Response by SSAA member to "Guns buy-back falters" editorial
Letters to the Editor
Canberra Times
2 September 1997
Dear Sir/Madam,
Yes, the gun buyback has been a failure. Your editorial "Guns buy-back falters" (Canberra Times, 2/9/97 p8) suggests that only two thirds of an estimated three quarters of a million now illegal firearms have been handed in.
A casual glance at the hand in rates in those States with and without firearm registration shows where most of the now "illegal" firearms are. Is it any wonder that firearms owners are now totally opposed to firearm registration as it is merely a method to facilitate confiscations.
Your editorial notes that "success is measured in degrees" and then talks about handguns. What have handguns got to do with the gun buy-back? They are not included. It is welll known that the insatiable Coalition for Gun Control now wants a complete ban on all handguns in Australia, just like in Britain. Are they writing your editorials?
Legally owned handguns do not pose a problem in Australia and are already very tightly regulated. Personal carriage of handguns is illegal, therefore 9% of adults cannot be armed as you claim or carrying a handgun as you imply. There can be no justification for their confiscation.
Furthermore, there is no evidence whatsoevere that Australia is a 'safer place" now that half a million mostly "rabbit rifles" and shotguns have gone to the crusher at an enormous cost of $260 million wasted taxpayer dollars.
The vast majority of those firearms crushed would never have been used to commit a crime and evidence suggests that such of the buy-back monies received have been used to finance the purchase of new firearms.
Your editorial appears to be ideological dogma which continues to portray firearm owners as potential murderes and law-breakers. We are getting really tired of it!
Yours sincerley,
(signed)
David Barton
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