Americans call Australia dumb for banning guns?

Question

So there's a siege happening in Sydney at the moment and I'm reading news articles where people write comments and Americans say we are dumb for banning guns and we could of prevented this? My blood just boils hearing this!

Do you think we should have guns?

Answer 1

In 2006, Time ran an article. The title was "Australia's Gun Laws: Little Effect."



"Firearm homicides in Australia were declining before 1996 and the decline has simply continued at the same rate since, McPhedran says."



See the link below for the article.



I do however feel Australia's gun ban was short-sighted. Admittedly, Australia is a free and safe country now, but what about the future? Will it always be free and safe 20, 30, even 50 years into the future? At some point those people might need those guns to preserve their safety or freedom, and they won't have them.

Answer 2

The difference is that this is a siege that is so rare as to make the news. In America, this is much more common place and at least it wasn't the usual American kid with his dads gun going walkabout in school. The US gun lobby will always state that being armed is the answer. Apparently this is so that, if they don't like who they have in power, they will have the arms to be able to rise up and overthrow them. They will point to Stalin and Hitler. But equally, the UK has managed OK without this, as have France etc. In fact, it is questionable that an armed civilian population could have stopped hitler. You would have just ended up with more live fire incidents with the brown shirts.



This is a lone gunman incident and was responded to by armed police. So if you armed your civilians, what you would have is more of this sort of incident, since anybody can become a muslim extremist. How is this different from many other bank hold ups or hostage situations that you see being broardcast out of the US? Their citizens are armed, but do not walk about 24/7 with guns and still become victims of this sort of armed crime.



Unfortunately, the gun lobby have a vested interest in arming its populous. Arms manufacturers make a nice little mint out of the US and when the only tool you have is a hammer, all problems look like nails. So no. Stuff the Americans. Let them shoot each other. Keep this sort of incident as are very rare incident.



Luck

Answer 3

I know very little about your Constitution if that is what you have and I am sure you are not as familiar with ours as some of us here are. There is a difference in how and why our two countries were founded.



The US was initiated when the colonists felt they were over taxed and unrepresented in British government. After some rebellion a war started and the colonies won and banded together to form a union of states. We no longer wanted British rule.



As I understand it Australia was a penal colony where British citizens were exiled. The people there for the most part were sent involuntarily.



Back to guns and why we have them is rooted in the military dominination by Great Brittan. In our Constitution the first article, Article I creats an Army and a Navy to provide for a common defense of all of the states, there territory and hence the territory and its federal government.



Our founders did not wish to establish an over reaching government and so the Bill of Rights was added to our Constution.



The part about Guns is the second of ten amendments that make up the Bill of Rights. Each of these can stand alone but they are a package of freedom. The free state created in the Bill of Rights is mentioned in the Second Amendment which says this "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."



This affords the citizens a defense against an over reaching government. It is not an additional Army and Navy.

Answer 4

I don't think the people are stupid. However, I do think that the government could have handled things a bit more intelligently than the heavy-handed laws they have now. Being basically a big island, Australia has an enormous advantage over the United States when it comes to any sort of non-electronic contraband; the government can control the major access points into the country, making smuggling from abroad much more difficult.



This would enable the government of Australia to impose any restrictions they wish and have a high degree of control over maintaining those restrictions within their own country. A massive ban wasn't necessary in my opinion. However, my main point is that any such ban will work in places like Australia and the UK precisely because they are islands with easily controlled access points. This is not true of the US.

