More Wonderful News from Australia

For a people descended largely from convicts, you'd think they'd have more testicular fortitude, but apparently not.

Nor do they seem to have much in the way of logical faculties, if this story is anything to go by. (Nod to Keepandbeararms.com again.)

Gun buyback underway

"Buyback." Right. As though the guns were bought from the government, and now they're simply "buying them back."

A NATIONAL gun buyback scheme and firearms amnesty aimed at curbing the illegal guns trade began in NSW today, Police Minister John Watkins said.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong here, but England BANNED ALL handguns and it hasn't "curb(ed) the illegal guns trade" there, has it? In fact, the "illegal guns trade" in England is a BOOMING BUSINESS, isn't it?

Isn't one definition of insanity "Repeating the same behavior while expecting a different outcome?"

The buyback is part of a national plan to outlaw a range of handguns, with the initiative already underway in the majority of states amd territories.

The firearms amnesty applies to unlicensed owners and/or unregistered guns of any type but will not result in payment to the gun owner.

So, let's see if I understand this: If you own a licensed gun (and are thus a law-abiding gun owner) you'll get reimbursed for your property. But if you're an illegal gun owner, and possess unregistered firearms, well, if you turn them in you'll get the heartwarming feeling that you've done your civic duty, but no money?

And this will disarm who exactly?

I though so.

If it's that blindingly obvious to me, why are they going along?

The buyback and amnesty were part of a scheme put forward by Prime Minister John Howard and accepted by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) last year.

Finally! The word "scheme" used appropriately!

Mr Watkins said NSW would use three vans – similar to RBT vans – to visit gun clubs and dealers across the state to collect newly prohibited guns under the National Buyback program.

Licensed owners who turn their handguns and accessories over to police will receive a cheque on the spot – based on a national price list," he said in a statement.

He said the buyback and the amnesty would both run until March 31, 2004.

Mr Watkins said two previous amnesties and a buyback, held since 1995, had resulted in the surrender of 207,215 firearms in NSW.

The programs would bolster the NSW Government's plan, announced last week, to address the illegal guns trade.

"Obviously, criminals are not going to take any notice of the buyback or amnesty," Mr Watkins said.

"But these programs should reduce the total number of firearms in the community.

There it is: It isn't the criminals that are the problem, it's the number of guns. And the only way to address the number of guns? TAKE THEM FROM THE LAW ABIDING. Thank you Mr. Watkins for stating what gun banners control advocates here will not say (with the exception of the Violence Policy Center and a few outspoken individuals.) The ONLY "gun control" that CAN "work" is gun CONFISCATION - but it DOESN'T work because you CANNOT DISARM THE CRIMINALS. The most you can do is disarm the victims. And that works so well everywhere it's tried, doesn't it?

And the other thing this illustrates? Registration is only good for confiscation. You can only be sure you get the guns that are REGISTERED. The ones outside the registry? Who knows?

"And our illegal guns policing package ... will hit back at the dangerous criminals who dare to carry firearms on our streets," he said.

Hey, I'm all for that! Find 'em, jail 'em.

Oh, wait. "Dangerous criminals" like the guy in the story below? Nevermind.

South Australia's handguns buyback also begins today.

Again: What it will do is disarm the law-abiding. It will do NOTHING to disarm THE CRIMINALS. And it will turn a LOT of formerly law-abiding citizens INTO criminals.

For government, that's a win-win situation, isn't it?