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 real figures from Down Under.
It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced 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 in:
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 300 percent.
(Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in,the criminals did not and criminals still possess their guns!)
While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steadydecrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drasticallyupward in the past 12 months, since the criminals now are guaranteedthat their prey is unarmed. There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the elderly, while the resident is at home.
Australian politicians are at a loss to explain howpublic safety has decreased, after such monumental effort and expensewas expended in "successfully ridding Australian society of guns." Youwon't see this on the American evening news or hear your governor ormembers of the State Assembly disseminating this information.
The Australian experience speaks for itself. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-controllaws affect only the law-abiding citizens.
