Illegal Guns Down Under, a Chilling Lesson for the U.S.A.

Gun Watch ^ | 30 November, 2013 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Results of an intrusive national registration scheme

These guns and air rifles are being haled as a find of a massive cache of private guns in Moonford, Australia, a tiny farming community with virtually no crime.  That is, there was no crime there before the National Australian government created it with the intrusive "gun control" law they passed, taking advantage of the act of a madman and the emotional response pushed by their national media.  All guns must be registered.  All guns must be locked up.  All guns are subject to inspection at virtually any time.  When I considered a trip to Australia a few years ago, I learned that even spear guns and blowguns are subject to restrictions.   It is chilling confirmation that gun registration is gun confiscation.

The "crime" here would not be any crime at all in the vast majority of the United States, and would not have been a crime in much of Australia before 1996.  Notice that in the picture the "illegal guns" include pellet guns, single shot .22 rifles, antique shotguns, and numerous bolt action hunting rifles.   A few of the firearms that were found might be restricted in the United States. 

The three men charged, a 69 year old father and two sons, aged 46 and 42, were licensed to have 71 firearms, and all those firearms are included in the 328 gun seizure.   Because they are licensed to have guns, it is clear that they are not career criminals.  It is not as if they can shoot more than maybe two guns at once.  But because the guns *are not registered* they are all subject to being confiscated.  Australia has done what the American anti-freedom advocates want: to make any possession of any gun not registered to the state a crime.   All the guns in the country are then subject to seizure by the state at any time the state either 1)finds them (for those not registered) or 2)desires to take them (those already registered).   The seizure of the guns included 4.2 tons of ammunition.   Total value is likely to be hundreds of thousands of dollars.  I wonder if  Australian law will include confiscating the 2,000 acre farm.

There is no credible evidence that the strict gun control laws in Australia have decreased crime or suicides.  For every study that claims they have, there is at least as credible of a study to show they have not.  What is clear is the Prime Minister, John Howard, hated people having access to firearms, and that he would do anything to restrict and ban them.  From Wikipedia:

Until 1996, the federal government had little role in firearms law. Following the Port Arthur massacre, the Howard Government (1996–2007), with strong media and public support, introduced uniform gun laws with the cooperation of all the states, brought about through threats to Commonwealth funding arrangements (bold added). The then Prime Minister John Howard frequently referred to the USA to explain his opposition to civilian firearms ownership and use in Australia, stating that he did not want Australia to go "down the American path".^[53][54][55] In one interview on Sydney radio station 2GB he said, "We will find any means we can to further restrict them because I hate guns... ordinary citizens should not have weapons. We do not want the American disease imported into Australia."

 It is notable that the Federal Government used financial extortion to obtain the cooperation of the states.  It is remarkably similar to what we have seen in the United States.   Australia should serve as an object lesson to Americans.   Their media and government so despised guns in private hands that they were quite willing to use "all means" to bring about the nationalization of the gun laws Australia now suffers under.   The vast majority of Australians live in coastal cities and know only what they are told by the media about guns.
Their ignorance has cost their country cousins much time, treasure, and police intrusion into their lives.

Fortunately, the United States can learn from Australia's experience.  We have far more activists who have developed strong networks to oppose these laws ill considered laws.  Our urban populations are learning the truth about citizen disarmament laws.  Australia's developing network of activists was simply overwhelmed by the combined media and government forces that conspired against them.

©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

[marktwain]

Think about these farmers, minding their own business, when the Australian national government and their media decide to upend their world, 17 years ago. They did not register all of their guns. Some have said that they were storing some of the guns for neighbors and freinds. Who knows how much they will now have to suffer because of the ignorance of their urban cousins and the malevolence of their media and government.

[Little Ray]

Some of those are nice pieces. One looks like a Model 1887 lever action shotgun!

[G Larry]

Now you know how to tell when it’s time to bring a baseball bat to the Senate.

[ansel12]

I’m amazed at how quickly Australia slipped down in national image, from this sudden anti-gun switch they did in the 1990s or whenever.

Australia went from wild, sexy and cool, to a shell of it’s old image, in no time.

Now they seem beaten and pathetic, tamed.

[2banana]

When your rights are not written down - anyone can take them away.

