The routine ownership of fire-arms is ‘banned’ in most Western Europe countries! What is interesting is that the rebelling American government in the 1770s attempted to ‘militarise’ it’s British population against its rightful (elected) London government by overturning King Henry VIII’s (16th century) general ban on private weapon ownership. The King had dissolved the ownership of private armies as part of the dismantling of the feudal system and as a security against his fellow nobles launching an armed coup against his leadership! From that time onwards, the only military force allowed in the UK has been the British Army controlled by the Crown – and then after Cromwell (in the 17th century) Parliament. However, during the 18th century the British government was afraid of invasion by the French and for a time a law was in effect which allowed Local Militias to be formed – manned by the good and the well-off who could afford to pay for their own uniforms, pistols, muskets and training, etc. Interestingly, this law was active during the American War of Independence and it could be that the American rebels got the idea of arming their population from the British policy of preparing it’s homeland population to meet the threat of Napoleon. The difference is that no one in Britain felt the need to habitually own fire-arms or turn fire-arm ownership into a fetish. Guns were still owned, however, but usually only by farmers to defend themselves against poachers and to keep their livestock safe from animal predators. As a nation we do not feel the need for anyone but the British Army, Navy and Airforce to own and operate fire-arms and like most countries outside the US – we do have or want private gun ownership. If we want to fire a gun, we can register with a local rifle club and shoot away at a target range. What we do not do is kill our own children to make political points in the nation’s schools!
THE SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 