Answer 5

Ok first of all guns don't kill people, people kill people. And second of all a taurus judge is not a sawed off shotgun it comes from the factory from taurus in a revolver for which is double action and also shoots .45 long colts. 3rd if you outlaw guns it will be mass hysteria like you have never seen before and there will be millions more deaths than there has been in the past 6 years. Swarms upon swarms of angered americans will end up destroying the government and causing death and destruction on a holocaust scale. Guns are also an american tradition and just to let you know not anyone can go out and buy a full auto glock or ak47 you must have your class 3 weapons license which is near impossible to get without a perfect record that is clean of any felony's or domestic violence cases and or violence in general. Plus what do you think will happen to us if a country decides to invade? are you gonna get your little bow and nock your arrow before a bullet from lets say an ak47 traveling over 2300 fps with a 123 gr. projectile. . . . Don't think so. last of all if you take guns away you will be starting a long strain of violence and crime because if somebody wants any particular thing bad enough you cannot stop them. It's no different than when the alcohol prohibition started, it didnt stop anyone from drinking and bootlegging whiskey, beer and other liqour products, Or how about the drug cartels seems like making weed illegal did a lot of good, do you know how many people have died because of the drug cartels alone in the past year, guess what it seems that the guns didnt just go off and kill people on their own. guns are inanimate objects and without a form of technology operating them or people using them they do no harm what so ever. Next time think through stuff like this please, just saying sincerely.

Answer 6

I am an American myself and I actually believe compared to Australia, we look pretty stupid. I mean sure, there are probably some set backs for some people (sorry I don't know much about your constitutions and situation in Australia) but all-in-all I think it's a good decision. We have shootings very often and many innocent people are dying from it..They talk about gun laws every time there is a shooting, but move on to a different topic a few weeks later. It's ridiculous, and the fact that Australia has managed to actually ban them over there? *claps* Bravo to you guys.

Answer 7

I'm an American living in Australia, and as much as it pains me to say this - YES, it was a horrible decision made to add heavier regulations to firearms. The crime rates have gone no-where but up, and I see, on a daily basis (in Western Australia), people having their houses broken into - WHEN THEY'RE AT HOME, no less - that have no way to defend themselves or their families. The incident in Sydney is only a symptom of the larger problem - Australians are clearly not safe, not until the laws change, at least.



And remember this: When SECONDS count, the police are MINUTES away.

Answer 8

I'm an American and I don't think it's dumb for Australia to have banned guns. If your country doesn't want its citizens to own guns, and the citizens are ok with that, then that's their issue. I happen to believe that gun ownership is a good thing and am glad my country allows it. Whoever said that is dumb themselves and don't understand differences in cultures or simply among people.



Do I think Australia should allow their citizens to own guns? My opinion is it's good for the citizens to be able to protect themselves with firearms, but if your country doesn't want that who am I to say they are wrong. So I say no, since Australians seem to be ok with it.



Merry Christmas

Duke

Answer 9

NEW COMMENT: I really screwed up below in describing the Australian hostage situation. I didn't realize when I wrote my comments that the hostage taker WAS killed; I don't recall whether some of the hostages were, too.



OTOH, it's absurd to think that hostage-taking situations like this end any more peacefully in the US, whether they occur in states that permit open carrying of guns or in states that ban it. In Blacksburg, Va. in 2005, I think it was, at Virginia Commonwealth University, a crazy and angry student bought handguns at a nearby gun show and shot something like 32 people, killing many of them. The fact that Virginia allows its residents to own handguns did NOTHING to prevent the massacre.



Similarly with the shooting in the movie theater in Aurora, CO a few years ago. Colorado law allows people to own handguns, I believe -- and yet when James Holmes opened fire in the theater, nobody stopped him. It's just not accurate or plausible to say that the Australian hostage event would have ended differently "if only" the Aussies got rid of their gun laws.



Original answer:



I'm not for banning ALL guns. My dad was a proud duck hunter, and loved his hunting rifle and his shotgun. I think Americans should have a right to own hunting rifles & shotguns, at least Americans in rural areas.



Here in the big city -- I live in Washington, DC -- I think even hunting rifles and shotguns probably need to be banned. Back in 1991, a crazy guy drove through my neighborhood shooting people at random with a shotgun, and killed 4 or 5 people this way for no good reason. If there is some way to prevent this via restrictions on gun ownership in urban areas, I might support it.



