You're funny. People who think that rights come from government telling us they have more rights than we do.
The right to bear arms doesn't give me freedom, it is the right that ensure that freedom is not taken away from me. Like freedom of speech, that we cherish here in US, and you Aussies don't have. You do have something called "implied right for political speech" that is giving you some kind of impression of free speech, but it's not, and by your own constitution can be taken away.
You missed the point of my post completely, you saw I mentioned Switzerland and Russia, and completely disregarded the contest of their mention in your rant that, by the way, ignored mentioning of Germany or Sweden. So go back and read it again, with some comprehension, if possible and come back with another reply that's not obnoxious and actually address my post. Can you do that... mate?
But that's the laughable part. You think you having arms gives you freedom. Yeah, as the F16 blows up your house as you point your shotgun at him - that'll work. Not.
You talk semantics, not reality. When Helen Clark was Prime Minister in NZ somebody appeared at her political rally with the T-Shirt saying "Helen you suck" or something along those lines. What happened? Nothing. The person was ignored and laughed at. In the US? You get frog marched out or punched in the head. There is a lot more freedom of speech in NZ or Australia than there is in the US. Hell, you've got a president who CONSTANTLY lies all the time and you are okay with that. And he calls the truth, even when there is irrefutable evidence of otherwise, Fake News. And you are okay with that. Please, don't preach to me how much more 'free' you are when that is patently not true in any way, shape or form.
In NZ you have name suppression in court contentious cases in case the charges are found to be frivolous and untrue. It protects the innocent. If found guilty, the name is published for all to see. In the US? You are perp marched (especially if you are famous) the day you are arrested whether you are guilty or not. People's lives and careers are ruined just so an elected official (the DA) can be seen to be doing his/her job instead of caring if a person is guilty or not. Yeah, great judicial system! not...
Don't play semantics. Spit it out with regard to Russia and Switzerland. What did you mean?
Your second can be taken away too. It's called an amendment.
No dunce, that is not what I think, that's what your opinion is. I already told you twice, and you still beating the same drum. Here is one more time, maybe this time will get thru...
The right to bear arms doesn't give me freedom, it is the right that ensure that freedom is not taken away from me. Unlike leftist collectivists, we Americans like our individual rights, and the right to bear arms, just like freedom of speech, are few of the most important. The purpose of the government is to secure our individual rights, and not to take them away. But how would you know that, when you don't have it.
In NZ and Australia we have this, and you in US have this... riiiiiight. You don't have constitutionally protected free speech, and what you call "free political speech" is given to you by the government, meaning that they can take it away. Like they did to people who were protesting duck hunting.
America was created from a culture of self-defense. Australia mindset is more like "the government will protect me." To become independent, we had brutal war, unlike "down under" who were not invaded, attacked or occupied, and in a way, still bowing to British crown. Our histories are different, therefore our Constitution, that unlike any other limits government, not people, and attachment to our guns.
Did your gun laws lowered crime rate? Violent murder rate dropped a little, and that's it. All the other, like manslaughter, sexual assault, kidnapping, armed robbery, remain near or above pre gun control rates. During the same period, the violent crime rate in US also dropped, but without gun control, meaning that gun control in Australia wasn't the only reason for drop in murder rate. Congrats, you made it. You cut gun related suicides by half, while suicide rate remained at all time high.
From 2015:
Australia Sees Spike in Gun Crime Despite Outright Ban
Charges for crimes involving firearms have increased dramatically across the island nation's localities in the past decade according to an analysis of government statistics
conducted by The New Daily. It found that gun crimes have spiked dramatically in the Australian states of Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania. In Victoria, pistol-related offenses doubled over the last decade. In New South Wales, they tripled. The other states saw smaller but still significant increases.
You gotta love your gun control. Keep it.
