Mick,
The question isn't a matter of should a person carry. Not in my mind anyway.
The question become the structure of law that do not allow freedom of choice for citizens to "defend themselves" appropriate for the level of threat.
What is defend themselves?
"Use of force is justified when a person reasonably believes that it is necessary for the defense of oneself or another against the immediate use of unlawful force. However, a person must use no more force than appears reasonably necessary in the circumstances.
Force likely to cause death or great bodily harm is justified in self-defense only if a person reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm."
A person my go through their entire life without the need to defend themselves in any circumstance. Congratulations! However, for unlucky souls, someday there be the need to defend themselves against a goblin that is better prepared, stronger, faster, and evil.
The UK home office list the terrorism level as "severe - an attack is highly likely". So, you sit on the local public transportation/bus in London and a terrorist with an AK-47 is on your bus. What level of force do you have available to you LEGALLY to defend yourself and others?
Oh, the Prof is nuts, that's doesn't happen in the UK:
December 2009: Scotland Yard has warned businesses in London to expect a Mumbai-style attack on the capital. In a briefing in the City of London 12 days ago, a senior detective from SO15, the Metropolitan police counter-terrorism command, said: “Mumbai is coming to London.” The detective said companies should anticipate a shooting and hostage-taking raid “involving a small number of gunmen with handguns and improvised explosive devices”.
"The 7 July 2005 London bombings, also known as 7/7, were a series of coordinated suicide attacks on London's public transport system during the morning rush hour. The bombings were carried out by four British Muslim men, three of Pakistani and one of Jamaican descent, who were motivated by Britain's involvement in the Iraq War.
At 08:50, three bombs exploded within fifty seconds of each other on three London Underground trains, a fourth exploding an hour later at 09:47 on a double-decker bus in Tavistock Square. The explosions appear to have been caused by home-made organic peroxide-based devices, packed into rucksacks and detonated by the bombers themselves, all four of whom died. Fifty-two people were killed and around 700 were injured."
There are many things that the Israelis have wrong, but preparation against evil is not one of them. The US is still too strict on its right to self defense. We are going to get slapped by evil because of it.
Clint Smith once stated that a handgun is not meant to be comfortable, it is meant to be comforting.
Citizens cannot count on the police to be there when needed. This is a fact.
There is evil in the world. This is a fact.
There are prepared citizen that can, if allowed, be prepared against evil when it happens.