I also think maybe we should ban all handguns, especially handguns in cities. There are probably 10 or more people I know who've been killed by handguns in my neighborhood since the 1980s, some of them in drug trade-style executions, two or three in armed street robberies, and one who was killed by someone holding up a convenience store.



I think the US could reduce this kind of crime while still upholding the spirit of the Second Amendment if we banned all handgun ownership or at least all carrying of handguns in cities. Many frontier towns in the Wild West actually did ban the carrying of handguns inside city limits in the 1880s, and somehow the Constitution survived. I think we should think about imitating them.



THIS IS WRONG, WHAT I WROTE HERE -- Sorry about that. I'm embarrassed I blew this part of my answer so badly:



*** As for the Australian hostage situation -- didn't this one end with the police capturing the guy, without killing anyone? **



Contrast that with the all-too-common pattern here in the USA, where hostage situations often end with the police shooting & killing the hostage taker, and many of the hostages getting killed in the process.



OTOH, gun control in the US is a LOST CAUSE, because of the strength of the gun lobby and the NRA. Every time a mass shooting occurs, the gun lobby & NRA flood their supporters with dire warnings about the government supposedly being ready to confiscate "all guns." Then, sales of handguns & rifles usually increase, as paranoid gun owners rush to the stores to buy more weapons before the threatened federal crackdown occurs.



In other words, calls for "gun control" in the US usually succeed only in increasing gun industry sales.

I think Americans just need to get used to living in a savage & violent society, because nothing much can be done about this.



BUT -- Maybe the nation's proud gun owners will decline in numbers over time, partly as a result of rightwing gun nuts turning to their weapons in family disputes, so that armed husbands & wives end up killing one another & reducing the gun-owning population.

Answer 10

I m an American, so mind my opinion isn t extremely knowledgeable for your country.



However, I know the feeling of the people who are calling Australia s choices dumb. While I don t consider the decision dumb, I do think it is not in the best interest of the people.



If you outlaw guns, the only people to have guns will be outlaws. Similarly to drugs, making them illegal, doesn t make them unattainable. In the instance of the gentleman who held all of those people hostage, he was committing this crime with serious intent and conviction, not because he s insane (although, in my opinion, he was probably a bit insane too.)



A man that is DETERMINED to commit such a crime, will obtain a gun or any other weapon he sees fit, whether its legal or not. On the other hand, if one of the several hostages felt obliged to carry a gun, in case of self defense, then the hostage situation could have ended much differently.



Here in Florida, all citizens that complete a background check and a gun safety class are able to carry handguns on their person. While there is plenty of gun crimes here each year, plenty of crimes are also stopped by civilians that defend themselves.

Answer 11

Australia is dumb for banning guns, im an Australian who is very gun pro and believe that our gun rights are far to strict, having said that i dont believe psychos like the terrorist in Sydney shouldnt even get to look at a gun ever, im from Australia and i am currently doing everything i can to make the move to America where i much prefer it there, but each to there own! i wouldnt like down on someone who thinks guns are dangerous crazy things, everyone is entitled to their opinion, mine being guns are an amazing tool and great fun to shoot!

Answer 12

The only reason Sidney is such a big deal is because Ausies aren't gun crazy like the States. It is a proven fact that there are far fewer gun related crimes in countries that have stricter gun controls than the U.S. You don't hear about gun crimes in Japan, Canada, Great Brittan, and a lot of other gun banned countries where in the U.S. it is an everyday occurrence in every large city. There are more violent gun related crimes in L.A. on any one Saturday night then there are in the entire year in London! .

Answer 13

The Americans have been brainwashed by the gun manufacturers and the NRA to think it is a super duper idea to have as many guns as possible under every circumstance no matter how many of the silly buggers get shot because of it.

Australia has a lot less firearms related deaths than the USA so I think it is pretty obvious who has the best gun control policies.

