Self defense and right to bear arms in UK

I'm just wondering if you have anything to say or ask about immigration.  I mean this IS an immigration forum.  

Well yeah I do want to move to the USA but will probably  start off by going there on a student visa, I've been to Montana before and maybe I will move there or somewhere else thats libertarian like Virginia, I'm also interested in baseball and other stuff in England but don't think theres much of that where I live

I have to agree that this is not going to end well at all. 

It will, you just gotta be optimistic

Now I'm new here and only really want some opinions and personal experiences

(obviously I want to contribute in other ways to the forum but this is just something I've been wanting to ask)

, now personally I'm quite Libertarian when it comes to self defense laws and think that the UK should have a similar approach as the USA, or at the very least allow citizens to carry non lethal stuff like a pepper spray or a taser.

Where I live in Plymouth I'd say I generally feel safe most of the time, but if I was in some bigger cities I'd definitely want something, which brings me on to my next question, has anyone here felt safer in the UK where they live or more safer back in the states, do our restrictive self defense laws work? or do they leave innocent people more vulnerable? I haven't really got an agenda I'm trying to push, I mean sure I'd carry a mace or something if I was allowed but was just wondering people's views, and its also one of the reason's I'd like to move to America is to get away from some of the restrictive laws, sure I don't mind living here but it does annoy me sometimes that we have to rely so much on others to protect us.

Why do you want to carry mace? Have you ever been mugged or assaulted?

I feel safe here in the UK, I always felt safe where I've lived in the US.  Nothing really bad has ever happened to me though, and I think that has a lot to do with it.

When Rynn-aka-rae (sorry if I got that wrong) posted the other day about how she got punched several times in a robbery attempt, it made me remember one day when I was walking through a local park and some teenage boy deliberately swerved his bicycle and ended up almost right in my face - like it was an aborted attempt to assault me.  His mistake was coming at me at an angle where I could react quickly and show aggression right back.

It got me to thinking that the idea of safety is largely the domain of those lucky enough not to have experienced an assault on their person or property.

I don't know if I'd compare rural Vermont with urban Los Angeles.  There's more going on there with the crime rate being different than gun control laws.

I've felt unsafe here a couple of times.  One time my husband and I ended up in the middle of a brawl on the upper deck of a bus.  We had nothing to do with it.  We just were sitting between two groups of people who flipped the heck out and started whipping each other with belts and crap. 

However, I wouldn't hesitate to go out after midnight here alone.  I was always a bit scared to do that in New York.  New York has pretty restrictive gun laws, but nothing like here.

Personally, I am pretty middle of the road when it comes to gun control.  I don't think that anything goes is right, but I also think that a near ban that exists here isn't the answer either.

Warning, this post might sound emotionally charged and how I feel could change in a few days...

It got me to thinking that the idea of safety is largely the domain of those lucky enough not to have experienced an assault on their person or property.

This. I certainly didn't feel unsafe until then. I used to be one of those people who could easily say, "yeah, I've ventured around dodgy areas in both countries and haven't felt unsafe, etc"  I just might start carrying pepper spray...

Hollyberry, the man who assaulted me did the same thing the boy on the bike did to you. He swerved his bike and just hit me. Thank goodness he didn't harm you!

I just might start carrying pepper spray...

You can't. It is illegal in the UK.

Well yeah I do want to move to the USA but will probably  start off by going there on a student visa, I've been to Montana before and maybe I will move there or somewhere else thats libertarian like Virginia, I'm also interested in baseball and other stuff in England but don't think theres much of that where I live

I think we could all site an infinite number of sources and quotes as to why gun control is a very smart move for any country. Apparently the OP has not done his research as he seems to enjoy nothing more than attempting to cause controversy on this board. Had he done his research he would know:

Virginia:

Handgun licenses will be issued to green-card holders, not other aliens. See Code of Virginia Section 18.2-308.

Perhaps he should attend an NRA singles meet and learn that many of those Republican Conservatives despise immigrants almost as much any form of gun control.

