Is this the way to treat a Mugger?

[MMI]

I only have an outline knowledge of the actual laws in place here, but I shall immediately embark on the necessary research.

Meanwhile, as I currently understand the law, you may apply for a shotgun licence or a firearms licence if you can provide to references from reputable people (who may be investigsted before the licence is approved), have a clean record and can demonstrate you have a legitimate reason to have a gun. Farmers can obtain the shotgun licence fairly easily as they can show they need it for pest control. People who work in hunting jobs, or who come from a family with known hunting connections are also likely to be able to demonstrate a reason. Guns must be kept in secure lockers or cupboards, which will be inspected before the licence is issued and upon every renewal. If a gun is not being used for its intended purpose, it must be locked away in that cupboard.

A policeman may carry a gun if he is specifically authorised to do so, while he is on duty, and appropriately trained - with refreshers every couple of months.

Self defence is not considered a valid reason to own one. One has to understand that we do not live in fear of each other. We do not believe there are killers waiting around every corner, about to break into our house, rape our daughters and kill our sons. If we pass a stranger on the street, we do not worry that he is about to point the barrel of a gun up our nostrils while he demands our watches, mobile phones and wallets. There are violent people among us, sure, but few of them are armed with guns; quite a lot are armed with knives. (It is illegal to carry an offensive weapon (including knives - from hunting knives to penknives - cricket bats, iron bars, screwdrivers and chisels, or anything else you can hurt or maim with ... a pencil perhaps, if it is used that way). We only consider self-defence is a relevant argument if we are facing an attacker, and believe an attack on our life is imminent. If we contemplate an attack, and then deliberately go out to confront the attacker, we are in danger of committing the same crime ourselves. Having a weapon "just in case" you are attacked isn't self-defence, it's arguably making preparations to commit an assault yourself, because, if you foresee the possibility of attack, you can take steps to avoid it.

As for the law on self-defence in England, the following is an interesting starting point: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-de...in_English_law.

[denuseri]

One has to understand that we do not live in fear of each other. We do not believe there are killers waiting around every corner, about to break into our house, rape our daughters and kill our sons. If we pass a stranger on the street, we do not worry that he is about to point the barrel of a gun up our nostrils while he demands our watches, mobile phones and wallets. There are violent people among us, sure, but few of them are armed with guns; quite a lot are armed with knives. (It is illegal to carry an offensive weapon (including knives - from hunting knives to penknives - cricket bats, iron bars, screwdrivers and chisels, or anything else you can hurt or maim with ... a pencil perhaps, if it is used that way). We only consider self-defence is a relevant argument if we are facing an attacker, and believe an attack on our life is imminent. If we contemplate an attack, and then deliberately go out to confront the attacker, we are in danger of committing the same crime ourselves. Having a weapon "just in case" you are attacked isn't self-defence, it's arguably making preparations to commit an assault yourself, because, if you foresee the possibility of attack, you can take steps to avoid it.

Sounds much the same as it is here in the states for the most part despite what appearences the media may portray to the world at large.

[Thorne]

Sounds much the same as it is here in the states for the most part despite what appearences the media may portray to the world at large.

I agree. Between the "news" media braying about street violence and Hollywood's fictional portrayals, I fear that much of the rest of the world believes that MMI's portrayal of American's on the street is more or less accurate. In fact, except in very specific areas, it's about as far from the truth as one can get.
Certainly in the inner cities, where gang's roam the streets and drugs and prostitution are rampant, you can feel as if you are taking your life in your hands just by walking on the sidewalk. But in the average community there is no such fear of our neighbors or random people on the street.

There are violent people among us, sure, but few of them are armed with guns; quite a lot are armed with knives. (It is illegal to carry an offensive weapon (including knives - from hunting knives to penknives - cricket bats, iron bars, screwdrivers and chisels, or anything else you can hurt or maim with ... a pencil perhaps, if it is used that way).

There are violent people among us here, too, even in the relatively safe communities. Much of this is because of the rampant use of drugs and, unfortunately, many (not most) of these violent people have access to illegal weapons. And like in Britain, anything which can injure someone can be considered a deadly or offensive weapon.

We only consider self-defence is a relevant argument if we are facing an attacker, and believe an attack on our life is imminent. If we contemplate an attack, and then deliberately go out to confront the attacker, we are in danger of committing the same crime ourselves.

And the same is true here.

Having a weapon "just in case" you are attacked isn't self-defence, it's arguably making preparations to commit an assault yourself, because, if you foresee the possibility of attack, you can take steps to avoid it.

Here I must disagree, respectfully. Having a weapon as a deterrent is the ultimate in self-defense. It's the reason why nations maintain military forces. It's the reason for police patrols. It's the reason we get inoculations for polio, measles, mumps, and a host of other diseases.
And certainly, in most cases, one can take steps to avoid attacks, such as staying away from high crime areas (unless you have to live there for economic reasons) or keeping your doors locked at night. These are all good ideas, too. But they are not always sufficient. Even in the best and safest communities, crimes can, and do, occur. Being prepared is not being paranoid, it's just being prepared. And being armed, whether with a gun, a knife or pepper spray, does not mean you intend or even want to have to use them. It only means that you are prepared to use them if necessary.