On the eve
of the 8th Anniversary of 35 people being shot with extraordinary skill by a
mentally retarded man, it is time to remember those 35, and to ask whether the
severe gun laws introduced following their deaths have had any measurable
result.
The Gun
Prohibition laws were introduced without any research or inquiry, and focused
solely on the instrument used. The laws affect only the law abiding. The stated
aim was to 'make Australia safer', presumably for ordinary people, not
criminals, yet there is no statistical evidence that Australia is any safer, or
that any criminal handed in a gun. Not a single life was saved as a result of
the huge amount of money and resources spent. Murders continue to make the
headlines; the criminals still have their guns, or choose to use knives, broken
bottles, or fists. In fact, with armed Hold-ups, Assaults and kidnapping having
increased dramatically, a good case can be made that Australians are now less
safe. Proof of this is that Australia now has 200,000 Private Security Guards
(up three-fold since 1996).
People
should demand to know what is the justification for the continued allocation of
scarce resources to make life ever more difficult for farmers, hunters, target
and sporting shooters; arguably one of the most law abiding groups of people in
the country. It is clear that devoting those resources to better roads, more
police or hospitals etc. would save lives.
The
experiences of the UK and the USA are instructive. UK gun crime has increased
dramatically since banning handguns, while USA crime rate has fallen for the
last 8 years, perhaps because of 35 states now
allowing concealed handguns for self-defence. It will
surprise many to learn that it is statistically more dangerous to be in the UK
than the US. If there is a positive relationship between legally held firearms
and crime, Switzerland should be the crime capital of the world.
Following
the shooting at Port Arthur in 1996, many questions were raised about the
treatment of the mentally ill and the adverse effect of watching violent videos,
but it was the instrument of the crime that received all the attention. Eight
years on, the causes of crime in society remain
Banning
guns, as a way of preventing crime, makes as much
sense as banning cameras to prevent child pornography, or banning matches to
stop arson.
