Photos: [Australian] Embassy bombing [Warning: graphic content]

Sydney Morning Herald ^ | September 9, 2004

[Prime Choice]

Amnesty last chance for gun owners (Australia)
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10552831%255E1702,00.html

RKBA 19: The Horror Down Under
http://www.thegunzone.com/rkba/rkba-19.html

Australian Gun Amnesty
http://www.seark.net/~jlove/aussie.htm

Australian Gun Reform Laws
http://www.planetpapers.com/Assets/5135.php

This is the part that really gets me:

"New categories for guns were created and gun owners had to pass certain requirements and demonstrate genuine reason for owning a firearm..."

Yeah...you guys are real free when you have to get permission to bear arms.

So tell me...what caliber are all these guns you claim? When I saw gun control take hold in New Zealand, every kiwi there was reduced to keeping nothing more powerful than a .22 caliber rifle. Damned pitiful, that. The only thing .22's are useful for is keeping the world safe from paper targets and tin cans.

[rdl6989]

Im glad they are OK. Australia holds elections October 9, one month from today.

[Prime Choice]

I have a nephew, who recently was discharged from the Army, he is a Ranger and served in Afghanistan and Iraq. He stated that the Aussie special forces were 'the best', along with the Polish special forces.

I was not referring to the Aussie forces. I was referring to the civilians who have allowed their government to run roughshod over their right to keep and bear arms.

[Robert_Paulson2]

We better keep our prayers up, the election isn't even here yet. I am NOT confident that we will make it through our elections without something of this nature... or worse.

[familyop]

"For some reason, some people in the United States seem to enjoy spreading misinformation about this."

And maybe, more generally, we Americans need to be informed that Australia is not like Pommieland at all in many ways, eh?

[kingu]

Tom Ridge and W might be doing a good job, but let us not forget those on the front lines who are actually killing terrorists on a daily basis and protecting us with their very lives.

Were it not for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, how many of those terrorists would be over here on education visas? Every one of them killed over there saves hundreds of lives over here, and it is something I'm thankful for every day.

[dsc]

"The Log Cabin Republicans AREN'T."

The Log-Slammed Butticans.

[Darkwolf377]

Tom Ridge and W might be doing a good job, but let us not forget those on the front lines who are actually killing terrorists on a daily basis and protecting us with their very lives.



I was merely pointing out the two who get the most flack for the Homeland Security policy. No one here needs reminding of the never-to-be-paid debt we owe our servicemen and women, first responders, etc.

It's just that if we have to stop and mention that evey post it gets cumbersome, and unnecessary.

[BIGLOOK]

Good on ya , mate! And lock and load.

[familyop]

"Tom Ridge and W might be doing a good job, but let us not forget those on the front lines who are actually killing terrorists on a daily basis and protecting us with their very lives."

I can understand that prevalent and natural perception.

But most of those soldiers are in far more safe positions than our courageous President, IMO, because of the nature of the War on Terror. I am very sure that our President and his staff know that the risks for them are high.

Find the percentage killed of the total of our troops who have rotated through Iraq since the first units entered that country. Their odds are pretty good, really, because they are the best and do an outstanding job for their Commander-in-Chief.

But our President is showing outstanding bravery, focus and leadership in general as the Commander-in-Chief of our Defense.

[familyop]

I certainly won't forget what our combat line fighting men go through for our defense, though.

:-)

[naturalman1975]

Yeah, and you think the Australian mainstream media is any more balanced than the US?

The fact is, we can own guns.

I won't describe what weapons I own - I don't put that information out in public, because I don't want a potential criminal to have any idea of what I have. But I've got a decent collection, including some fairly powerful firearms - certainly a lot more impressive than 22s. All my firearms, except one, are held on normal civilian permits.

While officially, you have to demonstrate a reason to own certain weapons, in practice, that's generally not hard to do - "I hunt pigs."

Look at the story about the Queensland amnesty - "QUEENSLANDERS found with illegal firearms after the present gun amnesty ended would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, Police Minister Judy Spence said today."

OK, sounds pretty bad. But what it really means is that you're a Queenslander who isn't willing to comply with the law, you face criminal prosecution.

The easiest way to comply with the law is to hand in your weapons - but it's not the only way. You could, instead, take the step of getting the permits you need.

In 1997, when the laws changed here post Port Arthure, while lots of people complained about the new laws (and I don't blame them - I complained about them to), I consulted a lawyer and did what I needed to do to keep my firearms. It wasn't really that hard.

If people wanted to take the trouble, most of them could keep most of their weapons. If people weren't willing to take the trouble - then they've only got themselves to blame.

I'm not saying the laws were good ones - because they're not. But we're not disarmed, and I get a little sick of being told we are.

[naturalman1975]

Oh, we are a lot like England in a lot of ways, I admit that. And I don't like the gunlaws we have here, by any means.

But they're nowhere near as bad as some people try to paint them, that's all.

[sadimgnik]

P++s off and die you single-issue fanatic.

No regards

Sadimgnik

[Texasforever]

Don't take it too seriously. Australia sure as hell is no nation of wimps. Sorry about this attack, unfortunately we will see a whole lot of them over the next weeks.

[Darkwolf377]

I certainly won't forget what our combat line fighting men go through for our defense, though.

:-)



I thought I was clear in saying I felt the same...

[rdl6989]

We better keep our prayers up, the election isn't even here yet... I firmly believe that the terrorists are going to attempt something soon.

[Texaggie79]

Log-Slammed Butticans ping

[atomic conspiracy]

Australian PM John Howard:

You do not want to make Mr. Howard angry. Note: this is NOT a digitally altered image.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Isn't there an election going on in Australia right now? I thought I heard they had scheduled one (guess they don't have set dates like in USA) or did I dream it?