Shadow Minister,

I am sorry to hear your story about an accidental death in your family. That is reason enough for young people to receive training in firearms safety. Obey the cardinal rules and accidents are impossible.

That is the same in all walks of life, we cannot remove all risks. However we can manage risks. Speaking of which, as Cadets thousands of students carried their Lee Enfield .303 to and from school, bolt in but action always cleared, on foot, on bikes and on public transport. Of all of the countless trips, public parades and countless hours in training, some live round firing on the range, others using live blanks on exercises, no-one was injured.
No-one was revulsed by students with a rifle of defence, or judgemental and critical of his sense of responsibility and service to Australia. The same rifle had done much to regain freedom and protect the homeland.

The OP demands bans. But there are no parallels between the US and Australia, or NZ. Our experience and laws are different. Australia and NZ never ever had a 'gun problem'.

You say that "Not having guns does not stop all crime, but makes the outcome less likely to be fatal". You conveniently forget the rather obvious facts being reported, that offenders can easily obtain the nasty tools they need on the black market, which is well supplied by importing, or by theft from police and other government bodies (eg rangers issued with semi-automatics). The agriculturalist, low tech firearms owned legally privately, even the small capacity pistols, are not attractive to criminals. They don't have the gansta street cred.

However what the public should be concerned about and politicians like Howard are most unwilling to allow a public inquiry into, is what sets youth of (say) the Seventies and before (when school Cadets carried rifles freely without harm befalling them or anyone else) apart from youth of today

contd..

What is going wrong in public policy and planning that we, the Australian public, are now supposed to be fearful of our own neighbours and especially our youth? Or are governments working the hysteria button? Is the feckless media actually encouraging multiple homicide by making celebrities of offenders?

In short we need independent university research funded and conducted at a national level to advise us and the government on violence and suitable informed policy based on evidence to reduce it. We have all had enough of politicians adding more laws that duplicate laws already in existence.

I don't like guns and don't own one but until we in the West have a proper constitution that gives us true democracy, then we don't have a means to stop this oligarchical oppression of debt and loss of rights, which the planet is currently being strangled by.

None on this topic will address the Patriot Act, Preventative Dentntion, NDAA or Obama's edict of legalised assassination of suspected terrorists. We have John Howard's Sedition Laws which do likewise.

Govts have always murdered far more people than a lone lunatic with a gun.

Hi laz91. Where on earth did you find the proof and statistics to prove all your 'facts' for your post?
Are you suggesting this crazed US gunman shot all those kids because the 'modern' women of today wouldn't have sex with him?
How bizarre!

Csteele's post was another voice of reason on this thread, with some very pertinent questions and opinions. I too am thankful we haven't followed America's path with gun laws.
The fact remains that America has had many of these awful mass gun killings and Australia hasn't , so we must be doing something right.
We must never allow trigger-happy politicians like Bob Katter have his way and loosen our gun laws....

G'day Suse No I'm not suggesting that whatever it was. Some "facts" are hard to get for various reasons. But a lifetime of experience must tell you something. You can either accept or reject. That's a forum.

I reject :)
Exactly what were you suggesting then laz91?
Just wondering...