I must admit I'm feeling quite stunned today. Twelve months ago, almost to the day, our family was in Las Vegas visiting with friends. We walked the strip, and took the monorail from Luxor to Mandalay Bay - so the scene of today's tragedy is etched in our memories.
I am not a gun person. As a farmer I own several firearms which we use for vermin control and occassionally for a bit of target practice. There are others in our business who have a passion for guns as a sport, are members of pistol clubs and have represented their clubs, regions and state as skilled sportsman - and we have supported them and been proud of what they have achieved. But it would be fair to say that Australia does not have a gun culture, at least not like our American counterparts. After the Port Arthur massacre occurred in 1996, the gun buyback scheme was put in place and serious restrictions were placed on owning firearms (especially high powered and automatic weapons). This was generally accepted by Australian society and there has not been a mass shooting in Australia since that day. It would be fair to say that Australians in general are shaking their heads in disbelief today and cannot fathom how American society continues to allow the purchase, ownership and use of weapons which have led to the gun massacres we continue to see. All we hear in the Australian media is that it doesnt make sense, that surely now they will see the light and gun laws will change - that sanity will now prevail.
We have a lot of friends in the USA, and many of them own a lot of guns, carry them on their person, and are strong advocates for the right to bear arms. As non Americans it is easy for us to make judgements and decide that they are wrong in their approach. But maybe we also need to step into their shoes to try and understand the culture in which they feel guns are not only a right, but a neccessity. America is a country which had to fight for its right to be an independant nation, and enshrined in its bill of rights is the right to bear arms in order to protect their families - as well as to overpower the government if they are downtrodden. And because of this, the amount of firearms in American society is literally so huge that the arguement is that taking them away from law abiding citizens will create a huge imbalance and anarchy will rule. Sadly, it has become a society where a lot of people dont feel safe UNLESS they carry a gun.
We have a friend from the USA who came and did a harvest with us a few years ago. He was about to become engaged to a lovely lady who is now a good friend of our family as well. I remember over breakfast one morning he said to me that he would love to bring his girlfriend to Australia to live and work for a couple years after they were married, but he could never do it. Why? He said, "I know it sounds stupid, the words seem crazy as they come out of my mouth, and I know Australia is the safest country in the world - but if I were not able to carry a weapon I just wouldn't feel comfortable. I would not feel I was able to protect my family". This is one of my lifelong friends, a person of great integrity, a law abiding upstanding community person who I would put my life in the hands of without batting an eyelid. He wouldnt feel safe or able to protect his family unless he could carry a gun.
We can be judgemental about this attitude, or we can try and put ourselves in their shoes and be understanding. It was this family we were in Las Vegas with last year, and on one of the days they took me to a gun shop for a look. It was owned by an ex cop, and I questioned them all on their attitudes to gun control and the differences between laws in different states. We talked about what would happen if Australian type gun laws and a compulsary gun buyback were implemented in the USA, and they shuddered. Because, in their view there were so many unregistered guns in the USA, and there is no way that the 'baddies' were going to be handing anything in - so how could they ever protect themselves or their families. While they admitted it sounds crazy, their answer is to own more guns. These are good, decent people who provided unemotional and rational arguements which they believe in their hearts - and it was hard to argue against them because what they said seemed to make sense. The gun shop owner said that gun sales skyrocketed each time there was a major incident. While we in Australia may be thinking that surely, now, Americans will realise they need to make changes - I heard today in the news that once again gun sales are going gangbusters following the Vegas incident.
I don't know the answer, and will never pretend I do. Things certainly are not getting better, as recent events have shown. But its not as simple as taking the guns away from everyone they know has one and expecting the problem to go away. It may in fact make it worse - and that is the big fear.
I am glad I live in Australia, and I agree with our guns policy and feel it has helped make us one of the safest places in the world - because it suited us. I don't fully 'get' the attitude of our American friends, but I am not in their shoes and have not been brought up as part of their culture - so it is not up to me to decide how they should tackle this. I can only try and understand why they feel the way they do, and try to walk in their shoes as they feel their need to protect and feel safe in an insecure world. I can only share with them my own views and experiences from a country in which I feel safe, but maybe others don't.
