Australian Gun Control: An Example of Why Gun Control Won't Work in the U.S.

On one of the gun discussion forums that I regularly visit (where I post under the handle of “Trin Tragula”), there is a group of Australians posting various messages about their ideas on gun control, and how these same ludicrous measures should be used in the United States. I have said over and over that gun control is wrong for the United States, but for some reason these Australian folks seem to think that the gun control they practice on their continent will work here. They claim to own guns, but absolutely do not feel that concealed carry is necessary. Their analogies and assertions of their gun control methods on Americans are wrong, not only because gun control in general is wrong, but particularly for the following reasons I list here. This is a similar entry to a message that I recently posted in one of the gun discussion forums.

Australia Part of the Worldwide Gun Grabbing Movement?

For one thing, I just have to ask - what do they care that we carry firearms? Are we hurting them? They are constantly ranting about how well their gun control laws work them there. Well, here's the deal with that - they may work well for the Australians, but gun control does NOT work well for us here in the United States. Just take one look at the rampant crime in the Washington D.C. area, where handgun ownership has been completely banned. That ban has been in place for decades, yet D.C. citizens continue to be the victims of high crime and high murder rates. Looks like the handgun ban is only helping the criminals and doing nothing for the law abiding citizens.

Since the Aussies who post in this forum are so bent on using numbers and statistics to illustrate their points, the following information should help to clarify some statistical data that they seem to be ignoring.

Two Different Population Sets and Cultures:

A Look At Population:

For one thing, our population in the U.S. is much, much larger than theirs (roughly 273 million to Australia’s roughly 19 million). With larger populations comes more crime. It's only natural that more people living in one place are bound to have issues. Our Aussie friends are making these ludicrous comparisons and spouting statistics about things when the sheer numbers of people they are trying to compare is astronomically different.

A Look at Ethnic Groups:

The United States has the following ethnicity mix:

• White 77.1%
• Black 12.9%
• Asian 4.2%
• Amerindian and Alaska native 1.5%
• Native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.3%
• Other 4%(2000)

Note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean a person of Latin American descent (including persons of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin) living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (white, black, Asian, etc.)

Australia has the following ethnicity mix:

• Caucasian 92%
• Asian 7%,
• Aboriginal and other 1%

Conclusions:

As you can see, Australia is a relatively "one ethnicity country" while the US is a vast mixture of ethnicity. Again, more cultural and other issues to be sure.Our government is different than theirs. Our culture is different than theirs. So when they spout off their ridiculous statistical numbers, remember - they are comparing numbers against two completely different population sets. Australia and the United States are clearly two different countries with different needs when it comes to discussing gun rights and gun control.

So again I ask: If we are allowed to own handguns and carry firearms here to protect ourselves, what the hell do they care? We have a population of responsible gun owners who FAR outnumber the population of criminals and irresponsible nit-wits. They care because they seem to be part of the world-wide gun grabbing effort. They don't like our liberties. And if they can't have them, they don't want anyone else to have them either. Gun control may work in Australia, but it does NOT serve the law abiding citizens of the United States who need to protect themselves.

Information Sources:

http://www.photius.com/rankings/population.html

http://www.bartleby.com/151/fields/35.html

Gonzo Politics Resurrected

With 2007 winding down and 2008 about to get underway, I guess it’s time to resurrect this political side of my personality and start getting a few thoughts out in the open. As the Presidential primaries begin to ramp up, it is important to discuss the possible outcomes of this election.

America, for the first time in history, has the strongest possibility ever of having our first African American or female President. In the case of at least one of the candidates, it may be discovered that if elected, they will be BOTH our first African American and first woman (like) president. If the liberal candidates didn’t present us with such dubious choices, this would be a monumental event. I will come right out with it. Both of the candidates from the liberal side of the political arena who offer America these firsts also, in my opinion, offer America the greatest chance for the further degradation of our liberties and personal rights.

It has long been held that the liberal ideal is to create a welfare state and make all citizens dependent on the federal government for everything in their lives. The liberals want the government to be the ones to police children’s toys, not parents. The liberals want to make sure that all of our firearms are taken away and that we depend on the police to save us form the criminals, and not have us able to defend ourselves. From their activities, it seems that they want to save our murderers from death sentences, and also save the world from babies. They commend the liberal minded ACLU for standing up for certain of the amendments, but are critical of the NRA for standing up for certain of the amendments.

At stake in the coming election is the selection of a President and members of Congress who will steer our country in the new direction. The question is, however, will that direction be one of continued freedom, or one of moving the American citizens towards slavery and dependence? Gun ownership rights, securing our borders, right to life, and a myriad of other issues are at risk of being compromised by the liberal machine. If the most basic of rights given to us by the second amendment falls, you can expect that the destruction of the rest of the personal rights in the other amendments of the Bill of Rights is soon to follow.

These are just a few of the things you can expect to see me write about in the coming weeks and months. Most on my mind, as these candidates make their pleas for our votes, are the rights given under the second amendment, and securing our borders. With the upcoming Supreme Court deliberation on the second amendment, you can expect the greatest amount of my efforts to focus on gun ownership rights.

Vote Republican – because not EVERYONE can be on welfare!