Prison Guards on Strike Over Antique Guns

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Alvis

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=757&e=1&u=/nm/20050317/od_nm/greece_guns_dc
Thu Mar 17, 9:27 AM ET

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek prison guards will go on strike next week demanding a change of their American-made weapons that date back to the U.S. wars in central America almost a century ago.



While antique shops would be eager to get their hands on them, prison guards just want to get rid of their obsolete 1911 U.S. Cavalry revolvers. The guns do not scare inmates any more as safety experts have advised guards not to fire them.

"We have more and more escape attempts and prisoners just say 'I'll try it because they won't shoot me with these guns anyway'," Exterior Prison Guards union president Giorgos Kostikas told Reuters Thursday.

The guards will go on strike and demand new weapons and more staff to secure the country's growing prison population.

"We need 2,800 guards but we currently have only 1,200 armed with completely inappropriate weapons to secure the perimeter of the prisons," Kostikas said.
 
prison guards just want to get rid of their obsolete 1911 U.S. Cavalry revolvers. The guns do not scare inmates any more as safety experts have advised guards not to fire them.
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Uhhhm....maybe they'd scare the inmates a bit more after you winged a few trying to escape..... :confused:

"We have more and more escape attempts and prisoners just say 'I'll try it because they won't shoot me with these guns anyway',
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And therein lies the problem. If they won't shoot them with an old 1911, what makes you think they would shoot them with a new one? :confused:
 
Actually, the weapons are WWI M1911s. 45 ACP. They were given them after the end of WWI by the USA as surplus. I might not trust an illmaintained WWI semi-auto 45 ACP myself.
 
I find it interesting that they claim the weapons date back to US wars in Central America almost a century ago. The only war I'm aware of in Central America was the Spanish-American War, which was over a century ago.
 
Not really wars, maybe, but we used to sprinkle Marines liberally around the area back then.

This was the height of the term "Gunboat Diplomacy."
 
Prison Gaurds on Strike over Antique Guns

Hell, I have a good home for them if they don't want to use them. Question: What makes me wonder whether or not they would use any firearm? :D
 
"The only war I'm aware of in Central America was the Spanish-American War..."

That was the kick off of what is loosely known as the Banana Wars. After the Spanish American war the United States took a much greater interest in Central American affairs, and intervened/interfered in there a number of times. It was also the start of American "gunboat diplomacy."

Probably the most famous of all is the US backed move for the independence of Panama from Columbia -- because the Columbians wouldn't agree to an American plan to cut the Panama Canal. The most famous name associated with the American intervention? John Lejeune. You might have heard of his camp....

Chesty Puller, the Marine icon, served with distinction in Haiti and Nicaragua.
 
Chesty Puller, the Marine icon, served with distinction in Haiti and Nicaragua.
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Where he won 2 of his 5 Navy Crosses (6 if you count his US Army Distinguished Service Cross). A very interesting American.
 
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