You're a coward. 500 years ago you would've been the type of person to yell "WITCH!" at the top of your lungs and try to get someone burned to death for other things that made you uncomfortable or that you couldn't understand.

And why do you think we don't have so high gun crime over here? Because not every idiot can go out and buy a gun because he has his Amendment-guaranteed 'right to bear arms'. Gun bans get less people shot. Fact. It's not that we're scared of guns existing. It's that people are STUPID, and so will misuse weapons. Not everyone, but enough. As far as I can see, saving lives is a good thing, something which gun bans certainly achieve. They make sure that only responsible people can handle firearms. As a teacher, this guy should have known that he was violating that responsibility, and as such, good guy or not, he deserves that prison sentence.

[genocidal]

Meh, that seems like an extremely far-left way of looking at it.

Or far-right since right to bear arms is traditionally a rightist view (that is if you want to look at things in a very polarized way, which isn't all that helpful).

[DoTheFandango]

And 21 "illegal weapons" is to be blunt with you here, an idiotic justification for taking away four years of this man's life.

If they are illegal, then they are illegal. From what I read, they weren't illegal due to rules, they were illegal because he didn't have the permits for them.

[Emaho]

What the fuck would he need....
"21 weapons not covered by his permit, along with illegal ammunition, including 190 hollow point rounds which expand on impact." for???