British Home Sectary Kenneth Clark tried to explain that the UK already has robust laws re the right to reasonable force in self defence in your own home. Sadly one of the examples he used was that "If an 80 year old lady stabs an intruder in her own home it can be construed as reasonable force". Being conversant with how hard it is to actually fatally injure someone with one stab if you don't know what you are doing, plus the strength/vulnerably balance of the average 80 year old lady today, this seems a good example to me.

However, the good old UK Press have overlooked the subtleties and gone straight for the "you can stab anyone who steps over your threshold with impunity" stories and headlines.

On the plus side BBC's Radio 4 comedy program have done a pretty good send up of this on their Friday comedy program To find the start scroll it foward to 7:25 (approx). Although the rest of the program is pretty funny too - particularly the bit just before this song about why the Chinese Premier might be giving Pandas as gifts to countries they do business with.

Interesting points. I also took a look at the article you sent me (I didn't see my new message indicator!) and it really is a world of difference between the UK and the US.

I think anyone with common sense would realize a self-defense law doesn't give people the right to kill willy-nilly without a realistic fear for their own safety. However, many people are lacking common sense nowadays. And, as you mentioned, the press will find one point and jump all over it while ignoring the bigger picture. US media does that too.

So I saw when I did my background checks before coming to Orlando and Los Angeles. The Websites Police One and Officer Com were particularly useful. Particularly with advice on things such as traffic stops when in the US it's better to stay in the car, with the interior light on and wait for the officers to come to you. Whereas in the UK it's usually better to get out of your car- if safe and legal to do so - and approach them as it shows a more polite attitude.

Oh, wow. You do NOT get out of the car over here unless they tell you to. That could get you tazed (don't taze me, bro!) or shot. That is a really big difference in procedure.

They're that scared of the public?!

It's not that they're afraid of the public, but the public as a whole is much better armed than in the UK. Handguns, shotguns, rifles, etc. It's safer for the police if the driver and the passengers remain in the car, especially in some areas. The cops don't always know right away who they've pulled over, and a wanted criminal or someone who's high/drunk/desperate to hide something in the car can pose a very real danger to the police.

They won't open fire on you the moment you get out of the car, don't get me wrong. But you will immediately get a warning to get back in the car. If you disregard that or make a threatening move, you may be subdued.

Hence the US police "Stop or I'll shoot" as opposed to the UK "Stop-or I'll have to shout Stop! again". Having got rid of most of the guns UK police are now concentrating on knives, making most people scared of them too. For my council work I usually have up to four different types of knife on me, for trimming cables, opening boxes, making the insides of cupboards level for cupboard catches etc. The other day in offices at a children's centre the manager asked to borrow one for opening a box and nearly passed out at the sight of the Karambit that I produced as response to her request. I might as well have handed her a live rattlesnake!

Don't think it helped that when she said it was a dangerous weapon I replied that was a weird thing to say and I would avoid using a knife in self defence if at all possible because of the mess