Gun Control Question

[seldear]

As I understand it, Australia has relatively strict gun control laws. I'm not sure exactly what those laws are, never having required the use of a firearm. (Any of the Aussies know?)

US Constitution's Second Amendment? Gun registration?

And where do you stand on the matter of "the right to bear arms" and why? Would love to hear from all sides of the fence and the pond.

Comments

[slm76.livejournal.com]

Given recent events, I feel everyone needs to have proper training before they're even near a gun and that it should be illegal to hand someone a gun who's not had the proper training. My neighbour was killed in a shooting accident just a few weeks ago by a kid who'd never handled a gun before.

Members of my family have guns. On each occasion, when I've gone to their homes, the guns have been locked up in a lockable gun cabinet. Heath has been brought up in a hunting environment. Everyone has to go through a Hunter Safety course before they get a hunting license.

For hunting, a shotgun or something equivilent is okay. Provided, of course, that a person had had a background check and proper training. It ought to be like driving a car, or something.

Would I ever handle a gun myself? Probably not. Would I be okay with Heath having one, like his father and his uncles own guns? Sure. I know he'd keep it locked up. Like I said, he was raised in a family that goes hunting and regularly has the kids go through the Hunter Safety course. My sister-in-law's husband is a state trooper and he bought his wife a gun. They go to the range sometimes. But whenever I've been there, I've never seen the weapons; they keep them out of the way of the child.

What I cannot understand is the fascination with automatics and semi-automatics. No one needs those except the military, surely.

The VT killer bought his weapons legally. There's the problem; the lack of controls and laws on gun shops and gun shows. If he bought it recently, there should have been a check on police reports and mental health. Except, for the fact that health issues are confidential. And goodness knows many people think their privacy is more important than someone's life being at stake.

Ultimately, the question is, is there a way to stop the likes of Cho purchasing weapons legally without hindering the regular Joe who goes deer-hunting with his buddies every November?

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

My neighbour was killed in a shooting accident just a few weeks ago by a kid who'd never handled a gun before.

I'm sorry for your neighbor's family, but that wasn't the gun's fault... it was the fault of the person who decided to handle a gun without familiarizing themselves or, if they're a minor, the people who gave the gun to him.

People love comparing gun ownership to gun ownership, but they're completely different -- there is no right to drive (or ride a horse or buggy or the 18th century equivalent) in the Constitution.

Until there is better communication between agencies and departments (and doesn't THAT sound familiar) there will be incidents like this.