Editorial, June 05
Politics.. I knew it'd get me in the end

I hate getting political, if I could do without one thing in life it'd be dealing with politicians, and politics. I can't have a sensible conversation with half of them, and the other half just play to the audience. What follows is a piece I wrote in respect to the recently proposed Violent Crime Reduction Bill (it's been syndicated to quite a few places online so far).

You'll notice that the article is not written in the form of "save Airsoft!" which to my mind is the narrow minded view, rather it takes the view that the current proposal does nothing for this country and represents a bill that has had multiple topics thrown into it so as to bundle it through the Commons on the back of the popular topics that no one would dare contest. The premise is simple, tighter controls on Firearms are pointless, years of amendments to the Acts have left us with some of the tightest laws in the world in relation to guns of any form and gun related crime is still out of control according to the statistics that are peddled to push this bill through. The bill fully demonstrates how by enlarge this country has been turned into a population irrationally scared of anything gun shaped, with the popular media and the vast majority of politicians to blame for the current state of affairs. We now stand poised to ban anything and everything that looks like a gun in one final amendment to protect the population from their own phobias. This country needs effective laws and legislation that support our Police and allow them to be more effective in upholding order and combating antisocial criminal behaviour.

In a direct response to the problems here's a new website up online called http://saveairsoft.org/, where retailers and Airsoft companies have joined together in an effort to have the bill adjusted so that it is fairer to the minorities that it affects. I also strongly suggest that individuals that feel passionate about the situation make educated and worthwhile communications to their local MPs at http://www.writetothem.com/, or direct to Downing Street http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/page821.asp. You can also discuss the matter in our forums here.

Enough rambling from me on the topic though, I've muttered enough after reading the VCR from top to bottom, it's not all bad but there's a lot hidden away in its pages. Here's the article:

The Violent Crime Reduction Bill and what it means to you.

"By a free country, I mean a country where people are allowed, so long as they do not hurt their neighbours, to do as they like. I do not mean a country where six men may make five men do exactly as they like." - Lord Salisbury (1830-1903)

Synopsis: What this country needs is more effective methods of policing, combined with a more effective means of tackling antisocial behaviour in adolescents specifically directed at the cause of the problem, and not at the tools that are used by those that choose to become criminals.

In its current form the Violent Crime Reduction Bill does not effectively tackle what it purports to achieve. The proposed revisions to the Firearms Acts specifically relating to ‘realistic imitation firearms’ are merely more draconian measures that promise the unbelievable, unfairly trample upon minorities and further erode our civil rights. The proposal that making it illegal for responsible people to own replicas will deter the criminal fraternity is pure nonsense.

Members of the public want effective laws that help protect our society and address current issues whilst providing support to our Police forces, not more inadequate laws.

The Violent Crime Reduction Bill: The current government’s flagship piece of legislation, the Violent Crime Reduction Bill (VCR Bill), was recently thrust into the public media, with coverage across all available news mediums.

Every headline in relation to this bill reads along the lines of “targets replica guns”, when the published intent of the bill is to restore ‘respect’ in local communities that suffer from anti-social behaviour from certain groups of society. The bill proposes tight controls across a vast range of issues including drinking, alcohol licensing, firearms, imitation firearms, pen knives, bladed tools, mobile phone servicing, and football spectators, whilst also promoting greater stop and search powers for teachers and their pupils.

To address every point in the mammoth bill is unfeasible; however one of the key points proposed is to place severe restrictions upon the sale/trade and import of anything that could look like a firearm to a member of the general public.

Specifically relating to firearms and imitation weapons, the current news articles in the press bundle in details about ‘readily convertible’ 9mm PAK blank-firers (which are already illegal in this country), misuse of high power air weapons such as rifles/pistols (this is already illegal with special legislation passed only last year to tighten up controls) and the carrying of a replica firearm in a public place (again this was already made an offence last year in the Anti Social Behaviour Act). These separate issues relating to intrinsically different products are then irresponsibly wrapped by the press up into an unbelievable vision of an inert plastic toy gun that any child can buy for pennies to be converted in seconds to kill another human being.

