Definition of Democracy

[DanaC]

The chance that civilian-owned guns may be needed to defend democracy must be balanced against both the risk that civilian-owned guns may be used (by a minority) to overthrow democracy, and the certainty that more guns will mean more gun deaths. In Britain, the need seems pretty low.

I would agree with that. Although, unfortunately, guns are starting to filter into our culture a little more via the innercity gangs. We've had several high-profile shootings over the last year or so, mainly involving gangs and mainly involving the black community. Why this is I don't know. It's been suggested that they're aping the South Central style gangsta culture of the US. I don't know if that's it or not, but amongst the white gangs it still tends to be mainly blades. We've had way more teenagers stabbed than shot, even with the new trend towards guns.