Answer 14

if there is one thing americans are totaly right on it is their GUNS, because as soon as a man has no gun, he will be litteraly bullied to death as obvious as in that siege that happend 1 day ago. so, nobody tell me citizens should have guns !!!!! because if the ladies and gentlemen had guns in their pockets, they would have shoxot that terrorist animals a$$ and brain through that coffeeshop.



by the way, lindt is the best choclate, i just remember they did show the blue lindt label with the golden writing in the news report.



The Russian Army effed up chechenya real nicely and now those chechens ran of to fight those poor Kurds. in my opinion President Putin should drop a few nvkes on chechenya and do the same back to them !

Answer 15

It does not matter what I think the constitution has a right to bear arms. Now this as with every right is not absolute, so mentally ill folks, criminals and others can be banned from legally having guns. In a free society such bans don't always work well.

Answer 16

Who's to say that Australia has a guns society called Sovereign citizen movement? We are not filled with some crazy people who would even shoot dead a Chief's son. My deepest condolences to the officers shot dead

Answer 17

The home invasion rate skyrocketed the minute you banned guns. The violent crime rates went through the roof the minute you banned guns (banned for the law abiding). Now terrorists (who seem to be well armd despite the ban) are having free reign. Your blood should be boiling.

Answer 18

No you are not dumb for banning guns, too much gun violence is happening these days, and I believe that Australian army and police should be the only ones who should bare arms. My country on the other hand is the dumb one where we don't have a ban on guns and should keep guns to the army and police.

Answer 19

No Worries Mate. If guns were banned in Australia this bloke wouldn't have one.

Answer 20

they are entitled to their Opinion But Like most of what American say i flush



yesterday i was Told that i do Not Use a Debit card But a debt card well it is written Debit card and this Member of the USAF said i never Knew that



well he had a great day he learned something



I spent 38 years in 2 Air Forces was a Marksman a weapons specialist and Most of the people I taught should only be Licensed to own a water Pistol



and I believe the same goes for the USA Most are a Danger to themselves



But that is Only My Opinion

Answer 21

The siege in Sydney has ended with the deaths of three people-including the gunman.

I am absolutely sickened that people would use this tragedy as an excuse to push their political agenda.

Answer 22

...disarming the "people" is absolutely disastrous ! (Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Hugo Chavez, Castro, Kim Jung Un (and) other dictators would disagree with me ! In America, "we" have the RIGHT to keep and bear arms (and) that makes world Governments CRAZY ! (...the Japanese Admiral Nagumo once said... "we could never attack America, there is a gun behind every door". I carry a Fire-Arm because it's far to awkward and much to heave to carry a Police Officer around with me...I can respond to a personal or domestic emergency in about 3 seconds (when) it takes the Police about 15 to 20 minuets to respond to my call for help; when "seconds" count !

Answer 23

well..let's use our "thinking caps" on this for a moment, shall we?..Australia banned guns..how and where did the assailant GET his guns then?..and if the bad guy can ALWAYS get guns, why are you so adamant that law abiding citizens not have them as well?

Answer 24

Personally, every Nation should allow their citizens to decide for themselves on whether they should keep any firearms or not. I like weapons for Hunting and for defending myself from predators be they four legged or two legged; I don't really care much about what other peoples opinion are for my GOD given rights, simply because I don't know them nor do I care for any of their sissy concepts about taking my gun rights.

Answer 25

Seeing as the US has banned guns in every state apart from Texas.....I say don't follow in their footsteps

Answer 26

I think only the police should carry guns. Having the citizens carry them is just unsafe you see examples as nearly all the shooting that happen in America are from a citizen that has a gun.

Answer 27

American gun lobby "if everyone carried a gun it would lead to a safe society and nobody would ever get shot"



My reply (in a sarcastic voice) "of course, because during world war 1 and 2 everyone carried a gun and NOBODY got shot then"





Unfortunately the sarcasm is often lost on those gun lovers

Answer 28

i read a few years ago after the Gun ban that certain crimes. such as home invasion and.burglary increased dramatically in Australia ,I never knew whether this was true. As i don,t trust the media for accurate info, they have there own agenda.Depending on who is in office.

