I received this email from a Sheriff friend this morning.
"GUNS IN AUSTRALIA
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 amd 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! "
Hmmm, yeah that's a tough one. Let's see ..... guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens down, and the crime rate up. Hmmmm........Ha, got it! That must mean that violent criminals didn't turn in their guns and were probably encouraged by the fact that fewer of their intended victims were armed!
Maybe one day I'll do an encore and explain to them why koalas shit in the woods.
"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. "
It's getting to be reliable old song....
whenever i read something from down under, it always sounds like crocodile dundee... cracks me up... mate.
later
teeman