The difference between the UK and the US is that you had to prove your guns were for target/sports shooting. You had to have a safe secure place to keep them, you had to provide evidence of membership of a shooting club/organisation. The guns over here were not like the US, used for self defence, they were for sport ONLY. The guns over here were supposed to be in safe hands.
When the Dunblane tragedy happened, nobody in the shooting community could stand up and say "we are safe" because the shooting of those children was by a "member" of the shooting community.
How could any of us stand up and argue for us to keep our pistols, when we were looked upon as the "guilty" parties. As far as I and pretty much anyone else is concerned, the police were MUCH more to blame for those terrible events.
The police allowed Thomas Hamilton to keep his gun licence DESPITE warnings about his character, DESPITE him taking his guns out in a public place, DESPITE him showing his guns to the local school children. Yet the person responsible for letting him keep/renew his licence, faced no charges and was allowed to slip quietly out of the force. I wonder if he has nightmares? I hope so.
Sorry guys rant over.
Simon
ps for those not in the UK, more info here
Dunblane massacre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia