Posted on 09/08/2017 2:44:35 AM PDT by Ennis85
Australians have handed in nearly 26,000 firearms in the nation's first gun amnesty since its landmark response to a mass shooting in 1996. The amnesty began on 1 July to help counter a growing terrorism threat and an influx of arms in the country. It is illegal to own an unregistered firearm in Australia. Those caught outside the amnesty period face fines of up to A$280,000 (£172,000, $225,000) and up to 14 years in jail. The current programme, running until 30 September, means Australians can surrender unregistered firearms and related items without fear of prosecution. Justice Minister Michael Keenan said the "great result" so far would make the nation safer. Police estimate there are as many as 260,000 illicit guns in Australia, with some used in organised crime as well as recent terror incidents. Mr Keenan cited the example of Man Haron Monis, the perpetrator of a Sydney cafe siege in 2014, who used an unregistered shotgun which had entered Australia in the 1950s. Australians turned in 643,726 firearms in 1996 and 1997 following the killing of 35 people in the Tasmanian town of Port Arthur - the nation's worst and most recent mass shooting. The incident also led to a ban on semi-automatic and automatic weapons in the country.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
This is blatantly wrong
FTA: “...to help counter a growing terrorism threat...”
Socialists can be counted on to do exactly the wrong thing. It’s the closest thing to a sure thing you’ll ever find.
Thanks for the “wether” report.
Because the terrorists will be the first ones to turn in their guns! Cue the facepalm pics.
Pussies.
I’m friends with a lot of Aussies. They are retarded when it comes to guns.
They think they should only be used to shoot kangaroos in the outback.
They’re getting as nuts as NYC, Jersey or California.
Slaves.
$280,000 fine! 14 years! I’d be willing to bet that someone convicted of beating a person to death with a hammer would get off lighter.
Australia is as good gone.
An amnesty program that gets people to turn in guns helps “tcounter a growing terrorism threat”.
Would somebody explain to me how that works? My dense little brain doesn’t grok that.
Sad to see a once free country put on their own manacles.
A very saddening thing is that Australia is such a sporting paradise (I lived there as a teenager with my family in 1984) with year round golf and the shooting sports were also very big and vibrant at the time (Olympics and Commonwealth Games). All it took was that giant ass%ole John Howard and his very petty and bigoted views about firearms ownership and Americans and then using that sick, demented man’s bloody rampage in Tasmania in 1996 as his excuse to ruin a great deal of that.
I read accounts about how police officers who were commissioned to cut up and melt down the firearms seized in those buy backs were made quite upset over the destruction of numerous rare and unique firearms.
FOOLS!
Murder and rape reflect the natural expressions of humans as they are viewed by Liberals and, thus, are excused. The possession of a firearm is an affront to Liberal Authority and will be dealt with swiftly and severely. An example will be made of anyone who stands up to the State.
Before I correct you about the slave remark, I always say that we in Australia would have our own rampant version of the so-called “US Gun Culture” (lefty smear) if Kangaroos were carnivorous. But they are just grass eaters. The rural americans had to deal with bears, cougars and a load more varmints (and aligators) and thats the heritage of the so-called gun culture along with the militia aspect/2nd Ammendment. I can’t imagine living in the countryside down here and fearing to go outside without a handgun in case a hungry meat eating roo comes along, especially as they are very active after dark. The Top End does have Crocs and they are not nice but you cannot shoot them at this time. Ditto snakes. You’re supposed to be smart enough to avoid those things. And if not... natural selection at work.
Now the slave thing you dropped. Um, not so. A lot of us have served in the Army Reserves or LE and have our fill of shooting and targets. As for hunting, it can be an acquired taste to go out in a group but I always preferred solitaire. And in the ranges where hills are backstops. Shooters in the outback, right outback, is a stressy thing to do in many cases as its so flat with little if any timber. If another hunting group is just down the road some, say a mile or two away, well... hunting with half-full mates hanging on the ute is always a laugh and a bit of fun until someone wears a stray slug and karks it because the hospital is 1000 miles away.
As for unvetted citizens having firearms (especially newly arrived fundamentalist muslims from the sandpits) no thank you, just like in USA. I’d rather anyone who does shooting for a hobby belong to a club and be vetted and not on parole for instance (sort of “pre-crime” checking) Yes the crims, drug dealers and perps can buy on the black market or whatever (all the outlaws seem to be well supplied) but there are stings and infiltrations of that scene by LEO so thats ongoing.
Crims will be crims.
I thought the Auzzies were smarter than that. Another one bites the dust due to the liberal “ guns purge”. TOO BAD!
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