- Moderator
- #76
The big problem with gun ownership is the incredibly difficult process of licensing and ensuring safe use?. How can you be sure that even if the gun owner is of sound mind and the most safety conscious human at the time of licensing this situation will not change in time? How can you ensure that no-one else can access the weapon?
And therein lies the problem. You cant.
Ive lost count of the number of times I have seen a domestic situation get ugly or escalate, and a usually 'normal' person snaps (and kills) in a moment of madness.
The problem is 'moments of madness' with guns can leave dozens dead, with no chance of stopping it, and often with little to no warning.
Lets not mix up the lethality of knives or clubs, with the lethality of firearms now.
The US Constitution has no relevance in 2010 Australia.
Wouldn't go that far, but I get your point.
Guns don't kill people true but in reality we cannot control the people who have access to guns or their circumstance.
And even when we do control people that access guns, terrible tragic accidents and killings still happen.
There simply isnt a place for guns in a civil society.
You want to own them (for a legitimate sporting or hunting reason) fine. You can keep them under lock and key at a central sporting shooting armory away from the community and your (and my) family when not in use.
It's a real conundrum as I can also see Brad Roo's point as a sporting shooter and despite a bit of internet bravado Hawkmania is probably very safe with his weapons and not as likely "pop a cap in your arse" as he would have you believe in a home invasion situation.
Then they wouldn't mind leaving their guns in an armory away from the rest of the community.
A responsible gun owner wouldn't balk at such a suggestion.