And some of us simply get the correct licences and follow the regulations in the way that interferes as little as possible with what we need to do.
I'm an Australian gun owner. I own basic hunting rifles, handguns, and a semi-automatic ex-military rifle. Completely legally. Because rather than act hysterically and panic, I researched the law and found out what was needed to legally own firearms. The laws are not good laws, but there ways of navigating them so they are nowhere near as bad as some people think.
For example, I store my weapons according to the law - but I can have my guns ready for use within about 30 seconds if I need to. I'd prefer it if I could have them ready for use in one second, of course, I would.
The article is also pretty inaccurate about Australia's crime figures - there's no evidence that they soared following the gun buyback in the 1990s. They were in decline before the buyback and afterwards. It made no real difference one way or the other.
What happened to Mr Hawkins is unfair and unfortunate - but it was also avoidable.
the govt makes laws to make criminals.. simple. mr hawkins issue would of been avoidable without a govt looking to go after its ww 2 veterans
You are correct. I wish that Americans would do a little research on this. There was a brief spike in violent crime, but it was not statistically significant. Australian politicians publicly stated that the laws were to prevent Australia from developing a gun culture similar to the United States.
I hope you are sharing your experience with other Australians who wish not to become victems or statistics of crime or the “bad guys”.