Are guns the problem?
Posted on 12/17/2012 9:41:30 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
Despite New Zealand’s reputation for tight gun regulation, one anti-gun lobbyist says we are still leaving ourselves exposed.
Professor Kevin Clements, director of the National Centre of Peace and Conflict Studies at Otago University, says current laws around gun registration are loose and leave room for abuse.
“The registered arms owners [might have] a large amount of weapons but we don’t know how many, where they are, what sort they are and whether they might fall into someone else’s hands,” he says.
The recent massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School has reignited the debate on gun regulation in the United States, and around the world.
It is estimated there are up to 1.5 million firearms currently in New Zealand and police say there are 234,006 registered owners.
According to a 2007 survey, New Zealand has the 22nd highest number of firearm owners in the world.
While gun owners themselves must be registered there is no general requirement for guns, says Mr Clement.
However, owners of pistols, restricted weapons or military-style semi-automatic firearms must qualify for an endorsement on their licence, part of which requires details of the weapon being recorded against the licence.
But Mr Clements says it is important that all weapons are registered.
“We need a complete inventory of the total number of weapons available in New Zealand, and we need to have these tagged to particular individuals, so we know who’s got what.”
Pro-gun supporters have previously criticised gun registration laws as costly and impractical.
Fookin’ ijits! Well prof, we’re not sure if someone is gonna stumble on a nuke and set it off. Glad we’re seperated by lots of H2O.
Helping keep mankind warm for 65 years.
So all is well in Wellington but Professor Kevin Clements, director of the National Centre of Peace and Conflict Studies has to stir some **** up based one an isolated incident caused by one loon 12000 miles away?
Real peaceful perfesser.
we need to have these tagged to particular individuals, so we know who’s got what.
Whats yer point perfesser?
They live on a small island. They don’t have a gangsta culture. Wouldn’t work if they didn’t on a small island. IMHO
That asshole Bloomburg is on PBS now in the middle of the night.
Toms right, that guy aint right.
Major control freak.
Being a citizen of an entire country with half the population of New York City, composed of overwhelmingly law abiding people, a stone’s throw from the south pole, gives him license to spout stupid things.
So an individual in Connecticut shoots up a school building and now everybody all around the world is obsessing over gun control? Are you kidding me!?
Are guns the problem?
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