Laws that back burglars
From Tom Warner Sir: As a US citizen, I was struck by the irony of Aldan Hartley's horrific tale of highly justified self-defence being published in a British journal (*How to kill a burglar', 9 August). Given the current draconian British firearms laws, if the author lived in your country it would seem certain that he and his companion would have been killed, since he would have had no legal means of self-defence. Or, if he had in fact owned a probably illegal gun and successfully defended himself and his companion with it, he would no doubt have been prosecuted for his actions. I am sure your government could find some ridiculous justification for this.
Each time I read a new story relating to this subject my certainty increases that laws disarming law-abiding citizens of any nation are basically evil. Further, that such a government secretly sees its citizens as the potential enemy, distrusts them and wants to render them as harmless as possible. Historically, all despotic regimes have used this as one of the first steps on the road. To employ a cliché. I'd enjoy visiting your country but I surely would not want to live there.
Thomas P. Warner
Castleton. New York
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