Aussies, Hide Your Steak Knives

Ditto. They're still trying to protect themselves from the British.

Me either msolga! That's why 'mericans scare me sometimes! All this "right to bear arms" stuff.

Just as you can't understand us, we can't understand you. I was taught how to shoot at an early age and grew up with guns in my life. I committed mayhem against some of the local pests on our farm, and in my mind I made the world a better place by exterminating harmful varmints (gophers and nutria/coypu). Taking away firearms from Americans would be equivalent to taking away alcohol from Australians, i.e., absolutely unthinkable.

There are households in the US where there are no guns, but it is hard to imagine living in a country where a person would be prohibited from purchasing a firearm. It just boggles the mind.

Gee Tarantulas, don't let the truth interfere with your view of the world. Australians are NOT prohibited from purchasing firearms. As I stated previously, I work with several people who shoot regularly. We had a gold medallist in skeet shooting at the last Olympics for heaven's sake. The biggest restrictions are on the TYPE of weapon available.

Killing for fun?????

Incomprehensible.....

Msolga - I agree. I know sporting shooter types here who are keen on the things - but not obsessed with them, and believing everyone should have them, and proselytizing about it with religious revival fervour.

Billy Graham meets the winchester! Lol....

Is there ANYWHERE else in the world with this attitude? I can think of tribal folk- as in Afghanistan - who seem in love with their kalashnikovs....but, well, I just don't get it.

My farming rellies shoot with distress when they have to - no pleasure is taken in it.

There are households here, which have lots of guns.

Obviously you have no clue, how it works here:

as in Australia, shooting club members have weapons, weapons are used at local feats ("Schützenfest" und kermesses), hunters have weapons and of course persons, who claim to need them for special protection, security reasons.

They just can't go in a shop and buy them - they have to get a license, have to register at the police (weapons as well :wink: ), ... ...

Which is it that scares you, the gun, or the American who owns it?

Well, speaking for meself, it is that so many people feel a NEED to own a gun - and not only that, that so many of these seem to feel some odd, fervent need to attempt to persuade others that they MUST want guns too.

(Edit - it probably isn't really many on the fervid crusade thingy - but it sometimes seems that way!)

It seems rather spooky to me that such intensity is felt about such a thing - to the point of apparently being unable even to gather facts about an issue - eg continually saying guns are banned in Oz, etc - also saying how strange it is that not everyone wishes to teach their kids to kill - that their weeny kids are taught to shoot - fine, if you must do it, do it - your country allows you to do so willy nilly, for reasons most folk find incomprehensible - but the obsessive proselytizing? That I find weird and spooky.

That, why I like these Americans especially, dlowan: all around competent, well educated, socially civilised and totally reserved :wink:

I talked with the step daughter of neighbours this noon:
she - Swiss nationaltiy - is a Swiss diplomate, worked in an African state, starts in a "big American country" as attachée on Monday. She has been told by her (future) embasador that it was useless to explain these Amesican the Swiss gun laws: they were not willing to understand it.

[twice edited: a) last paraphrase added, b) some typos corrected]

LOL! Mind you, I find religious crusades terrifying, too...

My point all along is that here in the states, as long as you keep your nose clean, you have a CHOICE of whether or not you want to own guns.

Having that choice is precious.

See? Like I said - unable to take in simple facts.

What the heck is your problem dlowan? You're supposed to be a benefit to this site. Why don't you act like it?

What facts am I missing? Swords and laser pointers are banned in Austrailia.

And your point, distilled, cjhsa, is generally that anybody/country who doesn't want to own/shoot/and kill animals or burglars with a gun is stupid and nuts.

On this thread, just see how you told Msolga to go hunt - how you say every wee kidlet must be taught to shoot - so they have gun-safety!!!!

How weirdly circular is that? Almost nobody CHOOSES to have guns here - the kiddies do not run into guns - they don't NEED gun safety!!!!

Hmmm.

Some here in Germany think, the the right to drive as fast as possible on the Autobahn is the most precious freedom.
As stupid, but as true - and with similar effective and vocal lobby groups behind it as the "gun maschinery" :wink:

Lol the fact that people can have guns, cjhsa.


Oh - and Victoria wasn't the whole of Australia, last I looked, cjhsa - though Melburnians seem to think so ever since their city got most liveable in th world, or something - we don't tell them, generally, because it hurts their feelings, but they are a very small state.

And if they have dumb kids cutting each other up with swords, why not make it illegal to have the damn things? Or is the right to have a sword sacred, too?

We have our own culture and traditions here and some of us hope to maintain them. Hunting is a priviledge and a very enjoyable outdoor activity. Having never tried it I wouldn't expect you to realize it is a challenging physical and mental experience.

My family has collected guns for over 100 years. We currently have about 20 in various calibers. Someday these will belong to my kids, and they need to know how to use them safely.

I'm curious as to what Australian hunters like to hunt? I can't imagine marsupials tasting too good. (This is not intended as in insult. I would actually like to know what game is hunted.) One Aussie import widely hunted here is the Opossum. Some actually eat them. Not me. I've killed a few that have tried to setup their home inside of mine.

Certainly - it a relic re Holy War and thus highest honoured and as highly adored as the guns.