Lad's death sparks U.K. outrage

by Barry ORegan | August 25, 2007 at 06:58 am

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Opinion
Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor
A 16 year old child playing in a park was intentionally gunned down by another 16 year old child who took the opportunity to try out a handgun while cycling along the park. Was it a "Gang Initiation Rite"? or A "Teen mentally gone wrong". At this time no one knows.

As critics of "Ban Handguns" have for decades correctly stated "A Ban on Handguns" will only result in "Criminals having Handguns".

Politicians and Advocates falsely believe a Ban is a Cure All. Politicans and the Public for some strange reason do not want to fit the "Crime with the Time", this will only result in the Status Quo.

Until Tougher sentencing (10 years) for Illegal Handgun possession is implemented will just result in more people with guns if the penalties result in a slap on a wrist and fine or little time served. The only reason someone has an illegal handgun is to commit a crime, "period". There is no other reason.

20 year sentencing for Gun Crimes should be mandatory , this and only this type of long term sentencing will result in reducing Gun Crimes.

Despite Britian having a Handgun Ban for a decade, Britain is undergoing a resurgence of Handgun crime, more so before the Handgun Ban than ever before.

British Policemen (Bobbies) only started carrying guns on the last twenty years, terrorism and gangs with guns resulted in Bobbies being issued firearms.

Gang Violence is on the upswing in Britian, and it doesn't look like it is getting better.

My Final Thought
Politicians and Anti "Everything" Advocates who mistakenly believe Banning something will result in "Compliance" are living in a Utopian Dream World as many in Canada do today. Tougher sentencing is the only answer.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND -- Police arrested a third teenager yesterday in the shooting of an 11-year-old boy whose death has confronted a shocked Britain with the problem of youth violence and gang culture.

The victim, Rhys Jones, was kicking a soccer ball around with friends Wednesday night when he was hit in the back of the neck by a bullet -- reportedly fired by one of two youths riding by on a BMX bicycle.

Police said they believed a long-barrelled, black pistol was used.

Two youths, ages 14 and 18, were detained by police Thursday on suspicion of murder, and released on bail within hours. Assistant Chief Const. Patricia Gallan said a 16-year-old was arrested yesterday.

Pictures of the dead boy and of his agonized mother, Melanie, appeared on the front pages of most national newspapers yesterday. "Just what has gone wrong with our country?" the Daily Express asked in a headline.

In television interviews, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith choked back tears in declaring that the government was seeking answers to the problem of youth crime.

"One of the things I am talking about with the prime minister (Gordon Brown) is where are people getting guns from? How are they getting here?" Smith said.

Britain outlawed the possession of handguns in 1997 in response to the massacre of 16 children.

Nonetheless, illicit guns are being smuggled into Britain. And they continue to kill, with a recent peak of 97 gunshot deaths in 2001-02. There were 50 such deaths in 2005-06, according to the most recent government data, and the country has one of the lowest gun homicide rates in the world.

Police said there was no indication why Rhys was targeted, because he was not known to belong to any gang. He might have been a victim of mistaken identity or was accidentally shot by a teen trying to show off, a police official said.

The anguished parents shared their grief with the country in a televised news conference Thursday night.

"I then go to his room where he should be -- he should be asleep -- open his wardrobe," said his father Stephen Jones, a 44-year-old store manager.

"His school uniform that we have bought for senior school, his pens and pencils are there unopened ... His calculator is there unopened, his shoes are still in the box. ... It's just horrific, your worst nightmare."