[Freewheel]

Big-Foot,

I didn't have any problems, I did hesitate when I suspected a person holding an RPG was a teenager, but that was more due to SOP's (caution with possible minor combatants) than anything else. Intel later revealed he was a 26 year old blow in.


Most of the problems described here are the result of people not really thinking about the scenario. If you have your handgun specifically for household defence, is it really going to be useful to lethally injure an intruder? There have for many years been products available that allow non-lethal force to be used in some standard firearms. For home defence, use them, you'll only need them once.


In this debate, along with others, a specific distinction needs to be made between lawful and unlawful use of firearms, cars, airliners etc.


Pete,

Thank you for quoting an authoritative source. As humans, we tend to accept what is presented to us as fact, whereas it's the raw data that tells us the actual story.

I understand that in most parts of the western world there has been a rise in unlawful firearm use in association with drug distribution. (anecdotally, if somebody has specialised knowledge please let us all know) Most other forms of firearm misuse - by both lawful and unlawful owners - have remained stable by percentage of population over many years.



I don't have any issues with there being a mild control.

I don't mind there being a need for them to be stored securely, I'd do this anyway, though I do object to the premise that it needs to be audited.

I do mind a registration system that effectively draws revenue for a politically motivated (and generally very poor) service that wasn't statistically justified.

I really don't mind a licencing system that at least requires a person to demonstrate some knowledge of safe handling procedures. Knowing your backdrop would be an example.

I do mind a requirement that a person be a member of an approved club/association and conduct specific participation a specific number of occasions in a specific period. In NSW (for long arms) the requirement is to participate in 4 events every 12 months. This is a pain in the backside when you don't own a farm and live 700km from the nearest licenced range....

I do very much mind not being able to allow a minor under the age of 12 to handle a firearm. Simply because I can't teach them safe handling habits until they're virtually a teenager and interested in other things, as well as getting silly. I think 10 is about the right age, but others will disagree.

I don't necessarily go along with the argument that personal carriage is either a peacemaker or a fearmonger and I probably wouldn't carry one anyway, but I'd enjoy having the choice, thus my earlier remarks.



Pete was busy posting while I was composing the above reply, so;

There are numerous relatively small scale examples of practical and sensible approaches to personal firearm use, as Pete has mentioned. There are also a number of examples of apple v orange comparison on both sides of the debate, which emphasises more than anything else that there just isn't enough large scale information available. Why not? Take your own guess, my guess is that the people that can afford to fund broader scale studies don't want to know the result.....