To: Slagle who wrote (17838 ) 4/29/2007 1:45:10 PM From: Maurice Winn Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 218785 Slag, we can't carry a pocket knife if it's a weapon. Only criminals carry knives or weapons here for self-defence, other than a few who are paranoid and I prefer they don't have their weapons. Police have weapons too, though not carried. These days a lot of them have guns in the boot of their cars and armed offenders squads are ready to go at short notice. It's quite pleasant having unarmed police. They used to carry a truncheon, but I think they gave that away. Now they carry Tasers [still experimenting with them]. You misunderstood. It's not just the tropics - that's just where Donald Duck visited. Also, there's a peculiar bigotry these days against 19th century Virtuous Values, as though the nearer to the present ideas are, the better they are. The avant-garde think they are so with-it, but usually, they are "inventing" thinking that is so retrograde and failed it has been forgotten for 1000 years. Why do such swarms of them insist on getting into my city then? <They are well aware of what the outside world has to offer and they don't want any of it. > They just love the freebies, like modern medical treatment, welfare state, supermarkets. You can look in all their back yards and won't see many vegetable gardens. I don't want them bludging off me. They don't want tourists tramping around bludging off them. It's the same thing. It's not a 19th century issue or thinking, it's about property rights. Sure, tourists pay money to the hotel, but they block the roads, are rude to the local yokels etc. Unfortunately, collective property rights are still in the serfdom realm, with people as state chattels. Citizenships should be individually-owned property rights which are freely tradable for cash. Mqurice