I refer to the kind gentleman across the road whom I've mentioned before and who, whenever he goes to the supermarket, brings me a pack of mineral water. He has just rung my bell and brought me two packs for, as he says, the real hot weather is beginning. [The Scirocco seems to have finished its last fling of the year.]
This thoughtful neighbour is also a policeman and he, too, has given me his phone number in case of another unwelcome night-time disturbance. What an army of men I have at my disposal now! But even so, I'd rather sleep peacefully and not have such an incident reoccur.
I have commented on Ruthie's and Lord Nazh's blogs regarding the issue of gun control during the past week. Like Tom Paine, I don't think we British are in a position to preach, given the level of violent crime that we have, but like James, I am ambivalent about the whole issue: as a Brit, it makes me uneasy to see armed police. Yet if I am faced with another potentially threatening situation at 6.30 am or the like, my policeman neighbour will presumably arrive with his gun. And does that make me feel better? For all my Britishness, I have to admit - yes, it does.
10 comments:
It looks like you have excellent security at the snap of your fingers - as well as your lovely guard dog.
Hi, Ellee. Let's hope so! Simi, bless her, would really go for anyone who threatened me!
Ellee; the thing you have to ask yourself is how good would you feel if you had an armed burglar in the house and the policeman from across the street showed up without his gun :)
Gun laws are a most difficult subject, I believe. I'm ambivalent...
Italian men love blonde women! I expect you have them at your beck and call.
Do you mean to tell me that British policemen don't carry guns at all?
I can't even imagine that... I suppose our attitudes depend in large part on where we're from.
What a kind gentleman.
You are living in a country that has armed policemen - and presumably trained! - so I think that is quite a different issue from having your next-door neighbour who is, say, unemployed and has a drink problem having a gun!
Did you hear about the Italian woman who took a skinny dip at the Trevi Fountain to cool off?
Lord Nazh, good point. Lee, I'm still ambivalent, too. Ruthie, I'm working on that one! Re the British police, they are not armed as a matter of course. but there are armed police at airports, etc. Certain officers are trained for firearms but even they do not carry them all the time: they are issued when it is deemed the officers are going to a crime scene where they are needed. In Britain I taught many women who had fled from countries where they had had good reason to fear the police and they thought our system was wonderful. But you do see more and more armed police in Britain because of the terror threat. Here in Italy all police are armed but they do not carry their weapons obtrusively so it doesn't bother me. Liz, exactly. Ordinary citizens cannot get a gun easily here. Ellee, no, I've missed that one. I'll go and look it up.
Welshcakes something is stopping me from leaving a comment/ I will try again tomorrow x
janejill, sorry you're having trouble comenting. Ellee has had problems, too, and I just can't work out what is going on! Let's blame blogger. See you soon.
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