Down under, a year after.

[jfl]

I got this message from a friend; I have not confirmed its authenticity.



From: Ed Chenel, a police officer in Australia

Hi Yanks,

I thought you all would like to see the now available
data from Down Under. It has now been one year (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 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 300
percent as compared with the last one year period when private
ownership of a firearm was legal. (NB: the law-abiding citizens did
turn in their personal firearms, the criminal element did not and thus
criminals in Australia still possess their guns.)
While data for the 25 years preceding the confiscation of privately
owned guns showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms,
this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months as criminals
now are assured their victims will be 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 how public safety has decreased, 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
of lawful individuals to own and possess firearms won't be seen in the
mainstream US media or on the American evening news. President
Obama, who advocates a similar confiscation in the US, will not be
reporting any of this to you. But, the Australian experience speaks
for itself. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and
property and, yes, gun-control laws affect only the law-abiding
citizens.
Americans may want to take note before it's too late!

--
Robert A. Holland, "-BobH-", Bob Holland
Phase II Electronics - 19 Sands Point Drive - Toms River NJ 08755
Phone (732) 286-0080 Fax (732) 349-3842
Fantasy Island Amusement Park, Fantasy Island Amusement Park, Long Beach Island, NJ.
320 Seventh Street Beach Haven NJ 08008
Phone (609) 492-4000 Fax (609) 492-3512

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Rcher]

If this is factual information, it just proves that if guns are banned, only criminals will have guns. With todays world economics, sheep are bigger targets for criminals knowing that the public has no means of retaliation against them.

"From my cold dead fingers"

[BradyM77]

It's just like what I tell a sheep who asks me why I carry. "If you're so sure that you're safe let's put up a banner over your front door saying that you're proud you don't have a firearm to protect your family! And we can make you a badge that proudly displays the fact that you don't carry a weapon!"
Only it seems now that whole country has the banner over it.

[bbqgrill]

I forwarded this or something similar to my Brother who is a Senior Constable (yes they call police officers Constable) in the Victoria PD. He did not have exact numbers but he thinks that the statistics are probably close to accurate. He has been a Constable since 1998 or 99 and he has taken firearms from criminals since the firearms ban. He also said that all of the people who willingly turn in firearms are law abiding people who turn in their firearms because the poor people are fed up with the registation process.

Cheers

[gwhall57]

Here's the link: snopes.com: Australian Guns Stats

Seems to be their opinion that, using statistics, one can prove, or disprove, anything.

[bandit383]

This floats around the internet every few months...been posted here a number of times. Lots of mistruths...and not even sure if it is authentic and/or has been modified over the years to fit someones agenda.

Rick

[trob09]

Here's the link: snopes.com: Australian Guns Stats

Seems to be their opinion that, using statistics, one can prove, or disprove, anything.

"There are lies, damned lies and statistics" - Mark Twain

A significant portion of my job is dealing with statistical modeling. I agree with Mr. Twain and the Snopes opinion. Unless you can dig behind the statistic to see the data that generated it, it should be taken with several grains of salt.

[jfl]

"There are lies, damned lies and statistics" - Mark Twain

A significant portion of my job is dealing with statistical modeling. I agree with Mr. Twain and the Snopes opinion. Unless you can dig behind the statistic to see the data that generated it, it should be taken with several grains of salt.

Reminds me of the saying:
"Statistics are like bikinis; it is what you don't see that is interesting"

[gilraen]

"Statistics are like bikinis; it is what you don't see that is interesting"

Now that's funny, right there.

[trob09]

Reminds me of the saying:
"Statistics are like bikinis; it is what you don't see that is interesting"

Exactly!

[swaggs]

Reminds me of the saying:
"Statistics are like bikinis; it is what you don't see that is interesting"

As a mathmatician by trade, I'm surprised I hadn't heard that one before. Definitely saving it though - and it wouldn't be nearly so funny if it weren't true!

As much as I would like to take the posted numbers and cry out from a hill top, I'm too skeptical of stats...

[Miggy]

wasn't there a news item a couple of weeks ago saying that that Oz Police were cooking the stats to show a flat or decrease in crime?