When your rights are written down, at least it gives you the authority to fight back when they try to take your rights.

[One Name]

The momentum and votes swung just at the right time to disenfranchise rural Australia. Fortunately, for now, the US is not quite so easily dismembered.

We are not far from it, though.

We must be ever vigilant and vocal.

[Yaelle]

When your rights are not written down - anyone can take them away. When your rights are written down, at least it gives you the authority to fight back when they try to take your rights.

-----

[3Fingas]

Oh nose! Some ranchers in the outback have some Fudd guns. Why don’t they just leave these fellas alone?

[FAA]

While there is some variation state to state, gun laws generally in Australia would make an American cringe.

-One must apply for a license to be a shooter and gun owner.

-One must submit an application (PTA) to the state police each and every time they wish to purchase a firearm, new or used, retail or private sale.

-One must demonstrate the ability to safely store a firearm and that must be signed off by the state police.

-One’s firearm storage is subject to random inspection by the state police who will visit your home and inspect your storage set-up.

-One is subject to the licensing and classification system the various Australian states have devised.

-One may only legally possess a single-shot, bolt-action or single/double barreled shotgun under the basic license (Cat A/B.) General hunting, target shooting, etc.

-One may only legally possess a semi-auto rimfire or pump action shotgun under a Cat C License. Need here is vague to me.

-One may only legally possess a semi-auto centerfire or shotgun under a Cat D License. Cat D licensees must be dealers, collectors, farmers/ranchers, or, professional hunters who can demonstrate that they receive a certain percentage of their yearly income from contract hunting to the Aussie government.

-One may only legally possess a Cat H handgun license if they belong to a handgun shooting club/range and also participate in a minimum number of competition shoots per year (one per quarter I believe.)

So, if you want to own a firearm in Oz the government will want to know what it is, the serial, how it’s being stored and where, what you’re using it for and when, and, who’s using it at any given time. If you can’t provide that info then you are highly likely to lose your license, have any firearms you own seized with no compensation, and, will have to wait many years before you can reapply for a license or permit to purchase again.

Nice little police state they have there.

[basil]

Oh nose! Some ranchers in the outback have some Fudd guns. Why don’t they just leave these fellas alone?

Answer: because they are from the government, and can do whatever the heck they want to...........

[Jet Jaguar]

Bump

[Carriage Hill]

Look at the 2nd pic posted; those are the interesting firearms:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3096453/posts?page=32#32

[3Fingas]

Interesting for gun-controlled Australia, but I have more interesting truck guns than those.

Anyhow, aside from violating Australian gun ownership laws, did the police have any evidence that the guns were used in the commission of a crime or that any guns were sold to criminals? If not, the raid was just a demonstration of official power, nothing more.

[FAA]

In the “scary” second picture of “semi autos” one sees.......two tacti-cooled bolt action rifles and a pump action Remington 7615. I can’t make out the other two.

” Anyhow, aside from violating Australian gun ownership laws, did the police have any evidence that the guns were used in the commission of a crime or that any guns were sold to criminals? If not, the raid was just a demonstration of official power, nothing more.”

The simple act of possessing them without registration is major violation of state law. Used in crime? Hell, simply having them is equitable to multiple felonies here.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

soon to come to this land—if Obama and the Democrats have their way.

[WilliamRobert]

soon to come to this land—if Obama and the Democrats have their way.

If the gubermint agents come for our guns against the second amendment we can detain them as eneimies of the state, right?

[aviator]

Why do Aussies oil their lawns? So the guns won’t rust.

[chris37]

Meh, I don’t care what the law is one way or the other.

[rktman]

Like you said. In this case, just having them is a crime. Purty durn sad.

[melsec]

Careful sunshine appearances can be deceiving LOL!

There has been no news of how the cops found out about these guys but I suspect as so many of their weapons were unregistered and Queensland is currently cracking down on bikie crime that they may have been selling guns and ammo to what amounts to our organised crime syndicates here in Aus. If that is the case I have no sympathy for them. It really is not that hard to register and possess a weapon - only legal ones though - otherwise ya better hide ‘em good!

Somebody has put them to the Police I would imagine in exchange for leniency on a larger crime!

Mel