Gun Bans, Bad idea. Please read

[panelman]

I am pro gun ownership! I hunt,fish, and metal detect and often have a side arm. I hope I never need to use it for protection, but I would, if I had to. Even if you don't own a gun the statistics out of Australia illustrate what the pro gun advocates are talking about.
I am not trying to offend anyone with my position but I'm sure their are many MD'ers that are like me and want to have this infomation.
Thanks



AUSTRALIAN

GUN LAW UPDATE

I wonder who does the frontal lobotomy on politicians?

What did they expect when they got rid of the honest people's guns?

Gave the crooks and crook want-a-be's an engraved invitation for a field day.

Australian Gun Law Update
Here's a thought to warm some of your hearts . . ..

From: Ed Chenel, A police officer in Australia

Hi Yanks, I thought you all would like to see the now available data from Down Under.
It has now been one year (12 months) since gun owners in Australia were forced
by a new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by
our own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars.
The first year results are now available:
Australia-wide, homicides are up 6.2 percent;
Australia-wide, assaults are up 9.6 percent;
Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent);

In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent as compared with the last one year period when private ownership of a firearm was legal.

(NB: the law-abiding citizens did turn in their personal firearms, the criminal element did not and thus criminals in Australia still possess their guns.)
While data for the 25 years preceding the confiscation of privately owned guns showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months as criminals now are assured their victims will be unarmed.
There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the elderly, while the resident is at home.
Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in 'successfully ridding Australian society of guns.'

This story of well intentioned government intervention in the rights of lawful individuals to own and possess firearms won't be seen in the mainstream US media or on the American evening news. Senator Obama who advocates a similar confiscation in the US will not be reporting any of this to you.
But, the Australian experience speaks for itself. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws affect only the law-abiding citizens.
Americans may want to take note before it's too late!
FORWARD TO EVERYONE ON YOUR EMAIL LIST.
DON'T BE A MEMBER OF THE SILENT MAJORITY.
BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE VOCAL MINORITY WHO DOESN'T WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED IN AUSTRALIA HAPPEN IN THE US !










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New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making headlines.

 

[seger98]

I ain't going to ever turn in any of my guns! I'll hide them first!

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

But it's on the internet



all have a good un...............
SHERMANVILLE

 

[thompy]

im sure there is going to be alot of pressure put on us gun owners

 

[Saturna]

But it's on the internet

LOL

 

[The Beep Goes On]

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

HI SWR; As usual that article has an interesting bit of statistic rebalancing. .

Oh well, as my old poitical Science teacher in college said "any thing that you may wish can be proven by statistics".

That article was an extremly biased one, and not too subtle. It prob. was written by an anti firarm advocate .

Don Jose de La Mancha (el PRO GUN Saint)

 

[LJHanley06]

BAN GUNS? I would hope that a country founded on the GOD GIVEN RIGHT of self-reliance, freedom and justice would have the sense to understand that the little thing under the action of said gun is called a TRIGGER and is meant to be squeezed repeatedly...

 

[panelman]

Great pic.I'm saving it, rec. room worthy.

 

[TheHarleyMan2]

I must say the SAME THING as I ALWAYS SAID BEFORE..............................................When THEY COME and TRY to TAKE MY GUNS.....................................I WILL GLADLY let them HAVE THE BULLETS FIRST!

 

[The Beep Goes On]

 

[Old Fart in TN]

I like that t-shirt.

 

[Saturna]

Hope he's not getting ready for the inauguration.

Oops, now I just triggered some warning light at the NSA.




Jay

 

[Goodyguy]

AUSTRALIAN GUN LAW UPDATE

From: Ed Chenel, A police officer in Australia

Hi Yanks, I thought you all would like to see the now available data from Down Under.
It has now been one year (12 months) since gun owners in Australia were forced
by a new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by
our own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars.
The first year results are now available:
Australia-wide, homicides are up 6.2 percent;
Australia-wide, assaults are up 9.6 percent;
Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent);

In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent as compared with the last one year period when private ownership of a firearm was legal.