Even though I do like maybe 2 things he has to say, Ron Paul, would rather spit in his face than grant him a green card or citizenship. This seems to be a problem with many conservatives. One or two phrases excite them beyond belief and they bite the hand that feeds them.

To the OP: I believe that we are all entitled to our own beliefs. If you really want to come to the US just because at some point you will be allowed a weapon then do it. You also need to keep in mind that you will need a job with health care benefits as hospitals and doctors will turn you away without a second thought. People in the US regularly declare bankruptcy due to medical bills. "Oh you can't afford to pay for your operation we will auction off your house whether you still live in it or not." That is just one slight tangent as to how the UK is superior, but as I stated....to each their own. 

I would just ask that you quit coming here trying to stir up controversy. As you have (or should have) learned from your previous experiences you will not gain much sympathy here. The reason you do not hear "Libertarians, Republicans, conservatives" speak up in your defense is because those people rarely immigrate because they feel that America is #1 at any and everything and therefore they rarely move from the country.

Please send money to Ron/Newt/Mittens and see how much easier it will be for you to immigrate!

I've never felt unsafe when I've been in the UK, but I've also never felt unsafe where I live in the US (suburb south of Boston). We don't even lock our door at night or during the day when everyone is at work. The only time we lock it is when we're going to be away for a few days.

Now, there are certain places I would never dream of going at night alone, but they're not generally near me. I've walked home alone late at night and it doesn't bother me. I just make sure I have my phone and that someone else knows where I am if anything should happen.

The gun laws in Massachusetts are pretty strict in comparison to other states and I'm pretty sure it's in the top ten strictest. So, my plan should anyone ever attack me is to toss my pocketbook one way and run in the opposite direction whilst screaming really loudly. If I can't run away, then I'd scream really loudly and start whipping my attacker with my keys. So far, I've never had to resort to either strategy.

The grass is always greener....

Couple of points most people might not realise:

1) Unless you're massively experienced, you WILL miss when under stress trying to fire a pistol. Even just being a bit out of breath meant I couldn't hit a stationary Figure 12 target (crouching man) at 10ft. Should I ever be attacked while armed with a pistol I'd probably try to whack the person over the head with it. With a rifle, by comparison, I'll hit the same target at 100m most of the time, even when I've been sprinting.
2) Guns freak most people in the UK out. Even when in uniform, when carrying one I used to get very funny looks.

I was mugged and my friend was shot in New Orleans.  I saw plenty of public large knife fights in Glasgow, in cluding one that erupted behind me in line at the old Odeon that suddenly involved about 20 people and numerous bouncers from surrounding clubs.

In general I never felt unsafe in the US and I don't feel unsafe in the UK.  Property crime is more likely in the UK and people are more likely to be in the home (because perhaps people don't own guns?).  But the murder rate is still lower.

As for the example of not changing your behaviour when going out for the night, I don't see a problem with just taking out a few cards.  If you are going to be distracted in a large club then not having your whole wallet on you is a good idea.

I know one crime that is almost wiped out in the US, to the point that the FBI no longer keeps it as a separate crime category, but it is growing in Europe and that crime is pickpocketing. 

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2011/02/the_lost_art_of_pickpocketing.html

Here is a crime report published in 2009.  http://www.civitas.org.uk/crime/crimestats6.php

Of course it all depends on what people have reported to the police and I wonder how things like rape are reporting in each country.  I mean Australia looks massively high, but is that because they encourage reporting?   I think my university in the US was more supportive of people reporting rapes, especially date rape, than my uni in the UK, but did that result in more people reporting?  I would think so, but who knows.

2) Guns freak most people in the UK out. Even when in uniform, when carrying one I used to get very funny looks.

Guns freak me out!  I felt so scared when we approached a guard near Kensington Palace for directions (heh).  He had some assault rifle, and I don't ever think I saw a guard of any sort (this guard, of course, was military).  I felt a bit shaken by it.  I guess I never felt that way seeing hunting rifles in gun racks, but seeing someone with one in his hands (and it being such a menacing thing) was something different.

Guns freak me out! 

And me! Whether they're guns held by military guards or a rack of hunting rifles, I get freaked out.