But even so, miss-using a genuine tool as a weapon is far better and easier for a criminal, as it offers the possible defence of a genuine usage as an excuse if stopped with it. The sort of thing I am talking about is the Nail Gun, which fortunately for all of us, needs to be attached to a mains power unit to generate the air compression required to shoot the nails. Unfortunately, even as I write this, I suggest that some idiot will be trying to find away to remove the need for a mains power supply, and once they crack this, nutcases will be able to 'tool up' and use them as portable weapons.
In the meantime, the other most dangerous 'weapons' available to criminals, outside of the gun or the knife, are the Taser or a high voltage electric 'stun gun', both of which are both illegal in the UK, but not necesarily in Europe. The high voltage electric 'stun guns' for example are freely available in 'novelty' shops in Italy, and Bulgaria (I saw them in both countries last year), as well as other Eastern European countries for about €40 - €50, and which I should imagine would be comparatively easy to return to the UK with, hidden in holiday luggage .... certainly if you were driving back on the ferry, in any event they are available on the Internet as well ...
Pocket 'Stun' gun of the type on sale on the Internet and some European Countries. |
Taser Gun |
I accept that the odd Forest Ranger (such as Ranger Smith), may have had the odd need to knock over a Bear or a Moose in some extreme situation ..... but surely it has never been such a need, that it could justify mass production of this 'control tool'? After selling them to all the "wildlife managers, field biologists and zoo caretakers" in North America, who else will they be sold to in order to justify the cost of manufacture of this potentially lethal weapon?
It's not a cheap item, but no doubt cheaper Chinese copies will soon flood the market, and therefore I strongly suspect that its just a matter of time before they are just another part of the criminals arsenal against the rest of us ....... a fatality must happen sooner or later.
Sometimes the free market produces items that we were better off without, because they can be very easily misused ...this in my opinion is one of them.
If a murderous loonie like Jared Loughner can walk into a shop and buy a Glock automatic and two 30-round clips of ammo, no questions asked (he could even have bought a military assault rifle if he had so chosen) what chance the Yanks will bave any worries about the Super-Taser?
ReplyDelete"what chance the Yanks will have any worries about the Super-Taser?"
ReplyDeleteHow long before they are used over here though?
"American Steven Greenoe, 37, is accused in the US of smuggling 62 guns into the UK, including Glock and Ruger 9mm pistols".
ReplyDeleteWell our porous borders have always been a problem in the UK, whether guns, drugs or illegal immigrants.