Gun Laws: Are they for the Lawful or the Lawless?

Events in the United States are generally the news that generates most debate about firearms, the USA, the land of the free. For many years one could argue that it is the land of free people with big holes in them, some children, sometimes generated by legal firearms in the hands of people whose background and mental state warrants suspicion.

For those over sixty in Australia be they long term migrants especially from the UK would remember in their youth never seeing a police officer on the beat wearing a firearm. They would also remember that local social issues were generally just that and dealt with locally often without necessity for police attendance. A prominent female politician has just passed away; she enhanced many lives and completely destroyed others. The gun packing beat bobby suddenly made an appearance, had guns been present as part of the British constitution the country may have faced civil war, a possible consequence of making sure the lights stayed on and petrol was always available. Returning to the USA a civil war is exactly what gave them the current gun laws, the right to bear arms and this right still exists. Statistics show that slightly less than half the American population has a firearm, in this case statistics would be far from the truth, illegal firearms nor those persons whom disregard law are included in statistics. Are they just lawless or worried about a disarmed public being driven into debt then onto total slavery, the abolition of slavery was started by British politician William Wilberforce in 1807, in 1833 the slavery abolition act was passed in the house of lords, Westminster. World governments have shown a trend in controlling the masses and disarmament is one of the first moves, build a massive army and police force and get everyone working under the guise of progress. Is the gun lobby being irresponsible or do they have better memories or education of such things than others, those whom forget the past are doomed to repeat it in the future. Bearing these things in mind we can now look at western Sydney, not one of the now daily shootings in western Sydney has been carried out by a responsible gun owner, but the responsible gun owner suffers the constraints. A person whom drives past another person’s home and peppers it with bullets is far from a responsible gun owner, I would in fact class them as lawless, far separated from Australian society built by British Christian values for two hundred years and enemies of not only the state but Australian society. Australia has some of the toughest gun laws in the world, laws make no difference to the lawless and the law abiding citizens of Australia especially sporting shooters suffer the consequences of the lawless. Why would I suggest we support registered responsible gun owners when people are being gunned down in the street. We have a society where guns are far removed from public access but shootings and murders in certain areas continue to rise, this would indicate laws are followed by law abiding citizens, it is then gracious to suggest the problem is a lawless member of society with access to money and black markets completely removed from mainstream Australian life. The amendments suggested in American congress since Sandy Hook focuses on the user not the weapon, it is the user that pulls the trigger. Gun laws affect those whom disregard law, but they must be found prior to the event, this will reduce risk but never eliminate it. I drive a motor car every day and must focus on survival for statistics show it is the most dangerous thing you can do on a daily basis in Australia, more people are killed by socially accepted motor cars than firearms by a massive margin. I talk to people who believe they are in grave danger of being shot but no danger of having an accident on the way to work; it just won’t happen to them. In western Sydney they may be right, death and carnage by illegal firearms is outstripping motor vehicle carnage to say nothing of social implications especially segregation. The misguided and the lawless evil are standing over law abiding Australians. Pardon me if I agree with the American push to further monitor suitability of gun owners in support of the general public and the responsible firearm owners listed in statistics. As witnessed amid the general American public especially those of Sandy Hook, how many more children before they act responsibly in the corridors of power. Everyone remembers Martin Bryant, obviously someone that is not a normal minded person now rotting in solitude where he can no longer cause problems, should he been allowed to live at all, a massacre of magnitude even when compared to American standards. For the lawless of western Sydney Port Arthur means nothing, nor the laws derived from the tragic day. How many Martin Bryant’s now reside in our suburbs, where did they come from, and why are they here. Guns laws have answered none of these questions. I don’t own a gun but should the situation of western Sydney come to my suburb, should I arm myself or rely on government. Brian Cain. photo credit: mr.smashy via photopin cc