Who could have seen this coming? A country enacts draconian gun control legislation that makes it virtually impossible for citizens to own firearms and then calls for a complete civilian gun ban. That could be a lot of places, but today’s episode of “Who Wants To Be A Police State?” takes us to Southern Australia, where Supreme Court Justice Michael David has declared, “My view is I think our guns laws are pretty tight, they are not too bad. But my view on guns is not confined to that. In my view, and it is a fairly utopian view, I can’t see why anyone in this city should own a gun. I think a gun with a licence is just as dangerous as . . .
a gun without a licence. I think there should be a law that no-one is allowed to have a gun. I cannot see any logical reason for it at all.’’
Don’t be fooled by the Justice’s admission that a total gun ban is “utopian.” The Justice’s anti-gun extremism paves the way for yet more infringement on Australian’s natural and civil (though not Constitutionally protected) right to keep and bear arms. In other words, Oz’s anti-gunners know an opportunity when they hear one.
Mark McPherson, the father of 18-year-old Lewis McPherson who was gunned down on New Year’s Eve in 2012, supports Justice’s David’s suggestion.
He said he “absolutely’’ supported Justice David’s views on guns and believed there was “no need at all’’ for anyone in the metropolitan area to own a firearm.
“I could not agree more. Nobody in the city requires a gun,’’ he said.
“In a perfect world, no-one would have a gun and no-one could shoot anyone. But the reality is a farmer probably has a legitimate reason to have a gun. But as far as people in the city go, no they definitely should not.’’ . . .
Attorney-General John Rau, who will shortly introduce new legislation targeting those selling or supplying illegal firearms, also said he “totally agreed’’ with Justice David’s utopian view.
“If we were starting from scratch, nothing would be more desirable from my point of view,’’ he said.
“We have to, however, work to where we are, not where we might wish to be.
“However, I do think there is further room to tighten the Firearms Act, in particular to treat an unsecured firearm, whether registered or not, with exactly the same severity.”
And so it goes. So the next time someone recommends “common sense” gun laws, tell them that common sense says people who set off down a slippery slope always end up at the bottom. And that it’s harder to go uphill than it is to go down. Either that or tell them to piss off. [h/t Mark N]