Backintothesky

I think I speak for everyone on this board when I say.... What? Putting aside the question of some supernatural being's existance, what you just said there makes no sense in the English language.

SO FCKING COOL!!

Yep, it's typical sensationalist journalism. I don't even think native Brits realise how many legally held firearms there are in the UK. I believe it was nearing 2 million a couple of years ago (and that's just in the hands of private citizens). I can't imagine how these "terrified" citizens react when they go to any UK airport and see armed police everywhere! If anyone thinks the UK is some gun free haven they are hugely mistaken.

Though it's going to be a bit ironic if he stops skydiving to stay safe and then dies because of: - cancer - car accident - commercial airline accident - heart attack - ebola - trips over and bangs his head - skiing accident - DIY accident - murdered - etc; etc Not saying you are wrong, but death is waiting for us all. It's going to happen and unfortunately it doesn't care whether you have a family to support. Non jumper's fear of skydiving is typically irrational based on the perception of danger. Yes it is dangerous, but so is having a private pilots licence but you don't see many people freaking out over their partner flying every weekend. Everything we do in life is dangerous - I was on a ladder the other day, lots of people die falling off ladders each year.

Whaaat....! That's the biggest load of bollocks since Batman's "To defeat fear you must become fear!" Preventing your home being broken into and drawing your weapon to defend yourself have no correlation in either skill or any other metric.

He's going to sue?! What a fucking scumbag. Whatever happened to personal responsibility?!

Criticizing America doesn't mean hating America. You're a sensitive lot ;-) In case you've never met a Brit before, we show our affection by insulting each other. Standard Brit greeting to a friend: "morning wanker". As a whole we are rather fond of you yanks, dumb as you may be

I wouldn't be so sure about similar culture, Switzerland has a militia based firearms culture and there are very few if any school massacres (obviously there are population size differences to take into account). Banning guns is no guarantee of ending these attacks. A determined attacker will find other means. IF PEOPLE REALLY CARED ABOUT ENDING VIOLENT DEATH THEY WOULD BE CALLING FOR A BAN ON ALCOHOL. So explain why the USA has by far the highest homicide rate of any nation with a similar culture and similar state of economic development. Are you SURE it's because the USA has a higher % of its population with murderous tendencies? The fact that the US has the highest rate of gun ownership among these nations doesn't occur to you as a possibility?

Yep I think it is quite a good system. There's a police background check when you join and the president and others in the club need to approve you. This is still quite restrictive, but it's about the closest thing I've heard of that matches what I'd LIKE to see happen everywhere. (But voluntarily as an individual choice). Owners need to be proficient in use, storage, cleaning, maintenance, safety,,,,,,,,, Used to be we learned it from our parents. And learned it well as part of the culture. Today, (urban areas), I wouldn't want most parents to own scissors........ as for who "gets" to be "given" a right - of course politicians get to have and do whatever they want - they are always "more equal" than the rest of us in their minds. THAT's the big problem.

Yep CCW is for people who, as part of their job, face people who might do them harm. It's a probabilities based thing. If I own a jewelers for example then I will probably be robbed at gunpoint at some time or another, so I'm allowed a weapon for self defence in that store. You can bet your ass that politicians are allowed CCW. Re. target shooting. Yes, you can lie. You need to actually belong to a gun club and make a minimum number of visits a year to keep your rights. You need at least 6 months as part of that club to buy more than .22. There's non of this FAC shit like in the UK where you have to have a cop visit your home and check that you are storing your guns correctly etc. You can also pick up black powder rifles and revolvers once you are over 18 and have a piece of ID on you. No need to belong to a gun club or anything. I guess the logic is that no-one will use them in a killing spree. Hunting licence is easy to get - just need to pass a test. The benefit of this is you don't need to keep going to the gun club to keep your licence. this is distressing that some pigs are more equal than others I prefer a system where every citizen has the same rights and opportunities to responsibly own property of their choice. Also one where each citizen gets to choose for themselves what level of risk their live entails. the less big brother, the better This is simply a feel good policy, IMO. So all a person has to do is lie and say the firearm is only for target shooting. That's just great. Apparently the firearm has a scanner and malfunctions at anything other than paper?

Really? China has some of the strictest gun laws in the world. Yet his is a regular occurance in China on a par with gun attacks in USA: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/21/china-knife-attack_n_5362413.html "But imagine if they had guns" Err this knife attack below dwarfs most gun attack body counts: http://news.yahoo.com/separatists-blamed-china-knife-attack-33-dead-134410685.html Banning guns doesn't help - murderous people will ALWAYS find a way. You can't ban knifes. Most cocaine and heroin is manufactured illegally. Are you contending a sizeable group of guns in circulation were manufactured illegally? No hes saying gun control is so stupid it should be illagal. Other than ome light chuckling at the irony..... It would seem that people in countries with stricter gun control tend to have a lower tendency to go on homocidal rages.

