o sung wu,

More recent news, who can understand this,
http://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/children-stabbed-to-death-in-the-cairns-suburb-of-manoora/story-fnj4alav-1227161862831

or this?

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/mother-grandmother-from-morayfield-house-of-horrors-arrested-assisting-police/story-fnn8dlfs-1227170025642?nk=25c19df4f4f4130f576180510b8b671f

Was infanticide always about, but the gruesome reality was hidden from the public gaze? How many single deaths might there be even now?

That is why if I had a choice of neighbours, I would very much prefer them to be licensed firearms owners. There I have the very best assurance anyone is ever likely to get that the people concerned are who they say they are, have no criminal record and there are other people also certified for ID and reputation who have vouched for them through long, close and positive association.

o sung wu,

I was once involved as the representative of the family one of two teenage boys who suicided (I knew them both) and the shotgun that was used was disposed of, with the father's consent, by being given to Mick Smith (of Smith's Sports Store) to be sold and any profit given to charity.
Mick later gave me a receipt for a donation of the full retail sale price to Legacy.

Dear O Sung Wu,

I can't understand the mentality of some people
either - on many issues.

As far as gun-control goes public health researchers
regularly point out the relationship between gun
possession and suicide. A good example given in the
link below is -

"...when Israel stopped allowing its soldiers to take
their guns home and had them leave them on base, suicides
on week-ends dropped 60 per cent among the country's
soldiers."

The link explains that - "...the impulse to commit
suicide is temporary so if the density of guns within
a population goes down, then so does the chance that any
person's momentary desire to take their own life will
intersect with access to a firearm..."

Makes sense.

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/12/18/1353811/australia-gun-control-suicides/

We have our former Prime Minister - John Howard citing
a study by Andrew Leigh of the Australian National University
and Christine Neill finding that the firearm homicide rate
fell by 59 per cent and the fire-arm suicide rate fell by
65 per cent in the decade after his laws were introduced.

To me this indicates the effectiveness of his laws.

SteeleRedux,

"Whether or not Australia’s laws affected firearm suicides is uncertain. Some studies find an impact, others find little or no evidence of any changes and/or substitution of other suicide methods. Adding to this complexity, suicides across the board declined after 1997. This coincided with national implementation of a wide range of suicide prevention strategies.

There were broader social changes occurring around that time, including the start of a long period of economic growth and low unemployment. It is extremely difficult to disentangle the effects of legislative changes from those of multiple interventions and social changes occurring around the same time. Indeed, based on a careful evidence review, it has been proposed that Australia’s gun laws do not represent a cost-effective way of preventing suicide."
http://thebigsmoke.com.au/2014/10/20/australia-firearms-evidence-really-tells-us/

As is obvious, I prefer peer-reviewed research.

We seem to be looking, only at Firearms as a method of self protection, are there no other viable modes of defence we could avail ourselves too ?

IS MISE...mentioned his stout walking stick, which is duplicitous in it's uses ? An obvious aid to his mobility, and a very handy mode of self defence ? He's studied a method of defence based on ancient Indian procedures ?

HASBEEN...laments the loss of his Carrier launched Jet Fighter, armed with rockets, cannon, and machine guns ? Failing that, he'd (reluctantly) settle for his ol' reliable .303 Bren Gun ? He'd probably have more luck with the latter, then the former I reckon ?

I don't know, would anyone choose Chemical Agents ? A favoured choice for many of our gentlest sex ? The mind boggles at the array available ? *CN, a lacrimator; (aka tear gas & 'Mace') *CS, a lacrimator and irritant *HC, dense smoke (no practical use) *DM, or Adamcite, a sickening agent, but quite dangerous, suitable only for military application; *OC, (Oleoresin Capsicum), an inflammatory agent, causing a burning sensation of the skin. and *CR a very severe Lacrimator & Irriant, suitable only for military use.

Not to forget our friendly 'Tazer' that will cause a pretty decent shock to anybody trying to attack you !

Finally, Impact weapons; *Cosh, *Kubotan, *Billie clubs, *Batons, *Night Sticks. All of these instruments can give an attacker a very decent headache, if he were not to watch himself ?

I've not included Edged Weapons. Though highly effective, but generally fatal if not trained with them properly, similar to a Firearm.

Hi there ONTHEBEACH; IS MISE, and FOXY...

ONTHEBEACH...

I dunno mate I really don't ? Always, it's the kids that suffer, the unwitting subject's of their parents/carers anger, irritation or indignation ? What you say is invariable right, 'generally' speaking many of those who qualify for the issuance of a F/A licence are put 'through the hoops', looking for evidence of criminality and psychological instability. All though a person has been granted a F/A licence, it doesn't necessarily follow that person will remain psychologically stable, rather it's more likely they're an individual without any obvious traits of emotional instability at the time they applied, therefore they've a lesser preponderance perhaps, of 'going postal' ?

Hi there IS MISE...

An awful event if you're personally involved ? What occurred in that case I think would be a 'normal' response of any (again) 'normal' human being ? I'd not want to be in the same country of a weapon, a member of my family had used to suicide ? No matter what the circumstances are. Old Mick Smith, still up there near Railway Square, nice bloke and pretty good with his side by sides & his U&O's. I think Frank was the youngest of the family, and was running the store last time I was there ! Nonetheless, Mick could sure handle his Shotguns.

Hi there FOXY...

I understand your opposition to Firearms per se. Unfortunately F/A's are here to stay. If a potential suicide victim wishes to do away with themselves, they will. I'm sure you're right when you cite figures accounting for suicides via a gun. Nevertheless, whether there's a gun available or not, if a person has it in their mind to do away with themselves, they invariably will. No doubt a gun makes it far easier. If no gun is available, they'll find another way ? With males, more likely they'll hang themselves. Females, overdose. A sad state of affairs, no doubt. A complete blanket 'BAN' on ALL F/A's will not reduce the incidences of suicide, just vary the means of opportunity is all.