Dear onthebeach,

Lol.

Ah the Echidna defense. Crawl up into a little ball and put the spikes out.

Come on mate, you accuse me of research error when there was none, all I did was quote a couple of recent examples, then you offer nothing in return. At least Is Mise had the fortitude to front up with some statistics. Silly me I actually thought you might have finally decided to forego the usual snide retorts, the churlish attacks, the bullying and done the unthinkable, provide something of substance to support your contentions.

But alas nothing.

Oh well. Let me have a go.

Unintentional gun deaths in Australia in 2011 was .05 per 100,000 people. In the US the figure was .30. That is 6 times the rate. Why would anyone want that here?

By the way their suicide rate by gun was 6.3 per 100,000 compared to .63 here. Yup that's right 10 times the rate.

Who makes up the bulk of those figures in the US? Whites. Both white men and women are nearly three times as likely to commit suicide than non-hispanic Black people.

FOXY...

I'm sorry, I was NOT advocating Handgun ownership or any other firearm configuration for that matte at all. I was simple offering a suggestion, in relation to what 'I'd like to see' (personally) the authorities do, apropos anyone who wishes to possess any F/A ! Of ANY configuration or style. Obviously you didn't quite understand what it was I wrote ?

You can rest easy anyway, I don't believe any government of any political persuasion, will at anytime ease or relax, the existing F/A laws. If anything they will more likely seek to strengthen them usually by stealth !

As a side issue, you may be surprised to hear that governments rarely seek either, specialised police or military advice whenever they intend to strengthen, widen or amend, existing F/A laws, or the regulations attendant to those Laws ? Why, I don't really know ?

Other then on several occasions, I was required to provide certain assistance to government, concerning some technical issues involving a very popular centre-fire carbine. Interestingly the advice I gave, they nominated to do the exact opposite ? Furthermore, this was after I sought supporting evidence from the US Manufacturer, confirming the efficacy of my advice ?

As a result, a weapon that clearly should've been banned as a 'Prohibited Import' for other than military or law-enforcement use, pursuant to the Customs Act, 'flip flopped' around, for an eternity until common sense finally prevailed, and as the say it's now history ! I might add many ordinary, legitimate licenced shooters, had expended their 'hard earned' buying this carbine in good faith, only to have it confiscated when the new F/A laws received assent ?

Another example of political ignorance and stupidity ! It's little wonder ordinary people have so little faith in the system ?

Concerning F/A safety. All F/A's are dangerous if handled carelessly or in the hands of untrained individuals. And accidents do happen, with F/A's as with motor vehicles, boats, aircraft, whatever example you choose to cite ? Errors are made, they shouldn't have, but they do ? To identify F/A's specifically or particularly, serves no good purpose, other than to endeavour, NOT to make the same mistake twice.

Even those highly trained individuals in a Rifle Company (Army) have accidents, some by misadventure, carelessness, even being 'over-familiar' with their weapon. You can name any circumstance, it'll generally happen ! Neither are F/A's forgiving ? F/A's by their very nature are dangerous ! Furthermore all Firearms should be treated as if they're 'LOADED' !.

Claims that, by allowing more F/A's to be licenced and kept in homes, will only serve to increase the number of suicides with a gun ? I'm really not sure of this ? I don't have any figures, to prove or disprove that claim ? All that I can say, I've attended many suicides in my time, and yes F/A's have been used in some, but in my experience I've found many more males who've hanged themselves, and females who've overdosed, than anyone else collectively, using a F/A ?

It should be further noted, whenever a F/A enters the equation, it seems to provoke the media into some sort of manic frenzy ? It seems to almost 'spice up' any story if guns are involved in some way !

My only wish, when they were in the process of 'framing' the new F/A laws, post Port Arthur, if all states and the federal government, had taken much more attention and advice from police ? After all, at the end of the day, it's the police who have to 'enforce, monitor and regulate' the new Act, as well as becoming the effective conduit between the public and government. It's the police who are better placed to detect any deficiencies, anomalies or oversights of the new Act, but of course the government new better ?

Shots fired into home of truckie

See: www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/.../story-fni0cx12-1227167390354

www.dailytelegraph.com.au/...court.../story-fni0cx12-1227116806780

Don't defend yourself in NSW.

SteeleRedux,

LOL, off you go again with false comparison and researcher error.

It has already been demonstrated from US government statistics that gun crime is largely black on black, followed by Hispanic and is directly linked with gangs and drugs.

That being so it is entirely possible that the unintentional gun deaths in the US would also share the same characteristics. You then ask, "Why would anyone want that here?". A very reasonable reply to you is the simple, obvious one: be proactive and don't walk into similar social problems that have divided the US.

Suicide
The most popular method is hanging, the rope. Ban ropes?

In Australia, firearms were never popular for suicide. You say that in Australia the very small numbers who suicided by firearm dropped. What you don't admit because it is inconvenient to your emotional rhetoric, is that overall suicide rate was unaffected. The very few who might have used a firearm were undeterred and used another method.

How will these very sad people ever hope for help from people such as yourself, who would divert attention and resources away from research and assistance, to blame the method instead (and doubtless for political reasons too).

Again, I am not arguing for one side or the other. However I am concerned that taxpayers' money not be wasted through the highly questionable, in fact BS, of PC myths such as 'gun control' that focusses on the law abiding and takes police resources away from collaring criminals (and terrorists!).

Dear O Sung Wu,

Thank You for clarifying your stance on this
issue.

Dear SteeleRedux,

Here are more statistics ...
They speak for themselves - and why we should not
follow the "American Way," in this country.

My husband and I lived and worked in the United States
for close to ten years (in Los Angeles). One of our
relatives was a senior officer in the LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department).
We experienced things first-hand and there is no way that
we would ever want to see gun ownership in this country
reach the levels that it has in the US. Here's the
reason why:

"The US has the highest gun ownership rate in the world
and the highest per capita rate of firearm related murder
of all developed countries:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/gun-homicides-ownership/table/

The following link is also relevant:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/feature/wp/2013/03/22/gun-deaths-shaped-by-race-in-america/