Let's not forget this is a country in mourning at the moment. They have suffered a huge tragedy, and they are struggling for answers. Our condemnation and taking the high moral ground will not help. Hopefully our love and support for our fellow human beings will.
I am not a gun person. As a farmer I own several firearms which we use for vermin control and occassionally for a bit of target practice. There are others in our business who have a passion for guns as a sport, are members of pistol clubs and have represented their clubs, regions and state as skilled sportsman - and we have supported them and been proud of what they have achieved. But it would be fair to say that Australia does not have a gun culture, at least not like our American counterparts. After the Port Arthur massacre occurred in 1996, the gun buyback scheme was put in place and serious restrictions were placed on owning firearms (especially high powered and automatic weapons). This was generally accepted by Australian society and there has not been a mass shooting in Australia since that day. It would be fair to say that Australians in general are shaking their heads in disbelief today and cannot fathom how American society continues to allow the purchase, ownership and use of weapons which have led to the gun massacres we continue to see. All we hear in the Australian media is that it doesnt make sense, that surely now they will see the light and gun laws will change - that sanity will now prevail.
We have a lot of friends in the USA, and many of them own a lot of guns, carry them on their person, and are strong advocates for the right to bear arms. As non Americans it is easy for us to make judgements and decide that they are wrong in their approach. But maybe we also need to step into their shoes to try and understand the culture in which they feel guns are not only a right, but a neccessity. America is a country which had to fight for its right to be an independant nation, and enshrined in its bill of rights is the right to bear arms in order to protect their families - as well as to overpower the government if they are downtrodden. And because of this, the amount of firearms in American society is literally so huge that the arguement is that taking them away from law abiding citizens will create a huge imbalance and anarchy will rule. Sadly, it has become a society where a lot of people dont feel safe UNLESS they carry a gun.
We have a friend from the USA who came and did a harvest with us a few years ago. He was about to become engaged to a lovely lady who is now a good friend of our family as well. I remember over breakfast one morning he said to me that he would love to bring his girlfriend to Australia to live and work for a couple years after they were married, but he could never do it. Why? He said, "I know it sounds stupid, the words seem crazy as they come out of my mouth, and I know Australia is the safest country in the world - but if I were not able to carry a weapon I just wouldn't feel comfortable. I would not feel I was able to protect my family". This is one of my lifelong friends, a person of great integrity, a law abiding upstanding community person who I would put my life in the hands of without batting an eyelid. He wouldnt feel safe or able to protect his family unless he could carry a gun.
We can be judgemental about this attitude, or we can try and put ourselves in their shoes and be understanding. It was this family we were in Las Vegas with last year, and on one of the days they took me to a gun shop for a look. It was owned by an ex cop, and I questioned them all on their attitudes to gun control and the differences between laws in different states. We talked about what would happen if Australian type gun laws and a compulsary gun buyback were implemented in the USA, and they shuddered. Because, in their view there were so many unregistered guns in the USA, and there is no way that the 'baddies' were going to be handing anything in - so how could they ever protect themselves or their families. While they admitted it sounds crazy, their answer is to own more guns. These are good, decent people who provided unemotional and rational arguements which they believe in their hearts - and it was hard to argue against them because what they said seemed to make sense. The gun shop owner said that gun sales skyrocketed each time there was a major incident. While we in Australia may be thinking that surely, now, Americans will realise they need to make changes - I heard today in the news that once again gun sales are going gangbusters following the Vegas incident.
I don't know the answer, and will never pretend I do. Things certainly are not getting better, as recent events have shown. But its not as simple as taking the guns away from everyone they know has one and expecting the problem to go away. It may in fact make it worse - and that is the big fear.
I am glad I live in Australia, and I agree with our guns policy and feel it has helped make us one of the safest places in the world - because it suited us. I don't fully 'get' the attitude of our American friends, but I am not in their shoes and have not been brought up as part of their culture - so it is not up to me to decide how they should tackle this. I can only try and understand why they feel the way they do, and try to walk in their shoes as they feel their need to protect and feel safe in an insecure world. I can only share with them my own views and experiences from a country in which I feel safe, but maybe others don't.
Let's not forget this is a country in mourning at the moment. They have suffered a huge tragedy, and they are struggling for answers. Our condemnation and taking the high moral ground will not help. Hopefully our love and support for our fellow human beings will.
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