Well it is one of the major reasons that the South West of Sydney is a no go area,the criminals are better armed than the Police.The Police just watch as the criminals go about their business.

Luckily the law abiding citizens are disarmed since now our State Labor Cowards can hide behind their mask of anglo racism as ordinary citizens get raped,stabbed,bashed and shot.

I find the notion of needing a gun to protect yourself from a armed thugs an interesting one. The only time I have ever been threatened with a gun was many years ago on the NSW North Coast. I was with my father and we were setting crab pots near a public road late one night, within sight of a dairy farm owned by dad's uncle. We were warned off by a belligerent neighbour, three sheets to the wind, with a rifle, who told us to "clear off", despite being told who we were. This gentleman claimed that "undesirable elements" were creating trouble in the area and he had appointed himself to sort things out.

My point is that one person's "law abiding citizen" "protecting their loved ones from imminent danger" is another's gun-wielding psycho. I live and work near the notorious "no-go areas" of Sydney (according to Arjay). No-one's ever pulled a gun on me there.

Hi there,
One could argue strongly for or against the issue according to how its presented by the media. If we saw an incident where some wingnut is peeling a few rounds off also known as keeping authorities at bay during a tense standoff, some would think give me a shotgun and I'll fix it.
(Theres probably a more effective type and calibre but you get the picture)
Bit of a tweak and theres an arguement for any Thom, Dick or Harry to have a shotty in the boot just in case. Clearly not the way to go for a progressive society. On the other hand , it could be argued that limiting access to firearms would reduce the likelyhood of such occurrence in the first place.
Myself, I see both as a little simplistic and although ideologically sound on both sides, completely unworkable. I wouldnt claim to have the answers to the problem, but know trying to gain votes by harassing responsible gun owners is cynical and insincere- and people like Bob Katter recommending that everyone takes one on camping holidays to the cape- are distorting the logic and facts of this issue.

Sage... the score is as follows:

Sage ....1 (Empleomania...'A passion for divine inspiration')

Percicles....0 (cannot find 'Empleomania' in the diccy)

But Sage, I don't know that empleomania is appropriate.. its more like they 'claim to have' than a 'passion for'. Perhaps a better term would have been 'Messianic complex' :) hmm..'Messiomania' ?

Ok... legg tugging aside.. here are a few anecdotes.

1/ There are more Licenced armed civilians in Victoria alone, than our standing army. (sporting shooters)

2/ I and my friends were almost turned into pegboard by some morons at Cockatoo in the 60s. We were young Air Force apprentices on a camp and were wandering along a creek bed at night, when suddenly it was like a War Zone (we all had .22 rifles by the way). Some bright sparks had driven along the road up the top of the hill and began blasting indiscriminantly away at 'whatever' they thought was down below.

So, I'm all for limited gun control, 'no morons allowed'. But I never had a sense of paranoia over the availability of guns in those days.
We almost became our own victims a few times.. our Kangaroo shooter fellow Apprentice almost drilled an extra body orifice in me when cleaning his gun in the back of the Ute we were in one time..and I almost shot myself in the foot (back off you predators :) when going through a fence once, but other than general safety procedures.. things were quiet on the Western front.

There is 911 like speculation about Port Arthur, that it was not actually Bryant to killed, but some obscure SAS who were then 'terminated' in the Black Hawke crashes, Bryant was just the patsy, and that is was all just a huge 'They' thing to disarm the populace...... my my...

They had swords in Jesus day, we have guns in ours.. same rule applies ..."Do unto others..."

Quoting the "....all seeing ......." (shorten your aka, it would be easier!)

Good comments. Sensible, balanced firearm regulation is a good idea, the rest is just BS.

Don't you use Google down your way Boaz?

http://www.answers.com/topic/empleomania

have a great day