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Given the only mass shooting in Australia in almost 30 years, the question of guns, gun ownership, and needs/desires to own them is in question

I've never handled a gun except once. I fired a .22 rifle once and once only in my youth when visiting an uncle who had friends that owned a rural property. I was shooting at a line of coke cans.

Despite that I have never had a desire to shoot guns, or have a gun license, or own any guns, and that's never changed. Guns are designed for one thing - to kill.

Here in Australia we want freedom from guns (and religion), not freedom of guns (and religion).

Plenty of Australian's have gun licenses and legally own guns for legitimate reasons, including military and law enforcement, rural landholders and primary producers, licensed security guards, etc.

But that's it apart from a small subset of the population subscribing to being criminals who want usually illegal but sometimes legal guns. The general population doesn't for the most part need, or want, guns here.

I know that's completely different to the USA, or many other parts of the world where gun culture is bizarrely linked to the concepts of freedom and safety with a belief that you can't be free or safe unless you have a gun.

Guns are meant for one purpose - killing.
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pdockal · 56-60, M
It takes somebody to pull the trigger
So guns aren't the issue
The mental health of the one pulling the trigger is the issue
Let's focus on that
MoveAlong · 70-79, M
@pdockal That hasn't and won't make much difference. We are only good at identifying these mentally ill people after the fact.
zonavar68 · 56-60, M
@pdockal Have a look at the licensing system and you can see why it *should* catch those sorts of people but like with drivers licenses, boat licences, etc. the systems aren't perfect. But having strong gun controls is better than the USA with basically no gun controls (comparably).
pdockal · 56-60, M
@MoveAlong

So your option is what ... forget about mental health & ban guns ?

@zonavar68

Do you live here ?
If NOT you don't have a clue.
zonavar68 · 56-60, M
@pdockal I know that people in the US (via the 2nd ammendment to the US constitution) believe they have a legal and moral right to own weapons and use them for personal/self defence. Completely different to the situation here in Australia where we do not *need* to have guns for that purpose.
pdockal · 56-60, M
@zonavar68

You've been brainwashed
I don't need them either
But .......

Disarming citizens was what regiems did before civil liberties were taken away
MoveAlong · 70-79, M
@pdockalThat hasn't and won't make much difference. We are only good at identifying these mentally ill people after the fact.
pdockal · 56-60, M
@MoveAlong

Again your point is what
Forget about mental health all together & bam guns ?
Keep repeating yourself won't change the outcome but will just show how uneducated you truely are
zonavar68 · 56-60, M
@pdockal You miss the point - in Australia we have never *needed to be armed*! I get that people in the USA feel that living in fear of god and guns somehow makes them superior to people in other countries, but it's all a 'false peace'. Freedom is not free. We need freedom from god and guns, not freedom of god and guns.
pdockal · 56-60, M
@zonavar68

you miss the point
every citizen needs to be able to defend himself from others & from the tyranny of their own government
I hope you dont have to find out the hard way ..... like the American colonists did back in 1776 etc
zonavar68 · 56-60, M
@pdockal So you outwardly support every country having allowing citizens an 'enshrined right' to own (and use and possibly 'open carry') a gun (or other lethal weapon) exclusively for the right of personal/self defence or have one 'within arms length' at all times? ie. you would rather have a society built around fear (which is what US societal culture centres on)?
pdockal · 56-60, M
@zonavar68

you are misinformed
any fear is from criminals & their activities & liberals like you
zonavar68 · 56-60, M
@pdockal Sorry 'liberals' here in Australia are neo-conservatives like the Trump outfit in the USA. So funny how you US people label progressive/democrat types as 'liberals' when you literally make fun of your own 'base' here in Oz. 8-)
JollyRoger · 70-79, M
@pdockal I agree, but in the USA where there is no subsidized health care (mental issues are health care too), the depressed and over-drugged people who have lost their grip on reality don't have the means to seek mental health care - and so they continue in a downward spiral until they step over the line into irrational behavior and a policeman shoots them.
JollyRoger · 70-79, M
@pdockal About 'unless you live here, you don't have a clue'..... The American people are exceptional in that they are reactionary instead of being circumspect and preventive. Look at how your government supports dictators abroad until they step out of line with "American Foreign Policy". The statue of "Lady Justice" stands blindfolded - not to remain impartial, but to ignore the injustices that can be seen occurring even at the foot of her statue, i.e., within your Supreme Court.
pdockal · 56-60, M
@JollyRoger

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@zonavar68

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MoveAlong · 70-79, M
@zonavar68 Could this be what @pdockals problem is?

pdockal · 56-60, M
@MoveAlong

Of course you are such a low life that you need to deflect and attempt to throw insults around
Go get some education and self esteem

You are what's wrong with society
You think your right & nobody else is and when you can't handle the conversion you deflect and attempt to insult others
Tsk
Tsk
Tsk
pdockal · 56-60, M
@zonavar68

Why do all the liberals who are clueless have to attempt insulting others ?
Go get educated
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