Answer 29

As I'm not an Australian citizen, what Australia does in its own country doesn't matter to me. Personally, I think guns should be legal every, but I have no right to tell people from other countries how to do things. What pisses me off is how my own government keeps going against our constitution...and not just when it comes to guns.

Answer 30

Most Americans don't know where Australia is. Gun nut Americans just repeat what their leaders say.

Answer 31

Australia is probably one of the safest countries on the planet, way way safer than even the lowest crime statistic in the US!!!



But Americans especially those on the right think only in the black and white terms, it wouldn't matter if there were a 100,000 people dying of gun violence in the US, these dumb bastards would still say the same thing!!!



And this is how literally screwed up the US is, they have only just been able to announce the appointment of the new surgeon general, after months and months of being blocked by the.....wait for it......NRA!!!! can you believe that???



But what else can we expect from the country that is trying to block universal health care, the country that still uses the system of measurement that the English invented for them, that they don't even use anymore!....LOL!!!

Answer 32

half the population of the U.S. has a low IQ. stupid people say stupid things. so stupid americans are stupid for calling australia dumb. guns aren't banned in the U.S. because the NRA is the gun dealers lobbying arm who shove money up U.S. polliticians *****

Answer 33

1

Answer 34

I'm an American living in Australia, and as much as it pains me to say this - YES, it was a horrible decision made to add heavier regulations to firearms. The crime rates have gone no-where but up, and I see, on a daily basis (in Western Australia), people having their houses broken into - WHEN THEY'RE AT HOME, no less - that have no way to defend themselves or their families. The incident in Sydney is only a symptom of the larger problem - Australians are clearly not safe, not until the laws change, at least.



And remember this: When SECONDS count, the police are MINUTES away.

Answer 35

I'm an American living in Australia, and as much as it pains me to say this - YES, it was a horrible decision made to add heavier regulations to firearms. The crime rates have gone no-where but up, and I see, on a daily basis (in Western Australia), people having their houses broken into - WHEN THEY'RE AT HOME, no less - that have no way to defend themselves or their families. The incident in Sydney is only a symptom of the larger problem - Australians are clearly not safe, not until the laws change, at least.



And remember this: When SECONDS count, the police are MINUTES away.

Answer 36

the dumbest od dumbest

Answer 37

Really don care what the American nutters think

Answer 38

Really don care what the American nutters think

Answer 39

Oh boy convicts on a convict island.

Answer 40

Oh boy convicts on a convict island.

Answer 41

Oh boy convicts on a convict island.

Answer 42

I am an American myself and I actually believe compared to Australia, we look pretty stupid. I mean sure, there are probably some set backs for some people (sorry I don't know much about your constitutions and situation in Australia) but all-in-all I think it's a good decisions. We have shooting very often and many innocent people are dying from it..They talk about gun laws every time there is a shooting, but move on to a different topic a few weeks later. It's ridiculous, and the fact that Australia has managed to actually ban them over there? *claps* Bravo to you guys.

Answer 43

Oh boy convicts on a convict island.

Answer 44

you know who is dumb? the Americans. smh typical

Answer 45

In other words, calls for "gun control" in the US usually succeed only in increasing gun industry sales.

I think Americans just need to get used to living in a savage & violent society, because nothing much can be done about this.

Answer 46

the dumbest od dumbest

Answer 47

We are not dumb at all for banning guns. If you look at the hostage situation rationally - yes the gunman found a weapon, there are mad man in the world and this is going to happen regardless. But if we did not ban guns in this country, the gun man could have possibly found a lot more powerful weapons than the one he used and the situation could have been a lot more gruesome. As for the whole - everyone has the right to bare arms in their defense. Stupid! The right to bare arms also increases everyones chances of being shot dead, and if you actually look at the statistics regarding the crime rate and guns you will find that Australia is a much safer place.

