Public Alienation

Written by Spencer Aland


An Ex-soldier in Britain has been found guilty of possession of a firearm, and could face up to five years in jail, for finding an illegal gun dumped in his backyard and then turning it into the police station. When I first read this story I had a hard time believing it to be true; I doubled checked to make sure I hadn’t clicked on a news satire website on accident, but to my absolute dismay it is a true story. The man found a sawed-off shotgun dumped into his yard from an adjoining park and decided that he should get it to the police straightaway. He took the weapon into the police station where he was immediately arrested and locked up for possession of a firearm. The court found him guilty, because it is ’strict liability’ and his intentions made no difference.


This is a perfect example of how gun control laws alienate the general public. The public is taught that the government has everything under control and that self preservation is not only unnecessary, but can be punishable. How many times have we heard of would-be burglars suing their intended victims for causing them some kind of harm in self defense? These types of things should not happen. An armed citizen should have the right to defend themselves, and a law abiding citizen has a right to report crime without fear of punishment.


Gun control laws in Britain should serve as an example of where that type of legislation can lead. Harsh gun control laws lead to a world of absolutes; a world where a person’s intent is irrelevant; a world where everyone with a gun is the enemy regardless of where, when, how, or even if they ever use it. The general public may be the best ally the police have in winning the war on crime, but heavy gun control is nothing more than friendly fire.