Letter by SSAA member to Sydney University about Simon Chapman interview
by concerned SSAA member
22 August 1997
Dear Sir,
Last Friday morning 22 August 1997, I heard on Radio 2GB an interview between Clive Robertson and a Dr/Professor Chapman, who claimed to be from Sydney University.
The fact that Dr Chapman presented extremely biased opinions, was ill informed and made many illogical and irrational statements has prompted me to contact you to ascertain whether in fact he is a real Dr/Professor, or simply a student masquerading as "The Learned Professor", as part of a University prank.
Upon listening to this hotch potch of mixed up muddled thinking, I immediately telephoned Radio 2GB to alert them to the fact that perhaps they were being "conned" and subsequently faxed them some suggested questions, which Clive Robertson could have posed to the "Dr/Professor". A copy of this fax is attached for your reference.
Although I do not have a transcript of this interview, I seem to recall that Dr/Professor Chapman included such statements as "a shooter was recently arrested for chopping off someone's head, and there is a shooter in Queensland who believes we are still ruled by the Magna Carta - so shooters are all a crazy lot aren't they".
I am sure you will agree that such statements being gross generalisation (apart from being toally irrational), also ignore the thousands of shooters throughout Australia who are members of volunteer groups, such as state emergency services and the bush fire brigades. He neglected to point out that many of the volunteers in the Thredbo rescue team were "shooters" and that many of the bush fire fighters who saved Sydney a couple of years ago are also "shooters" - Does he simply choose to ignore facts that do not support his argument?
It should be remembered that such twisted thinking, when supported by the government and the easily manipulated population, lead to the extermination of millions of Jews in Germany, Poland, Latvia etc. Using such fuzzy thinking, will the Dr/Professor's next interview contain a statement like ..."Aids kills people - homosexuals spread aids - ban homosexuals!"
Statements such as those made by Dr/Professor Chapman reflect poorly on the reputation of Sydney University as a place of enquiry, open discussion, critical evaluation and logical conclusions. This leads me to question Dr/Professor Chapman's qualifiications. What qualifications does he have and where did he obtain them?
Do his qualifications cover such subjects as "logical deduction" and "clear thinking"?
Please also advise what is the source and form of funding for his faculty? Are any of his results (research work etc.) and any papers/reports, subject to scrutiny by other more senior and better qualified people?
Does he not have access to the Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showing that less than 20% of homicides involved a firearm? In fact a higher percentage of murders are carried out with sharp instruments (knives etc.) and by far, greater percentage of homocides are performed with fists, feet and other blunt instruments!
That the Dr/Professor's emphasis is simply on "guns", surely indicates that he is focusing only on the instrument of the crime and not the cause, which leads me to conclude that he is simply providing a smoke screen for the real problems in our society, such as mental illness, violent films and videos, drugs, high unemployment, family breakdowns, etc.
Are the extremely distorted views of Dr/Professor Chapman truely representative of Sydney University? I look forward to your reply and comments.
Regards,
PETER WHELAN
Dip.E.E. FI.E. Aust.
C.P. Eng.
AFAIM
SUBJECT: Clive Robertson - Gun Control
Your listeners are for the most part very intelligent, well educated people. We don't like to have our education ridiculed nor our intelligence insulted.
Herewith some questions Clive Robertson should have asked Professor Chapman.
1. "You stated that 85% of all gun deaths are suicides. Do you seriously believe that if a person is in such a state of desperation, that suicide is the only way out, and a gun is not available, that he won't simply use another method?"
2. "Using the same line of logic, shouldn't you also be calling for a ban on rope, cars, rat poison, etc, as these are also used to carry out suicides?"
3. How do you explain the fact that in countries with low gun ownership (eg Japan, Sweden) the suicide rate is still very high?
4. Since suicide was removed from the statute books on 1984, it is no longer a crime to take your own life. Why are you, Professor Chapman so concerned with trying to ban the instrument used in a perfectly legal activity? Very puzzling!
5. Shouldn't your energy and that of Sydney University be directed more to identifying and solving the real problems in our society rather than targeting the instrument? What are the causes of these crimes? Is it violent videos/films, mental illness, drugs/alcohol, gambling, unemployment, etc?
6. Professor Chapman, you have selected a couple of "shooters" who are extreme examples. What about the thousands of law abiding people who enjoy shooting as their sport and recreation? Why have they been victimised and vilified by your "Gun Control" Lobby?
To follow your argument, if a BMW driver is a drug dealer or murders somebody, the Government should ban BMW's.
Do his qualifications cover such subjects as "logical deduction" and clear thinking"?
Please also advise what is the source and form of funding for his faculty? Are any of his results (research work etc.) and any papers/reports, subject to scrutiny by other more senior and better qualified people?
Does he not have access to the Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showing that less than 20% of homicides involved a firearm? In fact a higher percentage of murders are carried out with sharp instruments (knives etc.) and by far, greater percentage of homocides are performed with fists, feet and other blunt instruments!
That the Dr/Professor's emphasis is simply on "guns", surely indicates that he is focusing only on the instrument of the crime and not the cause, which leads me to conclude that he is simply providing a smoke screen for the real problems in our society, such as mental illness, violent films and videos, drugs, high unemployment, family breakdowns, etc.
Are the extremely distorted views of Dr/Professor Chapman truely representative of Sydney University? I look forward to your reply and comments.
Regards,
PETER WHELAN
Dip.E.E. FI.E. Aust. C.P. Eng.
AFAIM
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