Answer 48

Australia should know that at this time we here in Britain reach out to you, our brothers and sisters. We are a long way off, but we keep you in our hearts always.



Take this piece of advice from Coco Chanel RIP feisty fashionista who once said, "I don't care what people think of me, I never think of them." Or, put it another way, "I don't care what the Americans think, I never think of them."



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rErvPnd-2E





Australian work hard and play hard - a winning team in everything they do.



Here in UK Australians are held in very high esteem.





London UK

Answer 49

As I'm not an Australian citizen, what Australia does in its own country doesn't matter to me. Personally, I think guns should be legal every, but I have no right to tell people from other countries how to do things. What pisses me off is how my own government keeps going against our constitution...and not just when it comes to guns.

Answer 50

There are some who would take this incident as proof that Australians should all be armed. That we should all be clutching our guns in terror. That's what the terrorists want! That would be letting the terrorists win!



Terrorists don't want to kill everyone in the Western World, they want to kill a few of us and so terrify the rest. At the moment the terrorists are succeeding in their goal because every time they attack, us westerners react in terror.



Just like how when the freedom hating terrorists attacked on September the 11th, Americans reacted in terror and enacted the Patriot Act to reduce Americans freedom. If September the 11th was an attack of freedom then it was certainly successful because it resulted in a reduction of freedom, just like the freedom hating terrorists wanted.



If after this terrorist attack in Sydney we Australians all armed ourselves, would the terrorists be frightened of our guns? No. The terrorists would be congratulating each other because they would see it as a sign that they had been successful in terrifying us.



On the internet there's a rule, don't feed the trolls. Trolls try to provoke people and when you react in outrage, you're giving the trolls want they wanted. It's the same for terrorists. Terrorists are like trolls. If you arm to the teeth you're giving them the reaction they want. Terrorists are not afraid to attack armed people.



To beat the terrorists you must show no fear. To show no fear you must realize that terrorists can't kill all of us Westerners. They can kill less than one percent of one percent of us. If you go out today you're more likely to be killed by lightning than terrorists, yet you don't live in constant fear of lighting do you? The laws of probability say we are safe from terrorists.

Answer 51

Australia Dumb? Far from it my friends, lets not all get hype over an unfortunate situation that made international attention. Keep your gun laws, you do not need to be another USA, here in Quebec we are screaming for the restoration of our gun register, which the feds thought to demolish.



We had the two unfortunate incidents recently with the deaths of two servicemen, and earlier in the year three RCMP officers. We need more or strengthened national gun laws, not watered down laws.



For the stupid yank that questioned your gun laws, when was the last time innocent children were gunned down in a place of learning in Australia. When was the last time people enjoying a movie at a cinema were gunned down in Australia, shall I go on with the examples?

Answer 52

the dumbest od dumbest

Answer 53

No Worries Mate. If guns were banned in Australia this bloke wouldn't have one.

Answer 54

Who wants to turn into America?



Their gun death rate is HUGE.



And to rub salt into that wound, their mass shootings is huge (like 14 a year or something?)... Blows the theory if others had guns it would keep people safe... If that was the case, they wouldn't have the constant mass shootings....

Answer 55

This baffles me. There have been dozens (maybe even hundreds) of mass shootings in the US, and only two in Australia that I know of since the gun law reform. One hostage situation does not change that fact. You know what difference legal gun ownership would've made? It likely would have resulted in scared civilians with no mental or physical training firing shots out of pure fear. And a whole lot more than two people would be dead.

Answer 56

Most aussies hid their guns. If you think we all turned them into the government you are wrong.

Answer 57

Which Americans? I'm American and never made such a statement.

Answer 58

Government policy that needs to change as in the United States we have a bit more freedom however, may not be as safe depending on how our guns are used.

Answer 59

Things to think about: American citizens are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights to have and possess firearms IF their rights have not been suspended due to criminal conviction or by order of a recognized court of law.



