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From my UK friends I frequently take the piss about Americans and their bloomin guns. Geeze, I have never shot or killed anyone, and would not enjoy it full stop.
So, imagine my surprise when I watched the UK (perhaps Scottish) movie, "A Lonely Place To Die", filmed ostensibly in Northern Scotland. Well the scenery was lovely and I should like to hike there some day, perhaps in my next life, when I will be a hot woman with a lovely body. :)
Typical of many UK movies I have seen, 6 or more of the good guys die simply awful deaths,with the bad guys using tiny popguns like the .308, sigh. The bad guys were complete plonkers killing the innocent in the most cowardly manner imaginable, whilst the good guys just run about completely confused. And at one point, when the bad guy was negotiating wit the good guy, I just wanted Dirty Harry to walk in and fix things. :(
I must say that for all the sniping that the UK folk send at us yanks about how violent we are and how you hate our guns, you evolved Picts have an extremely dire set of tastes. Gee people if you were going to have bad guys stalking the good folk then you could have written in a MacGyver like character so they would not simply be lambs to the slaughter.
So, you UK folk just leave off with your wingeing about violent Americans as you all seem to have it honed to a fine point. :)
Gwendolyn
PS: Now if you wish to watch a really great chick flick movie, try "Just Like a Woman", on Youtube here in the colonies. It just tickles me. :)
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Squint with Clint
Do you feel lucky http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xjr2hnOHiM
Both sides had an even chance.
Yes, I suppose we colonists are just poorly evolved barbarians, ain't it fun! :)
The problem is...
...that there are a load of British dickheads who watch the American movies and think they're great, and want to copy them.
In spite of that, most Brits think the only people who carry guns are either criminals or social inadequates, who need to carry a gun to make up for the limited size of their brain or their penis. British police who are trained to handle guns are usually regarded as coming into the latter category.
It's extremely rare ...
... in the UK for anyone to own a firearm. Apart from sporting purposes they simply aren't part of our culture. We don't feel unsafe if we aren't armed. Gun crime is extremely rare. In fact right now there's a huge hooha over the killing of an allegedly armed alleged criminal by the police who claimed he was armed but threw his recently acquired pistol away immediately before being shot. This happened over a year ago and the fact that it's such a big deal demonstrates how unusual it is.
I was brought up knowing about firearms. Part of the family business was as registered gunsmiths (a very small part, the rest was selling electrical goods and other things - my Dad had wide interests :)) We sold mainly air rifles and pistols but shot guns as well. My father was disabled and one sport he could do was small bore target rifle shooting - one of the most unmacho firearms activities imaginable :) I did a bit, too and was quite good for a kid. I stopped killing small birds and animals with my air rifle when I found one of my victims fluttering wounded on the ground. I was about 15. There would have to be very serious need before I'd kill again. I don't eat meat though I would if I were starving - and kill it too.
I was brought up with an unarmed police force, which made them generally friendly and approachable. I would certainly never approach an obviously armed policemen to ask for directions or help. They make me nervous when I've seen them patrolling at airports.
So you see we just aren't used to guns and the vast majority see no need to own one, and in any case hand guns are totally banned. It's just the way we are though it seems to be gradually changing which I think is a pity.
So that's why we find the obsession with firearms in the USA, particularly, odd at best and scary at most. I'm sure the chance for change in the USA is almost impossible given your recent history since the 19th century. It's too embedded in your culture. Though why a civilian needs an assault weapon, I can't think.
These days I rarely watch US films. I now have a hearing aid in each ear which does increase the volume and, to some extent, the frequency range of my hearing. However it doesn't seem to improve what might be called the focus if it was sight. So I only manage to catch about 1 word in 3 or US accents so I give up. When I was younger I used to laugh at oldies who complained about people muttering but now I know what they meant :) I love the Scandinavian films on BBC (The Bridge etc) because they have sub-titles I catch every word LOL.
btw, in UK English the person taking the piss is the perpetrator not the victim of the tease. So you've been having the piss taken out of you :)
Sorry for going on a bit. It's my birthday today and I'm feeling my years, all 74 of them :) So I'm officially a boring old fart (BOF)
Robi