Now in available with a cool stock and a 10 round detachable magazine.
Posted on 04/03/2013 6:04:16 PM PDT by EXCH54FE
(Reuters) - Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard wore a bullet proof vest under his suit when he addressed an angry crowd of gun owners in 1996, telling them he was going to ban automatic and semi-automatic weapons for the safety of all Australians.
At other rallies, effigies of his deputy prime minister Tim Fischer were hanged by opponents of gun control.
The battle for gun control in Australia, after the country's worst massacre in which 35 people were shot dead, was risky both personally and politically. Howard alienated a large part of his conservative, rural base and was almost thrown from office.
But the gun reforms made Australia a safer place, with fewer homicides and suicides, and both Howard and Fischer are now urging U.S. President Barack Obama to take his gun control campaign to the people, just as they did, to gain a consensus.
Yet I felt there was no alternative," wrote Howard, adding he hoped his example would contribute constructively to the U.S. gun debate.
Obama wants to ban military assault rifles and high capacity ammunition clips after a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at a school in Newtown, Connecticut, in December. But his plans appear to be losing momentum ahead of debate in the U.S. Senate this month.
In Australia, gun owners were compensated when they handed in previously legal weapons. Almost 700,000 guns were destroyed, halving the number of homes with a gun. That would be equal to taking 40 million guns out of action in the United States.
But the reforms angered many constituents of Fischer's rural-based National Party, who vented their anger two years later at the ballot box. The pro-gun One Nation party won almost one million votes and the government narrowly avoided defeat.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Now in available with a cool stock and a 10 round detachable magazine.
Aren’t robberies and rapes waaaaaay up?
It’s said there are 80-million homes with guns in the US so halving the number of homes with guns would result in a 40-million change.
I believe the 80-million is just an estimate. I see 270, 300 and 400-million thrown around for the number of firearms.
I wonder how many would be illegal under Australia’s gun laws? Probably 50% or more?
From: Ed Chenel, a police officer in Australia.
(http://www.snopes.com/crime/statistics/ausguns.asp)
Hi Yanks,
I thought you all would like to see the real figures from Down Under.
It has now been 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 in: Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent, Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 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. (Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not and criminals still possess their guns!)
While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since the criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed.
There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the elderly. 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.”
You won’t see this data on the American evening news or hear your governor or members of the state Assembly disseminating this information.
The Australian experience proves it. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws affect only the law-abiding citizens.
Take note Americans, before it’s too late!
From: Ed Chenel, a police officer in Australia.
(http://www.snopes.com/crime/statistics/ausguns.asp)
Hi Yanks,
I thought you all would like to see the real figures from Down Under.
It has now been 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 in: Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent, Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 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. (Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not and criminals still possess their guns!)
While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since the criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed.
There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the elderly. 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.”
You won’t see this data on the American evening news or hear your governor or members of the state Assembly disseminating this information.
The Australian experience proves it. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws affect only the law-abiding citizens.
Take note Americans, before it’s too late!
I live and work in Charleville, QLD - know what you mean.
No one knows for sure how many guns are in the US, however it is likely somewhere between 300 to 400 millions are in the US, but Rooooters said 40 million guns here,
"...That would be equal to taking 40 million guns out of action in the United States.
So we take the premise that there are 80 million households with guns...is Rooters claiming it is only 1 gun for each home or household? A 1:1 ratio?
LoL. No, that's not correct.
I get tired of people peddling some nonsense that there is something foreign countries do that we should emulate. If they do it in Australia, and the Aussies don’t have the sense to overthrow their government and establish a new one, that’s the Aussies’ problem. If the combined EUrotrash does something, well, that is no sign the USA should do it.
Agree. Some idiot, well can’t say idiot cause he’s a member here. Some misguided person for N.Y. thought it was just fine that the cops in N.Y. had a stop and frisk policy. Cause it made him feel safe and others feel safe. And when I and others pointed out that it was against the Constitution and I was against it, his comeback was that “we are against most every civilized country in the world.”
Screw everyone else. I have a Constitution, it is the law of the land, it will be followed and if not sooner or later there will be hell to pay. And that ain’t a threat. That’s a damn promise.
A night on the kangaroo cull
Apr 3, 2013 11:32 UTCNEXT
Editor’s choicePhotographer David Gray spent a night out with Steve O’Donnell, a professional plumber who by night is a government-licensed kangaroo shooter on the outskirts of Australia’s capital Canberra. After dusk, Steve’s job is to take part in the culling of Australia’s kangaroo population, which is estimated at over 50 million, though precise numbers vary dramatically. Every licensed kangaroo shooter goes through rigorous testing and must abide by strict rules and conditions, including that a “headshot” must be obtained to minimize the animal’s suffering. Read David’s personal account here. 15 PHOTOS
http://blogs.reuters.com/fullfocus/2013/04/03/a-night-on-the-kangaroo-cull/#a=1
AS AN AUSTRALIAN MAY I ADD I APPROVE THIS REGULATION AND IF STEVE O’DONNEL DOESN’T LIKE IT HE CAN STICK TO PLUMBING.
Firearms chambered in military calibers were previously outlawed in some states.
As I understand the law, pumps an lever actions were affected. Bolt actions generally were not.
Is the waiting period down to only as year yet?
Important and fascinating info - thanks!
That's a great tagline Sky Dancer... one of life's worthy choices...Westboro's as evil as they come...
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