Now, that does not mean a person can own a belt fed machinegun or other fully automatic weapon. You can own these weapons if a federal background check is conducted and a stiff tax paid per weapon. (Only automatic weapons manufactured prior to 1986 are allowed)



Not all weapons are allowed in all states. A few states highly regulate military style semi-auto weapons. Some states also restrict magazine capacity. Many states allow open carry of side arms and/or concealed carry of side arms with proper license. I am a resident of a state (Alabama) which allows open carry of firearms yet I can truthfully say that I have NEVER observed anyone carrying a side arm in the open. Alabama allows carry of concealed side arms when permitted by the county in which a person resides. I know plenty of people who carry concealed firearms but the average person would never know it.



I probably own 40 different firearms from military style assault weapons to .58 caliber flintlocks and pistols and revolvers of all sizes. My thoughts concerning weapons are as follows; I wish that firearms had never been invented and that we were all still using crossbows and swords. That being said if that were the case we would be debating the banning of the crossbow in favor of a conventional bow.



If the banning of firearms in Australia works for Australians then I am all for it. Banning firearms in America would never work because no one would surrender them. An attempt to confiscate them would lead to a civil war (I'm not kidding, I am as serious as a heart attack). The local law enforcement would not enforce such a law and anyone brought into an area to enforce it would suffer so many casualties it would become impractical to continue.



Consider this; Australia is a country of what, 15,000,000 souls? The Continental US is home to around 315,000,000. A considerable portion of that number own firearms and not just one firearm. The demographics of the two countries are considerably different. The US has an extremely diverse population with several of these ethnic/minority groups being unproportionately violent. You can read what you want into the prior statement but unfortunately it's true. In the city of Chicago alone there are about 400 murders per year committed by one minority against themselves. With 18% of the population of the US they account for more than half the violent crime.



To sum it up, I am not giving up my right to defend myself when it can be correctly assumed the law breakers will never give up their weapons.

Answer 60

Oh boy convicts on a convict island.

Answer 61

Certainly. An armed civilian society is a sure way to protect the citizens from tyranny. While there are plenty of real life examples in America where a legally armed citizen prevented a disaster and stopped a bad guy. That doesn't mean that the opportunity is always there, but it's better than zero chances.

Answer 62

When was the last time an armed American citizen ended an armed hostage situation in the US?

I can't recall any, let alone any recent examples.

It's always US cops responding to hostage situations and resolving them one way or another.

For all America's bragging about guns, Americans rarely use them to play hero and save the day.

Answer 63

Australia is the only country where their banning has had a positive effect. My best guess as to why is it's cultural history. It's been pretty segregated from a few centuries of wards dominated by other continents. What the future holds is uncertain but it's a wild card when talking about the effects of banned guns. Everywhere else it has had a very BAD effect on society statistically with increased crime.

Answer 64

First, you cannot speak for nor about all Americans nor Australians - no one can , not even other American's nor Australians and for or against guns ... it is all BS , just follow the money, it has nothing to do with any one caring about any one or any thing in Life it's about the power, control, money and votes it brings to others ... Criminals don't care about LAWS or LIFE !

Answer 65

Guns would not have done anything, and could have created a worse situation than we have now. Our police are well trained to deal with this kind of situation, unlike their US counterparts who have a habit of panicking and killing the wrong people.

Answer 66

as an American I do not understand Americans love of guns ..I review most things with 3 parts INTENT MOTIVE ...AGENDA.....i feel the gun culture is fueled by the gun lobby ....fueled by the gun makers ...and they prey on emotions and play up they fear the loss of gun rights ...i say we don't take your guns but to regulate its use ..like driving privileges ..have regulations and many other things

Answer 67

Who cares what they think - we are a very safe society ; far far safer than the USA. We dont have gun toting religious loonies or murderous police

I doubt most Americans could find Australia on a map



"Collateral damage may take place but better than what is happening" of course , precious - who cares if civilians die as well , as long as its spectacular for you



Run along now & let one of the other patients play with the computer

Answer 68

Well there are some here who ranted about us having any involvement in what's happening in the middle east & wouldn't accept that this sort of thing would ever happen here.