Reasons for the need for such a ban from the Police themselves are normally given as "It is often almost impossible to tell the difference between a real gun and a replica." (Chief Superintendent Paul Robinson, Scotland Yard). In all honesty, anything that looks like a firearm should be treated as such by law enforcement officers until identified as otherwise, and this would remain the case even after a possible ban on anything that looked like a firearm. Right now there is legislation in place to tackle the carrying of anything that looks like a firearm in a public place, so why the need for more ineffective laws?

What it all boils down to is hugely encompassing bill driven by mass political hysteria and misinformation. The news in relation to the shooting of Harry Stanley and the recent updates in that case have fallen from current coverage at the BBC where it doesn't even appear in the recent firearms related news column. For those that missed it Harry Stanley was sadly shot and killed back in 1999 when a wooden chair leg was mistaken for a real firearm. Would the current proposed legislation have saved his life?

A criminal committing a criminal act or violent crime will do so with what is available to them. Trying to remove what are perceived as the weapons of a criminal, be it knives or sharp instruments of some form or something that looks like a firearm, will neither stop the individual nor the crime that will take place.

It's widely accepted that there should be more stringent laws concerning the licensing, import and sale of blank firers and laws were already tightened up last year, but to suggest that anything that looks like a firearm should be banned simply doesn't make sense. On what level does such an action promote public safety or reduce violent crime? Criminals who wish to commit criminal acts will do so with what is commonly available, remove one item from them and they will move to the next available tool. To put things in perspective if this bill was here to combat burglaries and home invasion in the UK we'd be seeing an overly hyped up proposed ban on screwdrivers and hammers in the popular press.

What this country needs is more effective methods of policing, combined with a more effective means of tackling antisocial behaviour in adolescents specifically directed at the cause of the problem, and not at the tools that are used by those that choose to become criminals.

The United States is a country where firearms of any sort are looked upon with respect and as specialized tools, much like a chainsaw or lawn mover. No one is unreasonably scared of a licensed firearm or of a licensed firearm owner, for the simple fact that it's understood that a licensed legal firearm is of no threat to them. In states where concealed carry permits have been issued to law abiding citizens they have been a proven deterrent against criminal activity in local neighbourhoods and a large factor in the reduction of local crime. Such a radical change in UK law would not be feasible however it goes to prove that a society can function where responsible licensed citizens who may own and appropriately use specialised tools and equipment are included.

We can only hope that the flaws in the current proposed bill are realised and that vital amendments are made that tackle the real issues relating to the anti-social misuse of firearms, that being higher sentences for those that misuse imitation firearms of any type, and tough standards to ensure that no replica (read blank firer or deactivated weapon) can get into the UK that can be readily converted to fire live ammunition and thus become a lethal weapon.

It'd be nice to see the responsible and factual education of firearms to the public, perhaps leading to a country in the future that doesn't irrationally suffer a heart attack the second the word 'gun' is uttered; yet sadly that looks unlikely. Guns are quite simply "Bad" [sic] in the UK, the general public doesn't really know why and most likely couldn't explain it themselves, but after being battered through every possible media stream with factually incorrect anti-firearm related propaganda we're sadly left in a country living on tip toes ready to jump on the back of new bans and legislation at the crack of a whip.

Sports such as fencing, martial arts, competition shooting, target shooting, paintball and airsoft; hobbies such as historical re-enactment, model collectors, model makers, and museums; sporting stores, people’s past times, individual livelihoods and all relating industries will all be completely destroyed or severely curtailed if this new bill is passed in its current form, all under the false guise of “public safety”.

Members of the public want effective laws that help protect our society whilst providing support to our Police forces, not more draconian measures that promise the unbelievable, unfairly trample upon minorities and further erode our civil rights.

The Violent Crime Reduction Bill must be stopped from being enacted in its current form here and now.