For each firearm a “Genuine Reason” must be given, relating to pest control, hunting, target shooting, or collecting. Self-defense is not an acceptable reason.
…
If only America responded to our incessant shooting rampages with half this vigor and political consolidation.
Melissa Rooney
August 20, 2011
From Down Under
[Self-defense is not an acceptable reason? I almost made that the QOTD by itself. The most basic of all human rights, the right to defend your life, is “not an acceptable reason.”
Tell that to the people I pointed out here. Or tell Ms. Rooney, Molōn labe!—Joe]
Here’s a good reason, because I want to. We do not ban automobiles, yet they are more often used to break the law. Nor, do we impose extreme limits on how they look or how much gasoline they can hold.
Do goblins count as pests?
For what it’s worth, I think the heart of her comment is simply quoting the law, although I doubt that she disagrees with it.
Self-defense is the PRIMARY reason why we need unrestricted access to firearms.
The other reasons are just fluff.
Okay, I went and read her claptrap about how she loves Australia more than America. Good, so leave and don’t come back.
However, her stupidity about the lethality of a baseball bat and a firearm was just too much. If I was going to take a baseball bat to her head, I would bet she would wish she had a firearm to defend herself. While baseball bats are not used that often for violent crimes, I suspect their lethality is significant, but requires more skill and physical strength to employ. I can think of one group that fits this nicely; hardened, youthful criminals, with no regards for life and the stomach to smash your head with a baseball bat repeatedly.
Of course, firearms are very effective at discouraging crime, and if that fails, at harming or killing thugs. That’s why they are so desireable for the weak, infirm, elderly, the persecuted and all the others, who find themselves on the receiving end of criminal violence. A firearm can even the playing field for the 90 year old who is facing down three thugs who just broke into his home. A baseball bat in his feeble hands is a poor substitute for a firearm, if that is all that he is allowed, according to her dream of America looking more like Australia.
I have to ask, why is that the sensitive liberals, the gun-phobic hysterics, and the facist-control freaks, are always so willing to let the innocent die at the hands of criminals so they can claim moral superiority because they took the evil guns away? Of course, their restrictions are useless for taking firearms out of the hands of the criminals. Thus, their position is morally untenable. They condemn persecuted minorities, women, and the weakest within society to the threat of physical violence, while telling them lies that their approaches will improve their safety. I know that if we could resurrect every innocent murdered person and ask them about gun-control, their answers would invariably damn gun control proponents.
@Richard_R, Correct. But she goes on to say, as I quoted, “If only America responded to our incessant shooting rampages with half this vigor and political consolidation.” Which makes it quite clear to me that she fully agrees with this approach to the private ownership of firearms.
Do goblins count as pests?
Why not? They’re even more harmful than rodents, and will kill quicker than Hanta Virus, or Lyme’s Disease, they can cause hardship even greater than what you’d get if rodents fouled your food storage, On my application I would list “Pest Control”. Self Defense is a subset of that, doncha know. 😉
@Braden Lynch:
Okay, I went and read her claptrap about how she loves Australia more than America. Good, so leave and don’t come back.
If that witch comes to Australia, can I come to the US as a swap?
I promise to bring ALL my guns, and buy more as soon as I qualify (initially being restricted as a legal alien and all).
I love Australia also, but I would NEVER try to defend the firearms laws here. In fact, only the asset forfeiture laws are more heinous.
@Sendarius:
There are lots of other things that I do like about Australia, especially the great people, but those gun laws get my undergarments all twisted up in knots.
Perhaps we could do one of those “spy swaps” where you both walk across a bridge at the same time to make the trade?
I HATE Australia’s gun laws.
True story:
Here in Oz, the state police manage the firearms registration database – licences are valid for one year, and every firearm you own has to be registered to you BEFORE you can buy it.
Police in Western Oz turned off the renewal generation program in 2008 because EVERY RENEWAL GENERATED WAS WRONG.
MANY people have now been accused of having un-licensed firearms because the police did not send a renewal, and YOU CANNOT RENEW WITHOUT THE PAPERWORK.
Now the police are “inspecting” firearms owners’ gun and ammunition storage facilities as an excuse to look at the guns and update their database. They are also visting gun clubs to ensure that only licensed guns are used.
I went through the house to be sure that any “inspection” wouldn’t find anything amiss. I stopped counting at 5000 x 12-gauge; 4000 x 20-gauge; 500 x .303; 800 x 7.62 x 54R; 2000 x 8mm Mauser; 21000 x .22LR; 2000 x .38Super Comp; 400 x .40 S&W; 50000 assorted primers. I put 100 of each into the ammo safe that I will show the police – the rest will be (safely) stored elsewhere.