Never take your gun rights for granted. Never believe that “common sense” gun regulations are OK because, well, they seem to make sense. Always keep in mind that the expression “the camel’s nose under the tent” isn’t just an allegory about avoiding insidious calamity; it’s a barely-coded message from God telling you to defend—to the nth degree—your God-given right to protect yourself and your family from evil. Now, where was I? Oh yes, New South Wales. “THE NSW Greens hope to reduce gun numbers in the state with new legislation it is putting before parliament,” heraldsun.com.au reports.
“It is simply wrong that individuals can accumulate an unlimited number of deadly weapons with next to no scrutiny,” says Greens MP and firearms spokesman David Shoebridge.
Under the legislation, registered holders would be limited to a maximum of three guns.
It follows a spike in gun theft, gun ownership and gun crime in NSW.
“Less guns in society mean less opportunities for gun crime,” Dr Shoebridge said in a statement.
And that’s good for everyone, apparently.
“Some registered gun owners clearly own an excessive number of firearms, and their private arsenals are targets for organised crime.”
Dr Shoebridge said figures from the Australian Institute of Criminology show a 60 per cent jump in stolen guns in NSW in the four years from 2008/09.
Three quarters have never been recovered and remain in criminal hands.
At the same time, the number of permits issued in NSW to acquire new weapons has jumped from 65,997 in 2005/06 to 111,792 in 2009/10.
Well, that’s wrong. Something must be done! Or not.