NEWS RELEASE FROM THE LIBERTARIAN ALLIANCE
In Association with the Libertarian International
Release Date: Wednesday 2nd June 2010
Release Time: Immediate
Contact Details:
Dr Sean Gabb, 07956 472 199, sean@libertarian.co.uk
For other contact and link details, see the foot of this message
Release url: http://www.libertarian.co.uk/news/nr081.htm"CUMBERLAND SHOOTINGS: GUN BANS MEAN MORE GUN CRIME" SAYS FREE MARKET AND CIVIL LIBERTIES POLICY INSTITUTE
The Libertarian Alliance, the radical free market and civil liberties
institute, today calls for the relegalisation of civilian gun ownership in
the United Kingdom as the only way for ordinary people to protect
themselves against gun massacres. [This news release is prompted by the
killings of at least five people on the 2nd June 2010 in and around the
Cumberland town of Whitehaven.]
Speaking today in London, Dr Sean Gabb, Director of the Libertarian
Alliance, comments:
"This outrage will certainly bring calls from the police and other victim
disarmament advocacy groups for further gun control. However, bearing in
mind that civilian ownership of handguns was outlawed in the two Firearms
Acts of 1997, we fail to see, unless the murder weapon was a shotgun, what
there is left to be outlawed.
"The Libertarian Alliance notes that these shootings would have been
extremely difficult in a country where the people were allowed to arm
themselves. We understand that the killer, Derrick Bird, was able to drive
in perfect safety around Whitehaven, shooting people at random. None of
his victims was in any position to return fire. Only when armed police
could eventually be brought in did he feel it necessary to run away.
"In the United States, at least one campus shooting was brought to a
premature end by armed civilians. The same is true in Israel, where many
members of the public go about armed. Only in a country like England,
where the people have been systematically disarmed, can a killer go about
like a fox among chickens.
"The Libertarian Alliance believes that all the Firearms Acts from 1920
onwards should be repealed. The largely ineffective laws of 1870 and 1902
should also be repealed. It should once again be possible for adults to
walk into a gun shop and, without showing any permit or proof of identity,
buy as many guns and as much ammunition as they can afford. They should
also be able to use lethal force, at home and in public, for the defence
of life, liberty and property.
"Only then will ordinary people be safe from evil men like Derrick Bird."
END OF COPY
Note(s) to Editors
Dr Sean Gabb is the Director of the Libertarian Alliance. His book,
Cultural Revolution, Culture War: How Conservatives Lost England, and How
to Get It Back, may be downloaded for free from http://tinyurl.com/34e2o3.
It may also be bought. His other books are available from Hampden Press at
http://www.hampdenpress.co.uk.He can be contacted for further comment on
Extended Contact Details:
The Libertarian Alliance is Britain's most radical free market and civil
liberties policy institute. It has published over 700 articles, pamphlets
and books in support of freedom and against statism in all its forms.
These are freely available at http://www.libertarian.co.uk
Our postal address is
The Libertarian Alliance
Suite 35
2 Lansdowne Row
Mayfair
London
W1J 6HL
Tel: 07956 472 199
Associated Organisations
The Libertarian International - http://www.libertarian.to - is a sister
organisation to the Libertarian Alliance. Its mission is to coordinate
various initiatives in the defence of individual liberty throughout the
world.
Sean Gabb's personal website - http://www.seangabb.co.uk - contains about
a million words of writings on themes interesting to libertarians and
conservatives.
Hampden Press - http://www.hampdenpress.co.uk.- the publishing house of
the Libertarian Alliance.
Liberalia - http://www.liberalia.com - maintained by by LA Executive
member Christian Michel, Liberalia publishes in-depth papers in French and
English on libertarianism and free enterprise. It is a prime source of
documentation on these issues for students and scholars.
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