Could a Aussie tell us how your Government confiscated your guns?

[/pine]

I would invite you all to read the proposed law that they are trying to pass in Illinois...

You mean the same state that still allows dead people to vote?

 

[RadarTech]

You mean the same state that still allows dead people to vote?

They voted too??

Reminds me of a Cletus Ledbetter joke...

 

[RadarTech]

SPECIAL ALERT UPDATE– YOUR ACTION REQUIRED SENATE COMMITTEE APPROVES BILLS TO RUN RANGES OUT OF BUSINESS AND BAN 80% OF YOUR GUNS MESSAGE FROM COMMITTEE DEMOCRATS: “Eliminating law-abiding gun owners is a good ‘first step’ towards a ‘civil society.’” Votes on HB815 and HB1263 were split along party lines in the Senate Public Health Committee Wednesday night with the committee Democrats voting 6-4 and 6-3 to send the bills to the full senate. If these two bills become law, they will resulting most, if not all ranges in the state going out of business as well as the banning of ALL semiautomatic rifles, pistols and shotguns as well as banning all pump shotguns and rifles. In comments made during testimony, committee Democrats stated plainly that HB815 and HB1263 were “first steps” and that these bills have as their objective the creation of a “more civil society.” In other words, elimination of lawful gun owners is a required first step for creating a more civil society. Of course, there was no mention of the impact of eliminating criminals. HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO ON THURSDAY: 1. Call Senator Dave Syverson at (217) 782-5413 and tell him “THANK YOU” for supporting lawful gun owners by voting “NO” on HB815 and HB1263. 2. Call Senator Shane Cultra at (217) 782-6597 and tell him “THANK YOU” for supporting lawful gun owners by voting “NO” on HB815 and HB1263. 3. Call Senator Christine Johnson at (217) 782-1977 and tell her “THANK YOU” for supporting lawful gun owners by voting “NO” on HB815 and HB1263. 4. Call Senator Carole Pankau at (217) 782-9463 and tell her “THANK YOU” for supporting lawful gun owners by voting “NO” on HB815 and HB1263. It is very important that you praise these Senators for their support. The ringleader of the effort to shut down shooting ranges and take your guns away from you is Senator Dan Kotowski. You may wish to call him at (217) 782-3875 and politely explain to him that, as a law-abiding gun owner, you do not appreciate being treated like a criminal and that you oppose any efforts to regulate shooting ranges, ban semiautomatic firearms, or ban standard capacity magazines. Posted Wed Jan 2 22:29:34 CST 2013


Maybe it did not paste well....

Www.isra.org

 

[kenmac]

If it passes. The THUGS will have a field day

 

[RadarTech]

If it passes. The THUGS will have a field day

And the state will lose hundreds of jobs...
All the firearm related business said they will leave the state...
Armalite actually told the news they have offers to move to 2 other states!!!

 

[kenmac]

All the firearm related business said they will leave the state...
Armalite actually told the news they have offers to move to 2 other states!!!

The State of AL will take them

 

[RadarTech]

The State of AL will take them

So will NC, SC, TX, and the patron state of shooting things... TN

THIS WOULD really impact their budget..

A few hundred jobs or more plus the lost tax revenue..

I would bet it is a a 200 million a year loss....

 

[charlz]

I know pretty much zero when it comes to Australian history. However, it would seem that firearm use between the US and AU through history was vastly different and is reflected in the respective attitudes towards them today.

What I know of AU history is they started as a penal colony, were more widely settled in sort of a 'wild west' fashion involving cattle and sheep. I know there were conflicts with the aborigines but I don't know that there were ever the conflicts on the scale of Custer's last stand, wagon train ambushes, various massacres of settlers, etc. Furthermore I don't believe you really have predators other than the dingo which is likely equivalent of the coyote. No predators such as bears, mountain lions, wolves. No native large game animals such as deer, elk or buffalo except the kangaroo and wallaby. (How much were they used as food in AU history? I am curious.)

I would imagine during this time in AU history a firearm was viewed as somewhat optional. A tool to be used when livestock needed to be put down or a nuisance animal shot.