Purposes change over time and circumstances. A sword was originally designed to kill people. Swords aren't created today to kill people except for some that are used in certain countries to behead people. Circumstances and time have changed that purpose. Granted yes, firearms were created to kill people originally BUT the average civilian user of a firearm isn't buying or using it to kill someone. The purpose has changed. In the country I live (France), unless you have a hunting permit or a very difficult to come by CCW licence (reserved for persons at risk like judges, jewellers etc.) you can only purchase firearms for target shooting. I can buy an AK-47 but I can only use it for target shooting and it is semi auto only. That gun's primary purpose is putting holes in paper (round and not human shaped cos that's forbidden too) targets. If someone attacks me in my home and I happen to have access to my weapon I can use it to defend myself if I am facing lethal force (same as any country in the Western world - legal firearms owners can do the same in the UK). But that is not its primary purpose in the country I live and in the time I live in. The primary function of cars is transportation, the primary function of guns is to kill things. If you do not see the difference you are beyond redemption. Guns were originally designed to kill people. They were far more efficient and eventually replaced the arrow on the battle fields of Europe. The Indian tribes in America learned that this was true as they were being slaughtered by the troops of the Federal government. http://www.talonsite.com/tlineframe.htm It is not difficult to do a little research before posting.

If we're getting into semantics - actually the primary function of a gun is to propel projectiles over a distance. What you shoot at is entirely a personal choice. You can choose to use it to kill, much like you can choose to use a car to kill. For example, a .22 competition rifle (such as seen in the biathlon) is not produced to kill anything in the slightest - it is designed and manufactured to shoot at targets in a sport. Can it be used to kill? Absolutely. Is that its primary purpose. No. The primary function of cars is transportation, the primary function of guns is to kill things. If you do not see the difference you are beyond redemption.

Edited: "The yearly skydiving fatalities have proven what a total folly the USPA's claim that parachutes are useful for saving a skydiver's life really is. Every skydiver who has ever died was wearing a parachute and were trained in its use" A gun isn't a magic "always win a fight" card. Neither does wearing a rig guarantee you won't hit the ground too hard.

Well put Wow, you've fought wars on your own soil. I'd forgotten how unique that makes you in global society! If only there'd been a clue... Don't forget, we bailed your sorry asses out in WWII against the Germans. And like I mentioned earlier, we haven't sent soldiers over there to kill them, but we sure as HELL sent some over to save their ass. Your grasp of history is tenuous to non-existent. RAF had already WON the Battle of Britain and Hitler had cancelled invasion plans on 17 September 1940, 3 YEARS before the first US troops set foot in occupied Europe. There was never any risk at all of a Nazi invasion of Britain after 18 December 1940 (Hitler's Directive No. 21). Even you will recognize that this pre-dates 7th December 1941. Hollywood historians!!!

You can swop that rifle out for cigarettes and alcohol, banning those would have more impact on ALL early deaths. Would those same people crying out for gun bans be willing to give up their wine and cigs to stop people from getting drunk and killing themselves and others? But I've never hurt anyone after drinking they'd cry, why am I being punished?!

Headcorn also had a Britten-Norman Islander when I used to jump there. Don't know if it is still there. Thing was held together with scotch tape as far as I could see. Great response to "why do you jump out of planes?"........."have you seen the plane we ride up in" *points to Islander*

Yeah I think first jumps are a thrill seeking/personal challenge thing. I know my first jump was because I wanted to see if "I had the balls". A bit like young men who want to go to war to see if how they would react under fire. Of course it all changes once you've experienced it for real!

Beautifully haunting "then and now" pictures of the Allied Landings in June 44. http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/ng-interactive/2014/jun/01/d-day-landings-scenes-in-1944-and-now-interactive

Wow thats terrible. Hope it all works out. I drove in Florida in January this year and I noticed a lot of drivers behind you accelerate when you indicate to change lanes. Funny how every country has its specific driving "bad habits". In France its tailgating and trying to overtake you regardless of how fast you are going.

And how many people skydive because it is risky? Speaking for myself and others I know, if there was NO risk we would STILL do it.

Wow, glad to hear he is safe and going back to his family.

To be fair, given the number of experienced skydivers going in under a malfunctioning main over the last few years, it might not be a bad thing if more jumpers had that culture....

You asked for it