Think Mass. is bad? Well, you could be in Australia...

[number9]

Shooters call for 'buy a gun' day

November 17, 2006 12:03pm
Article from: AAP

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A SHOOTERS' rights group has called for tomorrow to be national 'buy a gun' day, drawing strong opposition from gun control lobbyists.

The Coalition of Law Abiding Sporting Shooters (CLASS) is promoting the idea of a special day for shooters, arguing that gun ownership teaches individual responsibility and important life skills.

"Participation in 'Buy a Gun' day is simple," Peter Whelan, president of CLASS, has said.

"For those who already own a gun, visit your local gun shop and buy another one.

"If you have never owned a gun, visit your local shooting club, talk with the members and join up. If you want the full details on getting your firearms licence and purchasing your first gun, just contact the Firearms Registry."

Mr Whelan cited the advice of celebrated Australian poet Henry Lawson who once wrote that every man should own a rifle and have cartridges in store.

"If Henry had written those words in 2006, rather than 1907, he would surely have made it every man and woman, for shooting sports and gun ownership is open to men and women. It is the great equaliser," he has said.

"Gun ownership develops self-confidence and teaches individual responsibility, essential lessons for day-to-day living. The shooting sports involve control, coordination and patience, which are also important life skills."

Mr Whelan said young people taught these important lessons through gun ownership were far less likely to get involved in drugs or other anti-social behaviour.

Gun control advocates have described the promotion of gun culture as unacceptable.

Under current national firearms laws, only a person holding a firearms licence may buy a gun and then only by submitting an application for a permit to acquire to their state registry then waiting 28 days.

Roland Browne, co-chair of the National Coalition for Gun Control, has said victims of firearms violence and their relatives will find the idea abhorrent.

"In 1996 Australia decided to move away from the American gun culture where people just wandered out and purchased guns on a whim," he has said.

"It is illegal for people to just turn up at a gun store and buy a gun. That can't occur in Australia.

"It is unacceptable that because Australian interest in firearms is waning, they are trying to promote the purchase of guns as if it is the same as purchasing a ribbon for AIDS victims or a badge for Amnesty International.

"It is privilege to own a firearm in Australia and promotion of the gun culture is no longer acceptable."

Apparently Australian journalists confuse American "gun culture" with, you know, CRIME! And all this time, I didn't realize they were the same thing.

 

[Admin]

"In 1996 Australia decided to move away from the American gun culture where people just wandered out and purchased guns on a whim," he has said.

"It is illegal for people to just turn up at a gun store and buy a gun. That can't occur in Australia.

That is absolutely shocking...

 

[JRyan]

I'd rather try to swim to America than stay in Australia. Even Mass. Even Ca.

 

[JellyFish]

Rebecca Peters, the douchebag stooge of George Soros, was instrumental in taking away the rights of Aussies. The "conservative" prime minister went right along with it. Australia has disgraced itself by taking away the rights of its citizens to defend themselves.

Peters was the prime reason why I became a Life Member of the NRA. She is someone who considers herself a "citizen of the world." That ought to tell you all about where she comes from. Ugh. I loathe her.

 

[SKS Ray]

I'd rather try to swim to America than stay in Australia. Even Mass. Even Ca.

Careful, you could get nailed by a Stingray!

I know, I know...

 

[Skald]

The thing is that gun crime did go down in Austrailia a bit.

BUT

Violent crime skyrocketed, and *gasps* there are still gun crimes committed.

 

[number9]

I'd rather try to swim to America than stay in Australia. Even Mass. Even Ca.

I was going to agree, until you said California

Rebecca Peters, the douchebag stooge of George Soros, was instrumental in taking away the rights of Aussies. The "conservative" prime minister went right along with it. Australia has disgraced itself by taking away the rights of its citizens to defend themselves.

Peters was the prime reason why I became a Life Member of the NRA. She is someone who considers herself a "citizen of the world." That ought to tell you all about where she comes from. Ugh. I loathe her.

A large part of the problem is cultural. Whilst there are tens (hundreds?) of thousands of Australian farmers, outside of them -- and even they're a tenuous case -- there is no tradition or culture revolving around firearms to start with. My father-in-law learned to shoot from his father, and his from his, and so on down the line. In Australia, unless you're a farmer, that simply doesn't happen. And hell, if you are a farmer, you've got better things to do than be interested in guns.

It's a lot easier to take something away from a people if a) the vast majority of them don't care about it and b) they never really had it on a large scale. [sad2]

 

[JellyFish]

They should organize and form an NRA organization. Then start picking off the gun banners in elections and replacing them.

 

[drgrant]

AU went downhill because everyone lined up and turned their
guns in when the government asked them to.

Can you think of what would have happened if like a handful of people
showed up? Then the government would have had to figure out
how to steal guns from a bunch of people who were
armed and clearly didn't want to surrender them.

Part of the problem down there is the owners made it way too
easy for the government to get away with it. Not even a little
civil disobedience. I'm not saying they have to get violent- but
they should have made the government work to do it.

I agree with number9... I don't think even when guns were more legal
there, that the culture was conducive to ownership. I think the "trap
on sundays with elmer fudd" factor is even worse over there than it is
here. A lot of this is because of socialism. In america, there is
still a percieved need for self protection capability, and still a culture
of self sufficiency in some parts. In most socialist countries, there's
this "false utopia" mindset going on. That's starting to happen in
the US, too, but it's not nearly as bad, yet.


-Mike

 

[Executive]

"In 1996 Australia decided to move away from the American gun culture where people just wandered out and purchased guns on a whim," he has said.

"It is illegal for people to just turn up at a gun store and buy a gun. That can't occur in Australia."

List of things to do today:

1. Mow lawn.
2. Bring clothes to dry cleaners.
3. Buy groceries.
4. Go to post office and bank.
Hmmm. What else?
5. I KNOW! Wander out and purchase guns on a whim!

Idiots.

 

[MarkM]

5. I KNOW! Wander out and purchase guns on a whim!

Hmm, that happens to me quite a bit when the browse the classifieds here

 

[John2]

I understand the Aussy gun turn-in was about as successful as the Kalifornia AWB...not much cooperation. True, thousands of firearms were destroyed, but they estimate even more were squirreled away in PVC tubes, etc. The AU gunowners are still awaiting their "reimbursement" from the government. Something like Canada where they underestmated. Kalifornians who cooperated and registered, are now on the harrasment list. If anything happens in the neighborhood, they know exactly whos door to pound on. Kind of a case where you trust the government at your own peril.