At the same time, and for many years prior, in US history firearms were what kept you alive and with all of your hair. Firearms were essential, they protected you, your family and your livestock, they fed you and your family. Firearms were not only kept but kept in multiple forms and maybe multiples of each form.

So when an Aussie says "We get along just fine without them." I think you have to take that with a bit of salt because they have always gotten along just fine without them. For Americans they were essential to life for a few hundred years and that is engrained in our culture.

As noted, I may be off-base in my AU history....

 

[dennis52]

I know pretty much zero when it comes to Australian history. However, it would seem that firearm use between the US and AU through history was vastly different and is reflected in the respective attitudes towards them today.

What I know of AU history is they started as a penal colony, were more widely settled in sort of a 'wild west' fashion involving cattle and sheep. I know there were conflicts with the aborigines but I don't know that there were ever the conflicts on the scale of Custer's last stand, wagon train ambushes, various massacres of settlers, etc. Furthermore I don't believe you really have predators other than the dingo which is likely equivalent of the coyote. No predators such as bears, mountain lions, wolves. No native large game animals such as deer, elk or buffalo except the kangaroo and wallaby. (How much were they used as food in AU history? I am curious.)

I would imagine during this time in AU history a firearm was viewed as somewhat optional. A tool to be used when livestock needed to be put down or a nuisance animal shot.

At the same time, and for many years prior, in US history firearms were what kept you alive and with all of your hair. Firearms were essential, they protected you, your family and your livestock, they fed you and your family. Firearms were not only kept but kept in multiple forms and maybe multiples of each form.

So when an Aussie says "We get along just fine without them." I think you have to take that with a bit of salt because they have always gotten along just fine without them. For Americans they were essential to life for a few hundred years and that is engrained in our culture.

As noted, I may be off-base in my AU history....

Australian history is not that dissimilar. There have been countless bloody conflicts with, and massacres of, the native Australians and European settlers.There are also large numbers of venomous snakes and reptiles throughout the country. There are no bears or wolves but plenty of wild animals (native game) that will slice you up with their claws. And there, are of course, crocidiles that still kill quite a few people every year.
Like the US, there were plenty of armed outlaws ( bushrangers) and cattle rustlers. Gun ownership outside cities would have been quite common. There was a big "if it moves, shoot it" tradition

Now I know a little about US history and perhaps the two unique events that do set us apart and might partially explain the higher rate of gun ownership in the US could be the American War of Independence and the Civil War. I'd welcome your views.

Australia has plenty of armed crime and violence with all the social problems of other western countries: but we try not make it easy to have military weapons in the hands of unstable people.

 

[charlz]

Australian history is not that dissimilar. There have been countless bloody conflicts with, and massacres of, the native Australians and European settlers.There are also large numbers of venomous snakes and reptiles throughout the country. There are no bears or wolves but plenty of wild animals (native game) that will slice you up with their claws. And there, are of course, crocidiles that still kill quite a few people every year.
Like the US, there were plenty of armed outlaws ( bushrangers) and cattle rustlers. Gun ownership outside cities would have been quite common. There was a big "if it moves, shoot it" tradition

Now I know a little about US history and perhaps the two unique events that do set us apart and might partially explain the higher rate of gun ownership in the US could be the American War of Independence and the Civil War. I'd welcome your views.

Australia has plenty of armed crime and violence with all the social problems of other western countries: but we try not make it easy to have military weapons in the hands of unstable people.

Thanks for the info. My knowledge is a little sketchy on firearm ownership before/after the War of Independence. Certainly people had them before the war but they may have had more of them and been a lot more 'military style' after the war.

As for the Civil War my impression is everyone was armed before and everyone was armed after, I don't think it changed much as far as general ownership. There was some disarmament as part of demobilization at the end of the war. In the South I don't know that it extended into people's homes, mainly just the regular and irregular units fighting the war. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Maybe it was hunting that kept guns in American homes long after the Inidans were gone? From your description is sounds like firearm ownership was pretty prevalent and then possibly just faded away or maybe it stayed about the same until 1996?

Our ongoing string of wars certainly keeps things like assault rifles in the public conscious. That may be why civilian versions are popular here but not so much in other countries. There is always a certain fascination with military weaponry. We also have plenty of veterans that may have used them, liked them and wanted a civilian version for personal use.