Dear CS,

That's all very well but how would you stop a criminal or a mentally deranged person, armed and apparently intent on killing children from doing so?

How would a teacher stop him/her?

If it happens in this country then it is once too often.

You have already mentioned the abduction in Melbourne, how could it have been stopped?

How could the stabbings in the school in Japan have been stopped?

Once he had stabbed one child something should have been done. What?

Note that he used a kitchen knife; any legislative suggestions?
Apart from the utterly useless one that NSW has that makes it an offence to carry a knife.

I also live in a small country town, in NSW, and every one has locks on their petrol caps, locks their cars and their houses.

Especially after the last abduction and rape of a school girl.

Criminals, by definition, are people who ignore the law.

morganzola
Yes it is a pity that among some of the good stuff being put forward, there is no recognition of the importance of environmental protection. I note also Katter has recently dismissed same sex marriage thus continuing the discrimination.

Katter was a bit OTT about live exports recently which means he is also capable of spin - saying one minute that if Australia doesn't sell live beef to Indonesia someone else will, then following it up with faux indignation about 8 million people starving in Indonesia if we don't export (despite the fact that many Indonesians are vegetarian). Katter can't have it both ways.

The Greens would do well to focus some of their engergies on outlining their other policies on free trade, privatisation etc. As important as the environment is, lack of campaigning on other issues means many Australians are unaware of Green policies overall.

I do not want a Columbine in my country.
csteele,
The way this country is heading you will get one like it or not. No one is advocating a relaxing of gun laws. Where did you get that ? What is needed are smarter gun laws. There is no justifiable need for a .357 magnum to shoot at paper targets in a shooting club. A 22 or 9 mm is more than ample to show off your shooting prowess. On the other hand it would be ridiculous to stop a bush walker or a farmer to carry less than a 222 in the hope of defending himself against an irate boar or a lunging croc coming out of the scrub while looking out for one in the water. A guard should have at least a disabling caliber.
This is logic, not a relaxing or proliferation of guns. I'd be interested to see Australia Party policy on this.

According to the ABC TV News last night there had been 12 dog attacks against human beings in the previous 24 hours.

Dog attacks are going to happen again, so is it not time that the ridiculous law that makes it illegal for a person to carry a stick, with the intention of self-protection against a dog, be repealed or at least modified?

Some of those attacked needed medical attention; the worst attack was upon a 10 year old girl outside a supermarket and the two men who pulled the dogs off her were also bitten, one of them badly, if having the teeth go through trouser leg and into the flesh is considered badly.

Is Mise,

Are you suggesting that we should become accustomed to people walking around brandishing sticks - in the unlikely event that they are attacked by a dog?

I can see it now - restaurants and cinemas would have repositories for each person's stick (just like a cloak room) You could deposit it on entry and retrieve it upon exit, and once back out in the cur-infested badlands, could wield it with impunity.

Good Grief.

Is mise,

to use a cliche "there are no bad dogs, just bad dog owners."

Dogs should not be running free.

Owners should qualify for pet ownership.

I was attacked by a dog when very young.

My German Shepherd saved me from attack by 2 men brandishing an axe some years ago and all she had to do was growl.

In summary, would prefer to go out with a dog than a stick.

:P