Is Mise,
Cars are not "guided missiles" like bullets, unless of course they ARE in the wrong hands, nes pa?

Here is a Media Release from Roy Smith MLC, responding to John Crook of GCA who claimed that if juniors are enlisted in shooting, gun crime will increase:
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Media Release

3 September 2007

Sign up a Junior Shooter Today

“I would certainly encourage young people to take up shooting” said Shooter’s Party MP Roy Smith today. Contrary to John Crook’s apparently ignorant comments, learning how to use firearms safely and legally is in fact an excellent way of steering adolescents away from drugs, alcohol and violence.

It seems some are unwilling to recognise the fact that participation in the shooting sports requires discipline and concentration, and builds confidence at a time in a teenagers life where developing such skills are especially important.

Indeed, I urge all licensed shooters, whether you shoot with a club, or are a conservation hunter, to spread the word about how rewarding and safe your sport is, and encourage newcomers, young and old to try shooting.

For further information contact The Hon. Roy Smith MLC on 9230 3383

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Seems a reasoned response to me.

Seems like a recruitment drive for the next generation of gun nuts to me.

And here's some more on the subject.
The Tasmanian Government is discussing lowering the age for a licence to 14.
Seems that the 18 years limit is a bit of a nuisance to farmers etc who want their kids to be able to help with necessary work around the farm without the necessity of constant supervision.

You see the fathers and mothers were never subjected to learners permits.
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You might also have a read of this and ponder:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article2409817.ece
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Dickie,

It's not good to quote Wikipedia, it's unreliable and as we all now know the PM has bits of it altered.

Ref. one of yr earlier posts on massacres:
The Eureka Stokade and Castle Hill episodes were armed rebellions and not massacres. Just as the 'Milperra Massacre' and Custer's Last Stand were not, and Aboriginals were never mown down en-masse in 1788.
Most of the murders of Aboriginals were carried out using poison, the axe and the sword.
Some of the more sporting gentemen, who had served in India, did kill with the lance.
Suggest reading some reliable history. Never Manning Clark btw.

'Firearm deaths and hospitalisations in Australia'(which you cited) states:
'By far the most common type of firearm-related deaths are suicides. Unintentional deaths caused by firearms are comparitively infrequent...'
As the topic is teaching safety then suicides don't come into it and although firearm suicides have dropped the overall rate is much the same because of changing trends or method substitution.
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JW. Did you get knocked back for a Firearms Licence?
You seem a little bitter, btw did you look up 'ad hominem'?

Is Mise: "It seems some are unwilling to recognise the fact that participation in the shooting sports requires discipline and concentration, and builds confidence at a time in a teenagers life where developing such skills are especially important."

If this is his only suitable response, I think it's rather weak. There are hundreds of activities out there that do the same, but don't have the added issues associated with providing firearms to teenagers.

Who is providing firearms to teenagers?

That is against the law until they are 18, and then only after they have obtained their licence and have received an approval to purchase issued by their Commissioner of Police.

Minors' Permits, as well, are only issued with the approval of the Commissioners. Do you think that they are derelect in their duty by issuing them? After all, their issuance is not mandatory the Commissioners have discretion.

Are the anti-firearms safety supporters saying that the various State Police Commissioners are derelict in their duty?

Just as an after thought, the latest Sporting Shooters'Association of Australia (over 100,000 members) journal has a bit about Kevin Rudd and a promise by Labor to spell out their policy on hunting and sports shooting before the election.
Kevin Rudd is, of course, well known as a shotgunner, and an advocate of safety training.