Indi, not sure if you remember, but there was an old guy who shot a young intruder at Redcliffe QLD many years ago.

The old guy eventually won his case against his charges, yes, he was the offender here, however it cost him his house in the ed, just to pay his legals.

The young guys defense was, 'I tried to rob the wrong house'.

So, the system assumed that had this young thug actually robbed the right house, he wouldn't have been shot.

Can you believe that.

Of cause now these thugs pretty much know there are not many guns to worry about.

At the moment we are being 'peacefully invaded', by illegals and can't stop the invasion, so god help us if the illegals turn up with guns and the like.

But of cause, I would never want to see the type of gun laws, or no gun laws the likes of those in the US.

In international terms, the United States is an
extremely violent society, with a homicide rate far
exceding that of any other industrialised nation.
A single American city like Chicago, Houston,
Los Angeles, or New York records more murders in a
typical year than does the whole of England, where even
some police don't normally carry guns. Most other
countries severely restrict private handgun ownership,
but there are millions of handguns in the US and
weapons of this type are used in more than half of the
thousands of murders that occur each year.

The American handgun homicide rate is over 77 times the
average rate for England, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland,
Australia, Israel, and Canada combined.

Why then, does the US permit such widespread access to
handguns? One reason is the persistent belief that, since
criminals have guns, law-abiding people need them for
self-protection.

Actually, gun-owning households are much more likely to
suffer fatalities from their own weapons than from those
of outsiders.

One study found that only 2 percent of all slayings in
gun-owning households were for self-protection; the
remainder were suicides, homicides, or accidental deaths,
almost all involving family members, friends, or
acquaintances.

A second reason for the proliferation of handguns is the
belief, as I stated earlier, that's deeply held by many
Americans, that gun ownership is an individual right.

By granting this liberty to the individual, American
society pays the price in the deviance of those who abuse
it.

We can only trust that our governments will not allow this
type of society to come any closer to our shores.

Lexi you got it on the nail head in that post, I agree with every word.
We, me too, drift about in our threads, but I think this one is about American Gun Culture.
Rechtub, look back at what I saw as needless and factually wrong in your post.
You assured me that no one carried guns in their purses.
When pulled up, by others, you took it back, but the insulted presentation of that post was aimed at me.
I still fail to see any link to our current laws And America, OK better or worse could be a discussion point.
But some comments seem to request a return to past days or even the American system.
ANY ONE wanting to own a rifle can join a sporting shooters club, UNLESS they have form for violence or criminal pasts, they will get it.
I WARN the increasing deaths in this country is imported, not from American culture but another.
Guns or knives these things will continue until prison terms include confiscation of every thing they own, to pay for prison costs.

Hi there BELLY...

Wow, you sure generated some discussion with this particular topic.

Anyway, my little contribution - I hit a bit of a hurdle when I was in the job, and as a consequence I had to do my penance in Licensing,
more specifically the Firearms Registry (undertaking enquiries apropos, un-licensed and prohibited persons, with F/A's).

From my experience, most crime associated with the use of a F/A are committed by individual's who circumvent the F/A laws, and obtain a gun through illicit means. Believe it or not, most serious crime is not committed by someone who is fully lic. to possess a F/A.

Most crooks obtain a gun through other crooks. There's a large criminal enterprise engaged in illegally importing F/A's into the country via Containers etc.

Crooks are secure in the knowledge that the ACS can only physically check a small number of containers. Thus, they (ACS) accomplish most of their interdiction through the medium of Intelligence, and advice from Interpol and other law enforcement bodies, abroad.

The illegal gun trade is worth millions, I do mean millions !

Most serious (capital) crime perpetrated by licensed F/A persons, is that initially, involving domestic violence as the catalyst. Which often, can rapidly degenerate, and result in manslaughter even murder.

That's why police carefully scrutinize an applicant for a F/A Lic., and if there's any evidence of DV (in fact any conviction(s) for a violent act), often police will raise an objection to the granting of a Licence. The applicant must then make application to a Court, and it's up to to them, whether a F/A Licence is granted.

Even, then the Court may still seek an opinion from both police and Medical people, as to the fitness or otherwise of an applicant. Mental Illness in itself, doesn't always rule out an applicant. However, it is up to that person to prove to the Court's satisfaction, that the applicant is a fit and proper person to be in possession of a F/A.

Current price of an AK47 in southern NSW is less than $350 including 1000 rounds of ammo. I know many people with illegal weapons but doubt there is a criminal conviction among them. To say the problem of illegal weapons is mainly confined to criminal elements is not the full story.

Lexi & Belly,
I appreciate your comments re America vs Oz gun culture. However, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that Australia is generally 20 years behind so there goes that theory of us being "better".
I'm quite content with our gun culture but what worries me greatly is the gun culture that is being imported with the silent invasion. (see rehctub's post . ) I do so wish people would start looking ahead a few years instead of being contend with now. I for one subscribe to Hasbeen's logic where Australians are being conditioned to being useless with guns when the time comes when we have to rely on our skills with weapons. It won't happen overnight but it will happen !
Keep an eye on the invasion.