Captain Ed cites the Telegraph:

"The number of young people prosecuted for firearms offences has soared by 20 per cent in the past five years, it was revealed earlier this month...."

Britain banned handguns of all kinds ten years ago. Within just a couple of years, the homicide rate had risen over 40%. Violent crime rates more than doubled in three years.

We've banned guns and there is more gun crime? Inconceivable.

So what's the answer? Go ahead -- take a guess! And give yourself half credit if you included the phrase "more laws" in your answer. Only this time (they're so innovative), they're talking about punishing scared victims of crime:

"In April Bernard Hogan-Howe, the chief constable of Merseyside Police, insisted new laws to make reporting information on shootings and possession of guns a 'duty’’ were essential because people were too scared to come forward." ....

Instead of rethinking the entire idea of criminalizing law-abiding citizens who only want to defend themselves, now British authorities want to criminalize law-abiding citizens who won't volunteer testimony about criminals.

And they don't stop there. The Telegraph reports that one candidate to be the next Metropolitan police commissioner wants to press charges against victims of gun violence who are too terrified of reprisals to testify.

These victims of violence, who are not allowed to arm themselves for defense, are worried they might be harmed or killed if they testify? Imagine, that! Why, it's almost as if they've given the criminals a permanent advantage over the law-abiding populace. Such victims shouldn't be afraid: I'm sure the police will eventually show up and take notes on the crime scene, should something go wrong.

I wonder: Do the people who demanded these policies (many in good conscience, initially, I'm sure) ever stop and think about all the innocent victims they've now created, and reconsider? Does it occur to them that there was less crime (and dead people) before they got their way, and that there would be less, again, if we could return to those policies?

And is it worth that many more dead people to avoid admitting we were wrong?