This topic won't go away, will it? No-one has yet changed anyone else's opinion, either, so I won't even try.

Like the USA, Australia had a fairly gun-totin' history. Exploring and "opening up" a large and hostile country, with bushrangers, crocodiles, etc., demanded that the early settlers had guns.

It is easy to romanticise those times. Stories of Ned Kelly and his gang, Ben Hall & gang, Captain Moonlight, are known to most Australians. Their gun battles are legendary.

Like most young men, I grew up with a fascination for guns. My father was a trained gun instructor, and I knew more about the workings of a 357 Magnum when I was 12 than an engine. That translated into gun ownership when I was old enough, and I spent many a time happily shooting rabbits and foxes on friends' farms. I only rid myself of these when the kids came along, and I was concerned about their safety.

To this day I, and most Australians, will defend the right of farmers to shoot introduced vermin like rabbits, foxes, boar, etc., that damage the rural environment. Similarly, professional hunters who do this are widely accepted by the community.

However, these guns represent a very small number. It seems to me that most guns in the USA have nothing to do with hunting at all. Australian law now makes it much harder to own a gun than in the USA, and most Australians applaud that. The result of low gun ownership is a very low level of gun-related death and injury. In Australia, the gun death of a child would make national news for a week, whereas in the USA, people are so used to child gun death (12 EVERY day) that only a Columbine High School penetrates the national consciousness.

Most gun deaths occur just because the gun is there. My best friend when he was 16 (did not know it was loaded), my next door neighbour (had argument with girl friend's father and became depressed), etc etc. Guns are so easy to kill with - that is what they are designed for.

People who I call "gun nuts" (remember I was one) cannot be convinced by logic. They love the raw power of squeezing a trigger and seeing a puff of dust 100 metres away, or an animal fall, or a hole appear in a target. And yes, these are harmless pursuits in themselves, and even promote healthy lifestyles for many people. I can't argue that every gun is used badly. Quite the contrary, 99% of guns are used carefully and correctly by their owners - law abiding and decent people.

However, most Australians have come to accept that the greater good is achieved by drastically reducing the number of guns, particularly concealable and rapid-fire weapons. The gun nuts are still out there trying to change things - there is even a gun political party (the Shooters Party!) - they have had to concede much in the last few years.

I often wonder if the USA had a free vote on whether most guns should be banned. I suspect that the vote for gun abolition would be higher than the NRA would like to admit.

Australians have also been less than impressed by the outright lies being peddled by the NRA about crime in Australia since tightening of gun laws. The fact is that Australians have less than 10% of the chance of being shot in their own home as Americans. And that is not because we have a lower criminal element, but because we have very few guns. Yes, there are stabbings, poisonings, and all the rest, but Australian homes are still 5 times safer than American homes. I would not in a fit agree to going to USA-style gun ownership, nor would most Australians.

As I said, I will not change anyone's mind, but please Americans, don't bother about trying to change mine!!

Regards
Chris