Aussie Ban = Crime

[Kawasabi]

got this from a buddie on another site...


Here's a thought to warm your hearts... From Ed Chenel, a police officer in Australia.

Hi Yanks and Canadians - I thought you all would like to see the real figures from Down Under. It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by a new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by our own government, a
program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars.

The first year results are now in: Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent, Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent; Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)! In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent. (Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not and criminals still possess their guns!) While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months,
since the criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed. There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the elderly.

Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in successfully ridding Australian society of guns." You won't see this on the American /Canadian evening news or hear your
government or members of the State Assembly and Ottawa parliament disseminating this
information.

The Australian experience proves it. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws affect only the law-abiding citizens. Take note Americans and Canadians before it's too late!

FORWARD TO EVERYONE ON YOUR EMAIL LIST. DON'T BE A MEMBER OF THE SILENT MAJORITY. BE OF THE VOCAL MINORITY WHO WON'T LET THIS HAPPEN IN THE U.S.A AND CANADA !

 

[Manedwolf]

Hang on a sec. That's a 2001 doc you posted. That's four years old.

 

[Kawasabi]

Dunno how old it is, I just read it for the first time this morning. Now I read this...

"Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Posted at 10:26 PM EST

Canadian Press

Ottawa — Prime Minister Paul Martin will venture into a violence-plagued area of Toronto on Thursday to announce a sweeping ban on handguns.

Mr. Martin was scheduled to visit Toronto's troubled Jane-Finch area to make a "safer communities announcement." Liberal sources have confirmed the announcement includes a ban on handguns.

No other details were immediately available.

Handguns are already severely restricted in Canada and a handgun registry has been in force for more than 60 years.

But a rash of recent gun deaths in Toronto has prompted Martin to promise to crack down even more. Gunfire was responsible for 50 of the 74 murders so far this year in the city.

The rash of shootings prompted city police to launch a gun amnesty program in November, during which they collected 261 weapons and more than 1,500 rounds of ammunition.

A ban on handguns is likely to be popular in other large urban centres as well, like Montreal and Vancouver, where residents have been disturbed by recent firearms violence.

Windsor MP Joe Comartin, the New Democratic Party's justice critic, said the announcement sounds like "smoke and mirrors."

"Basically, all handguns in Canada are illegal now," said Mr. Comartin. "The only people who get permits are those who are using them for recreational purposes or those who need it for their own personal safety and there's not a lot of those that are granted."

He said the announcement sounds like "a political ploy during an election to garner some headlines and make it look like you're actually doing something when, in fact, what you're proposing is pretty meaningless."

Given the number of stolen guns used in crime, Mr. Comartin said there had been some discussion earlier this year at the all-party Commons justice committee about tightening regulations governing safe storage and use of handguns. But that is something that falls under provincial jurisdiction.

Mr. Comartin said the one thing the federal government could do would be to stop the flow of illegal firearms into Canada from the United States.

It remains to be seen how the ban will go over in rural areas, where the issue is more about rifles. Many Prairie rifle owners have never forgiven the Liberals for creating a registry for long guns.

Created 10 years ago, the registry was supposed to cost a mere $2-million. Instead, its cost has ballooned to more than $1-billion.

The Conservatives, who declined comment on the expected handgun ban Wednesday, have called the program a boondoggle and Auditor General Sheila Fraser has sharply criticized the waste and mismanagment that have pervaded the registry.

Gun owners warned at the time that the registry was the first step toward confiscation of their guns. Mr. Martin's announcement may be seen as confirmation of their worst fears.

The Liberals, who desperately need to regain support in Quebec and hang on to their urban base in Ontario, appear to be willing to sacrifice their meagre support in the Prairies in a bid to bolster their central Canadian base.

But the gambit may yet cost Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan her Edmonton seat and make it more difficult for Finance Minister Ralph Goodale to hang on to his somewhat safer Regina riding.

Currently, handguns in Canada are classified as either restricted or prohibited weapons.

Canadians can receive a licence to own a restricted weapon if they can prove it's part of a gun collection or used for target practice or target-shooting competitions. They can also be granted licences to use the firearm under "limited circumstances," such as in the role of a police officer.

Initial reaction to the handgun ban was predictably negative from the firearms lobby.

"It's going to accomplish nothing," said Wayne Fields of LaSalle, Ont., president of the Law-Abiding Registered Firearms Association. "There's already all types of legislation and illegal use of handguns is out of control."

Mr. Fields said the Liberals have long been focusing their energy in the wrong direction.

"They have to concentrate on the illegal drugs and the criminals that are using the firearms — get them off the street. They're not going to get rid of guns — it's impossible."

Mr. Fields said while he doesn't think the announcement will do Mr. Martin any good on the national stage, he admitted it might get him some votes in Ontario, and particularly in Toronto.

"He's trying to protect his strength here in Ontario against the Conservatives, in particular in Toronto where they're strong. The election is going to be won or lost in Ontario.

"Why the Conservatives haven't made it an (election) issue is beyond me."

He said any legislation to either register or ban guns is "lame-duck legislation because half the gun owners aren't licensed and two-thirds of the guns aren't registered."

Kin Chung, who owns a gun shop in Vancouver, said he opposes any kind of sweeping ban on handguns because legitimate dealers like him would lose up to 80 per cent of their business.

"I'm absolutely not happy," he said.

Mr. Chung said a ban would also not be welcome by law-abiding citizens who register their guns as required by law and use them for target shooting, for example.

"Those who buy a gun legitimately, got a licence, go through a safety course, they are not about to commit a crime."

Most guns used by gangs aren't registered because they're often smuggled into Canada to commit violence, Mr. Chung said. "They should plug that hole."

He said Ottawa needs to address other issues, such as drugs and gang violence that often lead to shootings."

 

[Car Knocker]

Kawasabi,

Be aware that there are some misleading statistics in that e-mail you posted:

http://www.snopes.com/crime/statistics/ausguns.asp

 

[Kawasabi]

Maybe I should have done a little research first, oh well....:banghead: