England_Gun control will end violen...did you just STAB me?

[ZeSpectre]

Guns campaigner stabbed to death

Anti-Guns campaigner stabbed to death

The grandson of prominent anti-gun campaigner Pat Regan has been arrested on suspicion of stabbing her to death.

Mrs Regan, 53, was discovered at the property on Marlborough Grange in the Hyde Park area of Leeds on Sunday.

The mother-of-six started campaigning against gun crime when her son Danny was shot dead in 2002.

The 20-year-old man was being held on suspicion of murder, police said. It is thought he had been arrested earlier in the day over another stabbing.

A 45-year-old railway worker was treated in hospital for a stab wound to his arm after challenging a man for trespassing at Leeds station on Sunday morning, British Transport Police said.

Mrs Regan set up a Leeds branch of Mothers Against Guns after her son Danny, 25, was shot at his home in Haydock, near St Helens, Merseyside in December 2002. His killer has not been found.

She had met government officials to discuss how to tackle the problems of guns and gang-related crime.

Dee Edwards, co-founder of campaign group Mothers Against Murder and Manslaughter, said Mrs Regan would visit schools and give talks about the dangers and consequences of getting involved in crime.

She said: "She made such a big difference to so many people's lives. This is an absolute tragedy for so many people."

Mrs Edwards said she had known Mrs Regan for about six years and described her as the "most incredible woman".

"It's just the most dreadful news for everyone. She's just an amazing woman," she added.

'No grudges'

Mrs Regan's friend Sylvester Johnson, 74, said: "She didn't want any young people to get caught up in the trouble that her son got caught up in.

"She was very brave and I don't know of anyone who would have a grudge against her."

In February, Mrs Regan was involved with the launch of a DVD warning about the dangers of gun and knife gang culture.

Speaking at the time, she said: "Things are reaching a critical point. Kids are dying before us, but we shouldn't have to bury our own children."

In the same month, Mrs Regan was at the then Prime Minister Tony Blair's side at a Downing Street summit on tackling problems relating to gang-related crime.

Her campaigning work was also praised by Princess Anne during a visit to the city earlier this year.

Labour minister Hilary Benn, who is the MP for Leeds Central and knew Pat Regan, said he was upset by the news of her death.

"I'm shocked, and greatly saddened to hear of Pat's death," he said.

"She made a huge impression on me and on many people that she met. She was determined to do all that she could so that other mothers didn't go through the experience that she went through when her son, Danny, was killed."

 

[davepool]

Sad that she died...her life sounds pretty typical of people who can't control their own lives and waste their energy trying to control other peoples lives,seems like her efforts could have been put to better use cleaning up her own house

 

[Yellowfin]

I wonder if at any point during that she wished she had a gun. Sorry, expect no sympathy from me.

 

[Wheeler44]

Truly a tragedy.........






that she didn't have a gun.

 

[camslam]

These events happen every single day, everywhere, around this world.

It is ironic, but somewhat poetic justice in this case, that it actually happened to an anti-gunner.

Most of us are aware enough on this forum to know that it is better to have something (gun) and not need it, rather than needing it and not having it.

People that try to inhibit the rights of others especially in regards to guns, drive me crazy. If you don't want to own a gun, nobody is saying you have to, but don't take away my right to.

I'll second the above post and agree that it is tough to have sympathy in this situation.

 

[RickH]

Murder is always a tragedy. I however laughed out loud when I started reading that story. Looks like I'm going to hell.

 

[scrat]

Yep im going to. I bet she wished she had a ccw. Oh wait i guess she could not legally have one.

 

[gripper]

I also admit to an internal chuckle at the well intentioned ( but clueless) lady's demise. Be careful though in layghing:AN almost identicle response of mine to a post on Free Republic got MY posting priviliges revoked....so I guess whoever gets to Hell first buys th ebeer

 

[Brass Rain]

That's a shame, but... I don't care. Can't give much sympathy to a woman stupid enough to not only deny her rights of self-defense but specifically push them away from her self and everyone else. I could care less if she simply didn't take advantage of the right, but for her to campaign for taking it away from everyone else and making them just as defenseless? Pfft. Maybe this will open some long-closed eyes.

:banghead:

 

[Diggers]

Hummm...... I understand where many of you are coming from, BUT no one has addressed the issue that the killer was her grandson.....

To me that does add a difficult twist in taking action to protect ones self, its pretty hard to be on high alert against family members. (sorry just trying to keep it real.) But yes yes I of course get "larger picture" point of the posts.

Also this all took place in England......so I'm wondering what the heck was this woman was protesting to begin with?
Guns are ALREADY illegal there (to a level of hysteria in fact. Its amazing the response a known toy gun gets from the police.)

Was she trying to make them MORE illegal??....... I really don't get that.

 

[blackhawk2000]

 

[another okie]

The article suggests she "campaigned" by going around telling kids guns were bad. In other words, they've won the legal battle, now she's trying to change hearts and minds.

Maybe she was campaigning against shotguns, which are still available to a few people able to fill out plenty of paperwork and prove they have a use for them. But I don't think so.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Dee Edwards, co-founder of campaign group Mothers Against Murder and Manslaughter, said Mrs Regan would visit schools and give talks about the dangers and consequences of getting involved in crime.

Everybody ought to spend a night in jail.

 

[romma]

Murder is still murder, no matter how the deed is done.

Do you think anyone will give that notion a second though over there though?

 

[simmonsguns]

Guns=gone, knives=all most gone, when the only thing left is a sharp #2 pencil they can write there own obit.
Looks like i will be driving the bus to hell.

 

[bensdad]

Looks like i will be driving the bus to hell.

Save me an aisle seat. I have no sympathy. England is circling the drain, and she was one who helped flush.

 

[Maia007]

Eventus stultorum magister

"Events are the teachers of fools".

 

[Nolo]

Well, am I the only one who finds this ironic, not because she was killed when she could have lived with a gun, but that she was campaigning for kids to avoid getting into gangs, but obviously did nothing to try and make her own grandson into a better person?
Sounds fishy to me. Maybe I'm gonna go to Hell for saying this, but:
Hypocrites deserve the highest award of irony.

 

[matt87]

Groups like Mothers Against Guns are there primarily to 'do something'. It's well known that guns are heavilly restricted in the UK and that there are strict controls on carrying blades (and on owning certain types outright). It's also well known that they are easily avaiable to 'certain groups'. The government doesn't know what to do about it, and that's well known too. There is increasing recognition that this is a social/societal problem but there is a fundamental error in that most people consider the solution is fewer suitable defence tools.

 

[lions]

"She didn't want any young people to get caught up in the trouble that her son got caught up in."

So the guns talked him into the trouble?

 

[.38 Special]

There is increasing recognition that this is a social/societal problem but there is a fundamental error in that most people consider the solution is fewer suitable defence tools.

Note that in addition to having a grandchild that figured knifing an old lady was an O.K. thing to do, she had a son that "got caught up in the trouble" that ended in an apparent "underworld hit". Also worth noting that she herself had a criminal record. Link.

So while I don't mean to belittle the tragedy of her murder, we are apparently looking at at least three generations of lawlessness here. But it's easier to blame the tools...

 

[siglite]

But it's easier to blame the tools...

Ayup. And completely disregard the multi-generational parenting trainwreck.

 

[Don Gwinn]

If you're making fun of somebody because she got stabbed, I don't want to hear any excuses. You went off the rails somewhere and it's time to take a look at why you did what you did.

We do not do that at THR. Ever. Period.