When I read "Australia had a mass-shooting problem", I was a bit shocked. That's not how I remember it. And it's certainly nowhere near comparable to the mass-shooting problem that is discussed...
When I read "Australia had a mass-shooting problem", I was a bit shocked. That's not how I remember it. And it's certainly nowhere near comparable to the mass-shooting problem that is discussed with regard to the USA. Even this video's narrator mentions the fact that "mass shootings are a relatively rare event. Even during Australia's most notorious and deadly decade of shootings, they occurred just over once a year. [...] when glancing back another decade [...] there were just two shootings with ten total victims". It's not like us Aussies were killing hundreds of people every year, with a mass shooting on average every day.
In short, the two situations aren't really comparable.
Also, we don't have a supposed constitutional right to bear firearms. That's not baked into our legal system or our culture.
That said, we did change our firearms laws across the country practically overnight. And it was done by a right-wing conservative Prime Minister, not one of those namby-pamby bleeding-heart socialist lefties.
It was an interesting take that goes into the point of, more or less, they "Just did it." Passed the law, the guns were surrendered, and the statistics reflected the result. I was expecting...
It was an interesting take that goes into the point of, more or less, they "Just did it." Passed the law, the guns were surrendered, and the statistics reflected the result. I was expecting something fundamentally different about Australia and America, but their history is surprisingly close to the US's, with regards to politics and cultural development from rural and agrarian to increasingly urbanized. This isn't some sort of American exceptionalism on my part, at least I hope, but something I would've attributed to some sort of basic difference in the past 200 years of a nation's history.
I was looking at where we sort of rest and post-revolution, but the revolutionary aspect is a huge part of the debate here. EDIT: I had a second thought: It'll inform the pro-gun arguments more,...
I was looking at where we sort of rest and post-revolution, but the revolutionary aspect is a huge part of the debate here.
EDIT: I had a second thought: It'll inform the pro-gun arguments more, but sort of like the rural gun arguments in Australia, a lot of it is down to the same notion: Do we need them everywhere? Perhaps a system for those who need guns could be put in place?
Obviously I can't speak for the UK government officially but I'd say there's at least a 99% chance we have no plans to try and reclaim the US as a Crown territory. So y'know. You guys don't need...
Obviously I can't speak for the UK government officially but I'd say there's at least a 99% chance we have no plans to try and reclaim the US as a Crown territory. So y'know. You guys don't need the guns for that any more.
On your second point, the UK has some of the strictest gun laws in the world and people can still get guns. Most farmers have a few. People who really want to shoot for fun can get firearms. You have to do a load of paperwork, plus the police have to come to your house to make sure you've got safe storage and so on. But it's far from impossible. There are 10+ gun shops within half an hour's drive of my house.
Oh, but that 1% haunts us. These days, though, it's much, much more about retaining the ability (or at least, the fantasy) to overthrow our own govt, if They ever get too big for their britches.
Oh, but that 1% haunts us.
These days, though, it's much, much more about retaining the ability (or at least, the fantasy) to overthrow our own govt, if They ever get too big for their britches.
Yeah, but only boring firearms like some hunting shotguns and rifles. We really should have proper ranges set up where you can go to take lessons on maintaining and firing off other arms.
Yeah, but only boring firearms like some hunting shotguns and rifles. We really should have proper ranges set up where you can go to take lessons on maintaining and firing off other arms.
I think that as a society we collectively decided that not having people, especially kids, get shot was better than having one more sort of fun available. Also, playing with guns really isn't all...
I think that as a society we collectively decided that not having people, especially kids, get shot was better than having one more sort of fun available.
Also, playing with guns really isn't all that. Video games are better. It doesn't get more fun when using handguns. If anything they're more boring.
Sure, handguns, but mostly I mean Brens and Lee-Enfields. Older and weirder arms with strange mechanisms and whatnot. Those are satisfying to look at in operation, probably moreso to operate.
Sure, handguns, but mostly I mean Brens and Lee-Enfields. Older and weirder arms with strange mechanisms and whatnot. Those are satisfying to look at in operation, probably moreso to operate.
When I read "Australia had a mass-shooting problem", I was a bit shocked. That's not how I remember it. And it's certainly nowhere near comparable to the mass-shooting problem that is discussed with regard to the USA. Even this video's narrator mentions the fact that "mass shootings are a relatively rare event. Even during Australia's most notorious and deadly decade of shootings, they occurred just over once a year. [...] when glancing back another decade [...] there were just two shootings with ten total victims". It's not like us Aussies were killing hundreds of people every year, with a mass shooting on average every day.
In short, the two situations aren't really comparable.
Also, we don't have a supposed constitutional right to bear firearms. That's not baked into our legal system or our culture.
That said, we did change our firearms laws across the country practically overnight. And it was done by a right-wing conservative Prime Minister, not one of those namby-pamby bleeding-heart socialist lefties.
However, it is well known that, despite the gun laws, there are about 1.1 million more guns in Australia now than after the national guns buyback in 1996, and potentially as many as 600,000 illegal firearms in the country. And, because it's illegal to own certain types of guns, those guns tend to be owned by criminals. Luckily, the gangsters mostly use their illegal firearms to kill each other. :)
It was an interesting take that goes into the point of, more or less, they "Just did it." Passed the law, the guns were surrendered, and the statistics reflected the result. I was expecting something fundamentally different about Australia and America, but their history is surprisingly close to the US's, with regards to politics and cultural development from rural and agrarian to increasingly urbanized. This isn't some sort of American exceptionalism on my part, at least I hope, but something I would've attributed to some sort of basic difference in the past 200 years of a nation's history.
The major difference I see is a violent revolution to separate from the mother country versus a gradual granting of home rule and independence.
I was looking at where we sort of rest and post-revolution, but the revolutionary aspect is a huge part of the debate here.
EDIT: I had a second thought: It'll inform the pro-gun arguments more, but sort of like the rural gun arguments in Australia, a lot of it is down to the same notion: Do we need them everywhere? Perhaps a system for those who need guns could be put in place?
Obviously I can't speak for the UK government officially but I'd say there's at least a 99% chance we have no plans to try and reclaim the US as a Crown territory. So y'know. You guys don't need the guns for that any more.
On your second point, the UK has some of the strictest gun laws in the world and people can still get guns. Most farmers have a few. People who really want to shoot for fun can get firearms. You have to do a load of paperwork, plus the police have to come to your house to make sure you've got safe storage and so on. But it's far from impossible. There are 10+ gun shops within half an hour's drive of my house.
Oh, but that 1% haunts us.
These days, though, it's much, much more about retaining the ability (or at least, the fantasy) to overthrow our own govt, if They ever get too big for their britches.
Yeah, but only boring firearms like some hunting shotguns and rifles. We really should have proper ranges set up where you can go to take lessons on maintaining and firing off other arms.
I think that as a society we collectively decided that not having people, especially kids, get shot was better than having one more sort of fun available.
Also, playing with guns really isn't all that. Video games are better. It doesn't get more fun when using handguns. If anything they're more boring.
Sure, handguns, but mostly I mean Brens and Lee-Enfields. Older and weirder arms with strange mechanisms and whatnot. Those are satisfying to look at in operation, probably moreso to operate.