Well guess what folks , welcome to our new world !

Answer 69

Compared to the US where this thing happens all the time because they legalised guns. Lol i call Bull on the statement "land of the brave"

Answer 70

I used to say Cop are tops but unfortunately today in this siege cops are not tops for not using their guns. They just wanna talk. Rubbish in my eyes.

Answer 71

If you make a law that bans guns, only the people who break the law will have them.

Answer 72

yes.i think that you should have guns..but I am not going to talk **** about you your country for banning them because I honestly don't know enough about Australian culture....I'm an American, and regardless of what other americans might say.....having guns would not have prevented this...

Answer 73

Most Australians that I know here. Not in Austraia here. Say it is one of the worst things they ever allowed to happen to Austrailia and its people. The banning of guns for personal use. Most buy a gun a here for home and target use here.

Answer 74

No one in America gives a bucket of warm spit what you have or don't have down under we really don't care

Answer 75

Those who are not citizens of the U.S.A. have no rights nor business even in expressing opinions about our gun laws or anything else about how our nation is run.

That rule holds true for those who are not citizens of Australia. We who are not citizens of that beautiful land have no right or business in expressing opinions about Australian laws and operations.

Answer 76

Yes. Every free citizen is entitled to armed self-defense

Answer 77

yes why did Howard ban them in the first place? because of ONE "lone nut" back in 1994 . I smell a rat

Answer 78

The gunman in question PROVES, that any twisted , sick, fool in Australia can get a gun, after all, someone supplied his to him, ---

Answer 79

Oh boy convicts on a convict island.

Answer 80

this is just another staged aussie FALSEFLAG event

the US bosses were here just a couple of weeks ago to give them instructions

they must have so-called media terrorist to justify the existence of their stupid policies

ISIS is a media invention--what happened to AL-CIADA-all the same connected crap

from the new world order

Abbott is just a fascist puppet

Aussies don't need this crap-sack the government get a new one

Answer 81

Oh boy convicts on a convict island.

Answer 82

Nah, Australians are awesome!

Answer 83

Well coming from them that has to be a complement!!!!!!!!! The Dumbest country on EARTH!!!!

Answer 84

Did you rape is more rampant in Australia than in the US

Answer 85

I think americans are dumb for not banning! why do you think there are so many thugs in america? Come ON!

Answer 86

Who do you work for Jennifer ?

Answer 87

dont need guns here ,only create more idiot s to shoot

Answer 88

You don't just kill him, you interrogate him you stupid bloody yanks pack of wankers shoot shoot shoot...

Answer 89

It is really not our place to tell others how to run their affairs,

Answer 90

the dumbest od dumbest

Answer 91

Liberals are totally irrational.

Answer 92

There are plenty of smart Yanks who support gun control but don't have a noisy well-funded industry organisation to back them up. I'd say they are the silent majority. They would applaud the level of gun control we enjoy here.

Answer 93

they are dumb

Answer 94

What is happening now is what the resident stooges have been bleating on about never happening in Australia. And I wish our authorities would deal with this situation like the Americans would have done = hours ago!



Why are we pu$$y-footing about and closing our biggest city down because of one nutter. More than six hours now, why don't police take this person out with a sniper rifle. I can't believe how long this is taking.



Collateral damage may take place but better than what is happening. The way things are going, maybe getting Mossad in to deal with it may bring the situation to an earlier than what we can do..

Answer 95

Australians are dumbs.

Answer 96

Only the republican half.

Answer 97

In 2011 the US lost 8583 people to gun violence. That's 25 people a day.



You know how many Australia lost in the whole year to gun violence?



188.



Australia lost as many in one year as the US lost in a week.



They can keep their stupid guns. We don't want them and we don't need them.