Instead 0f relaxing the gun laws,

We should be hardening the Bail laws.

A short while ago we had Jill Meagher killed by a
man out on Bail, who had a criminal record of at least
13 violent assaults and sexual assaults.

It was reported in the newspapers at the time that over a dozen
people have been killed by violent people out on bail over a period of recent years.

Here we had another 2people on bail convicted of
stabbing a woman multiple times and set alight, out on Bail to
kill two more people. Why?

I thought these people were supposed to be kept in jail to
protect the public from their violent behaviour.

You can bet despite Tony Abbott's saying we will look in to it, nothing will change.
The people on these parole boards are too soft or else just
plain incompetent.

Dear onthebeach,

You said;

“As is obvious, I prefer peer-reviewed research.”

You are not going to disarm me with humour me lad.

Oh wait a minute, are you insinuating that an opinion piece from Ms McPhedran who is the Chair of the International Coalition for Women in Shooting and Hunting is an unbiased and reputable source?

Pull the other one or find me one other paper that replicates her distorted contentions.

Leaving that aside can I note you seemed to have quietened down considerably since your opening salvo at me that went something like this;

“other posters should instantly recognise your argument as the whopping great fallacy that it is. Doubtless you would argue that the crowing of the rooster causes the sun to rise as well.”

and your diatribe at Foxy that ran as follows;

“Good Lord, are you channeling a Xerox or something? Because you constantly regurgitate and broken-record the same old, same old fodder entirely oblivious to the replies of the very patient (and admittedly some not so patient anymore) posters who sought to correct you on the previous multiple occasions.” plus “your tricky rhetoric” and “the obviously fallacious and misleading one you are inferring”.

From the outset you dictated the tune we were going to dance at on this thread and I was happy to follow in step, now you seemed to have slowed to a waltz. All rather pleasant though decidedly confusing. But I am perfectly able to respond to you being civil. Perhaps we should try it next thread.

o sung wu,

You must know that what a police prosecutor might accept as 'reasonable' force defending oneself against an offender could be very, very, limited indeed. The police prosecutor regards the intruding offender as the victim and you, the unfortunate householder who defended yourself, as the offender. His job is to convict YOU.

The reversed onus of proof is on YOU, the hapless victim to prove YOU were actually facing serious harm or loss of life and you exactly measured your response to no more than was required to repel him.

NSW recently repealed the reversed onus of proof that re-victimised victims. Here is the change,
<Crimes Act 1900 Section 419
Self-defence-onus of proof
...the prosecution has the onus of proving, beyond reasonable doubt, that the person did not carry out the conduct in self defence.>

Do you agree that change is eminently fair, reasonable and just under our inherited system of law? Because I certainly do. The onus of proof should be on the prosecution and not on the hapless victim.

The NSW Greens opposed the change and lost, fortunately for victims of crime in NSW.

We have an aging population who will increasingly become the victims of crime, because banks and business have hardened their defences, there is very little respect for the aged in Australia, there is more crime associated with drugs and so on.

Frankly, I cannot imagine any practical and effective means of defence that the average 65yr old could lawfully mount against a youth, and definitely not some thug in the prime of his life who has cased your home and planned his attack (as they do!). Nor would the householder stand any real chance of escape. To top it off, the offender is fit and skilled at close quarters and in a tight physical environment. They practice it over and over with their mates.

Just think, how much flexibility, power, stamina and wind do you really have? Be honest!

The truth is that the offender holds all of the aces, including intimate knowledge of police response times.

O sung wu,

"Coppers ask '...why are you carrying that pick handle...'? '...I use it after work in order to 'sharpen-up' my batting technique...''...Oh that's OK sir, well have a good night now...' ! The whole issue of legitimate self-defence is absolutely ludicrous"

Also, "Why did you have the pistol out of the safe, Sir?"
"Well, I'd just reloaded some ammunition and I wanted to make sure it would fit the chambers..." or ditto for the rifle or the shotgun ".... I'd just inserted a round when he axed the front door....".

OSW: Individuals be permitted to carry a weapon for self protection ?

Can't see that working somehow. You'd end up with 1000 times more "Deranged Individuals" holding innocent hostages up in Cafes displaying IS Flags.

Then there's the matter of, who should have access to weapons. Most of the "Gun Nuts" I have met I wouldn't allow to carry even a Butter Knife.

I haven't need to use a weapon for 49 years. Last time I fired one was about 10 years ago on a range. 266/300 over 100 to 300 meters on a drop target range with an unfamiliar weapon. High Score. I used to do better than that. I've slipped a bit.

Unfortunately they won't let me take out some of the people that really need taking out & there's a long list of Baddies out there. (Think, Star Chamber) Buggar.

Is Mise way off topic, but you might find interesting.

I have 2 walking sticks, both picked up in the Solomons. One is in coconut palm timber. It is remarkably heavy, strong & has an interesting grain pattern. The other is in ebony. Unlike other ebony carvings I have, it is not totally black timber, but has a wide blond strip of grain running along it.

Both by a Solomon tradition have a snake carved onto the stick, about 6 or 8mm proud, winding it's way along the length of the stick. The snake is to protect the user from evil spirits in the earth, by not allowing then to climb the stick.

I don't know if they would protect the user from evil men, but they are both heavy, with a large handgrip knob, probably good for cracking skulls.

The interplay between the strip of blond grain, & the snake, make the ebony stick a thing of rare beauty.