Bondi Beach Sun 🚫 Kansas City Guns
The Australian State of Origin has all the violence you will ever need. But, earlier this year Andscape wrote about how American the shooting of 14 adults and ten children at the Kansas City Super Bowl parade was. Imagine that happening in Australia? It could, if gun nuts get their way. Gun nuts — those who like guns — are not good people. 👎
Australian 🇦🇺 State of Play 🫵
- Our gun lobby is comparable to America's — when compared per capita.
- Like America — misinformation from gun nuts is rife.
- Gun groups have made over $2 million 💰 AUD in political donations.
- Kook Bob Katter’s Australian Party has been the biggest beneficiary.
- Political donations are screened by industry like tobacco — but not guns.
- The gun lobby is gun profiteering manufacturers and importers.
- The gun lobby's goal is to dismantle laws that keep Australians safe.
America had 656 mass shootings (defined as having four or more victims) in 2023 — killing and maiming thousands. While gun death is an American tradition it's not one of Australia's … Oh, well, sorry, actually … 😬
While gun violence — mass murder and mayhem — is an Australian tradition it should not be allowed to continue. We can stop this — otherwise we're living in the USA! 🇺🇸 And fuck that! 🤨
So, while god-fearing 'Mericans wait for life-saving legislation that never lands — Australians can do something about it — permanently. America has lots of guns and more guns mean more gun deaths.
In stark contrast to America, it only took two weeks after Port Arthur for Australia's Police Ministers to reach the National Firearms Agreement — a national approach setting out minimum standards for possession of guns. And while it's not perfect it's a lot fucking safer for Australians than without it!
Firearms possession and use is a privilege that is conditional on the overriding need to ensure public safety. Australia's National Firearms Agreement.
Following these national gun reforms, there were no mass shootings (in Australia, defined as six or more victims) until 2018 — 22 years later and that by yet another fucking licensed shooter — another fucking gun nut …
The imaginary right to fucking shoot shall never outweigh the absolute fucking right ✋ not to be shot.
Typical American 🇺🇸 Stats 🫵
Below are stats from just one American state's (Washington) annual gun violence (and this is only the 40th highest rate of gun violence — out of 50):
- 781 people are killed by guns annually — 10.2 deaths per 100,000.
- A person is killed by a gun every 12 hours.
- Over 75 per cent of gun deaths are suicides.
- Guns are the leading cause of death of children.
- Gun violence costs an average $5.3 billion annually.
- 34 per cent of residents have a firearm at home.
- 36 per cent of those in gun-owning homes practice safe storage.
- 179 people have been shot & killed by local police since 2015.
- More people are killed by guns than by car accidents.
The Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia (SIFA), the peak body for Australia’s five largest firearms suppliers, spends roughly the same amount of money … on political campaigning as the National Rifle Association (the NRA) does in the United States. The Australia Institute.
Guns are fucked and people who like guns are even more fucked. Every week a new Greg Lynn (who was licensed for seven) appears on police radar.
In NSW there has been a massive increase in the number guns. Things have gotten so bad (people have such short memories 😱) that even people with histories of mental illness such as schizophrenia and violent and threatening behaviour have been granted licenses over police objections.
The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal should not be able to review guns denied to individuals by police — they're not qualified to make these types of life threatening decisions.
The number of registered firearms in NSW increased from around one million in 2020 by over 110,000 at the start of 2024. Some Sydney suburbs are fucking chock-full of guns — why? At least 10,000 more people got gun licences during Covid — there are now over 250,000 registered shooters — why? Who the fuck are these cunts? What do they want with all this firepower?
Plus, police claims that the use and possession of firearms in NSW is ‘strictly controlled’ are specious political speak — in 2023 7000 more people listed ‘sport target shooting’ as why they need to access guns. It doesn't matter whether or not the majority use weapons ‘responsibly’ — it's the risk!
Even if they're not killing their wives, children and ex-girlfriends, they're killing themselves even more frequently by suicide … South-west Sydney, alone, has at least 10,000 firearms! 😰
State of Origin — some of the best rugby league in the world — is always fast and exiting — and game one is in the QLD 😡 😂 bag! And what about last year's NRL grand final!? Now, compare all that with the USA's beloved NFL and their national state of gun violence terror … lest we fucking forget.
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