Thread: Mass shooting in Melbourne
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Old 10-21-2002, 10:06 AM   #15
MagiK
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Quote:
Originally posted by Leonis:
quote:
Originally posted by MagiK:
I thought guns were illegal in Australia. I remember reading a bunch of hoopla about it.

Perhaps another law againse murder would help?
Most guns are illegal for most people MagiK. This came into effect largely after the Port Arthur Massacre - http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial/bryant/

Of course illegal (imported or stolen) are still readily available. Apparently it has made it alot harder for people to just grab a gun and start shooting, but not impossible.

Which is the very point that we are trying to make, when we say that laws that make owning a gun criminal means that only criminals will have guns. You can't keep drugs off the street, why would you do any better at keeping the guns off the street? It isn't the normal every day gun owner out there comitting the crimes.

This type of incident unfortunately, is not new, but is painfully highlighted by recent tragic events. Back when my wife was in high school some maniac killed her friends sister with a machette as she was sitting in a mall he shot and killed a number of others too. This was around 8 years ago and there have been many incidents before and since.

I think many Australians are feeling highly insecure as we seem to be faced with escalating violence of both domestic and terrorist kinds, yet have little history or infastructure for dealing with and preventing these kinds of crimes.

Personally I don't feel like the dangers are much higher than they have been. They have always been around and the nature of the crimes - that the perpetrator has no concern for their own safety when commiting it, even prepared to die for it - means that we can't do a hell of a lot differently.

I guess that the blinkers have come off for a lot of Aussies now though, and they are realising that one day these incidents they read about in the papers and see on tv could be in their own backyard so to speak.

If everone is packing, that means any one nutjob is not going to be able to do nearly as much damage before he is stopped.

It used to be that Men were responsible for the protection of themselves and their loved ones. It really appears to me that the role of a man has been eroded to the point where we are all too emasculated to defend ourselves, and if we do...we are prosecuted by the law. (yeah I know that is construed as sexist by some women but I know many women who appreciate a man who makes them feel protected and secure too...but that isn't PC or popular to say these days)[/QUOTE]

[ 10-21-2002, 10:07 AM: Message edited by: MagiK ]