In Australia we have about 25 million people, god knows how many kangaroos (bloody lots!) and about 850,000 guns.
It is not hard to get a gun if you need one. Hunters and farmers just have to prove a need, do a safety course, pass a police check and have somewhere suitable to store a weapon.
Personal protection is not a suitable reason, and the average Yank might be a bit disappointed in the types of rifles available for purchase.
Then again you can’t be much of a hunter if you need anything more than double barrel shotgun or a bolt action rifle with a 5 shot magazine.
It used to be different back in the ninety’s. You could have pump and auto shotguns and semi-auto SKS rifles were popular.
Then we had a nutter shoot up the Mall in Strathfield, a nice inner-west suburb of Sydney.
This was followed up by a Tasmanian nutter going Rambo at the Port Arthur tourist site and killing lots of tourists.
The PM at the time, John “the rodent” Howard was a conservative with a coalition of Agrarian Socialists/nutters formally called the Country Party.
He did the only decent thing in his 12 years of power, he banned most guns. No exceptions, no debate. Compulsory Government buy-back and send them to the crusher.
Since the 1996 Gun Laws came in we have had no mass shootings. None. Nada. Zilch.
And contrary to the bullshit and lies spread by the NRA our crime rates have not gone up. Gun crime is practically nonexistent, violent crime is down, armed robberies are down and suicide rate is down.
Its simple. No guns=no nutters with guns=no mass shootings!
To do my bit in helping our Yankee Cousins I have drafted out a set of gun laws for you, based on the successful Aussie ones.
Feel free to cut them out and shove them where the sun don’t shine on the next Republican you meet.
Regards from Oz…..
U.S.A. Gun Law 2018
Weapons
Rifles
- Bolt action, fixed magazine, 5 round maximum.
- No semi-auto, pump action, lever action.
Shotguns
Pistols
- No private ownership
- Only for licensed law enforcement.
- Weapons must be stored at law enforcement premises, i.e. Police Station, between shifts.
Ammunition
- No military (NATO) calibres i.e. 5.56mm, 7.62mm, .30in, .50in
- Ball rounds only.
- No hollow point, armour piercing, tracer, smoke, metal jacketed rounds.
Storage
- Weapon to be stored in a government licensed gun safe.
- Ammunition to be stored in a government licensed ammunition safe,
- Safes must have separate keys.
- Safes to be locked at all times.
- Site inspection of safes by licensed law enforcement at any time.
Licensing and Registration
- License required for all weapon ownership, usage and ammunition purchase.
- Background check
- Age limit
- Government issued safety proficiency certificate
- Weapon to be registered at time of purchase
- Notice of disposal for sale of weapon to include certified copy of purchaser’s licence and photo id.
- No sales of weapons or ammunition without personal contact with the purchaser to confirm id and license.
- Upon loss of safety proficiency certificate or conviction or other act that would lead to failure of a background test all weapons and ammunition are forfeit to the government.
Any weapon, ammunition or accessory not specifically approved above is prohibited.
All prohibited weapons to be sold to the government at fixed prices within 12 months.
Any breach of these regulations will carry heavy fines and federal prison terms.