(NB: the law-abiding citizens did turn in their personal firearms, the criminal element did not and thus criminals in Australia still possess their guns.)
While data for the 25 years preceding the confiscation of privately owned guns showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months as criminals now are assured their victims will be unarmed.
There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the elderly, while the resident is at home.
Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in 'successfully ridding Australian society of guns.'

This story of well intentioned government intervention in the rights of lawful individuals to own and possess firearms won't be seen in the mainstream US media or on the American evening news. Senator Obama who advocates a similar confiscation in the US will not be reporting any of this to you.
But, the Australian experience speaks for itself. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws affect only the law-abiding citizens.
Americans may want to take note before it's too late!

Even if you do not agree with the exact details I believe the gist of this statement is Right on!

Would you want to take the chance that it wouldn't happen just that way here?

Would your bet your life on it?

Remember: "If guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns" And If you don't believe that then you are sadly mistaken.

 

[Siegfried Schlagrule]

I love it when someone shows the effect of stupid laws and prohibitions and then someone else calls them a liar. Whether crimes have increased 50% or 500% the fact is it has increased which is the exact opposite of what the gun grabbers promised. They also let themselves ignore the millions of people who were murdered by their own governments in the 20th century after guns were banned. I won't violate any gun laws and I don't need automatic weapons as i am always able to get all i want from the battlefield. siegfried schlagrule

 

[The Beep Goes On]

Here's the Australian government's crime statistics site (I assume that the figures are accurate, but who knows)...

http://www.aic.gov.au/stats/

I agree with Siegfried wholeheartedly. There are many levels to this argument. Criminals will always be able to get a gun and will not turn them in. Even if they did not have guns they would just resort to using knives like in the UK where knife crime is skyrocketing. We have enough laws on the books to handle gun crime.

Out of control government (Stalin, Hitler, Mao, etc.) doesn't want an armed citizenry. It's much easier to round up unarmed people. Siegfried is right...governments have killed millions and millions of people that had no way of defending themselves. Kind of makes the gun crime stats/deaths pale in comparison... http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/DBG.TAB1.2.GIF

When a government is running scared or wants to have total autonomy regarding their actions, they will try to take the guns away. Of course, they will say it is "good for us" and present a smokescreen of lies.

Unfortunately, the root-cause of all this crap is that there are just too many people on this planet and things will continue to escalate. The gov't just wants to be able to control the inevitable problems that will arise...food and water shortages, pandemics, etc. (exactly the time when you would want to be able to protect yourself and your family) Katrina was a microcosm of their mentality. I saw a video of an old woman who had a .38 to protect herself in her own home and the gestapo beat the crap out of her. Truly sick.

A few last thoughts...

"The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; that... it is their right and duty to be at all times armed."
--Thomas Jefferson to John Cartwright, 1824.

"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms . . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes . . . Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."
--Thomas Jefferson, quoting Cesare Beccaria in On Crimes and Punishment (1764).

http://www.rinf.com/columnists/news/haliburton-concentration-camps

TBGO

 

[Siegfried Schlagrule]

The follow up question then becomes do any australian members of tnet think that
their gun grab was a good thing? They are the ones that have to live with it whether they like it or not. Do they think it was worth the $500 million reported cost? What we think about their laws has very little worth. siegfried schlagrule

 

[The Beep Goes On]

Obviously, trying to understand the Australian situation is important to those of us in the US who may find themselves in the same situation some day. The original post concerns the thought that "gun bans are bad" and uses Australia as an example. As such, the subject is gun bans with all its attendant arguments.

TBGO

 

[The Beep Goes On]

Hmmmm...650K guns taken away from law-abiding citizens...I don't care how you slice it this fact speaks for itself.

Some good background...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_Australia

 

[The Beep Goes On]

It doesn't matter. A populace without a credible means of self-defense is at the mercy of a potentially unaccountable government or those who do not play by the same rules.