Australian Gun Law Update

UPDATE::::
This type of thing has happened in many places, some places in the US--J Mason

Australian Gun Law Update Here's a thought to warm some of your hearts . .. .. From: Ed Chenel, A police officer in Australia Hi Yanks, I thought you all would like to see the now available data fromDown Under. It has now been one year (12 months) since gun owners in Australia wereforced by a new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by our own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than$500 million dollars. The first year results are now available: Australia-wide, homicides are up 6.2 percent; Australia-wide, assaults are up 9.6 percent; Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent); In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300percent as compared with the last one year period when private ownershipof a firearm was legal. (NB: the law-abiding citizens did turn in their personal firearms, thecriminal element did not and thus criminals in Australia still possesstheir guns.) While data for the 25 years preceding the confiscation of privately ownedguns showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this haschanged drastically upward in the past 12 months as criminals now areassured their victims will be unarmed. There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of theelderly, while the resident is at home. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety hasdecreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in'successfully ridding Australian society of guns.' This story of well intentioned government intervention in the rights oflawful individuals to own and possess firearms won't be seen in themainstream US media or on the American evening news. Senator Obama whoadvocates a similar confiscation in the US will not be reporting any ofthis to you. But, the Australian experience speaks for itself. Guns in the handsof honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control lawsaffect only the law-abiding citizens. Americans may want to take note before it's too late