As an American and former Special Forces in the US Army I have to say you’re right, there are a small vocal group of gun nuts in our country (many belong to the right-wing NRA) who have got enough US politicians around the balls to make sure the will of the majority of Americans to have common sense gun laws doesn’t see the light of day. We’re all sick of the BS we see from the nutty right wing GOP and Trump but all I can do is vote. Sorry.
As a Canadian, it’s heartening to read your view. In England I grew up with shotguns in the house. My father liked pheasant, duck, goose shooting. They had to be registered with the police, in a locked cabinet, with the cartridges stored elsewhere. I remember the police coming to the house to check. The situation in the States seems to have gotten completely out of control and it’s very scary. As you say, all you can do is vote and encourage everyone else to do the sensible thing. Yesterday’s tragedy in Georgia could have been avoided if, years ago, America had reacted as Australia did.
Everyone has turned into Snowflakes, no one has a backbone anymore. Get a grip, drugs and alcohol kill more people every second than a gun ever will and drugs are available on EVERY street corner in every city in America. Know your statistics.
No, it's NOT like saying that. It's like saying, ban smoking for a decade then we'll revisit this gun issue. Because we need to stomp out all the many things that kill more first.
Seriously. All issues need to be resolved. But clearly in the video it shows how EASILY the "minimal" deaths as you put it. The supposedly insignificant deaths as you put it... they could be avoided. SIMPLY by getting rid of the stupid guns. Sure. Stupid people will still be stupid and they'll find a way to hurt people, but at the same level an automatic gun offers!!!
It's a simple solution... sadly until Trump and his minions bugger off, i can't see this ever happening. Too many stupid people!
And as far as the drugs and alcohol. Yes they are a bigger problem that also, isn't being ignore. But that isn't a damn excuse to justify leaving the automatic guns blatantly available for the stupid people to go and shoot children!!!
Fixing the drug and alcohol problem is an entirely separate issue that we can only hold hope for the future of. Governments could choose to make a difference with this also!
How did getting rid of guns help the little girls that were hacked and stabbed to death? Should we also get rid of knives?
According to FBI statistics, in 2022 there were 665 killed with personal weapons ‘hands, feet, fists’, 1,630 killed with knives, 7,936 killed with handguns, and 541 killed with rifles.
In 2021, 54% of all gun-related deaths in the U.S. were suicides (26,328), while 43% were murders (20,958), according to the CDC. The remaining gun deaths that year were accidental (549), involved law enforcement (537) or had undetermined circumstances (458).
They aren't "stupid", they're mentally ill, unbalanced, SICK! Hope is only a word, not a solution. Get rid of any and all guns, knives, baseball bats, etc...and you will still have murders because there will always be sick people. I will not continue to argue with people that only see one side of the problem.
You mention drugs, Jesus visit America every 5 minutes in advert breaks they advertise legal fucking drugs?!? WTF?!
The legal ones are what people get hooked on mostly…. Then when they don’t do the job they go to the illegal ones!!!
It’s a perpetual circle of humans screwing themselves by corporate greed, because in America greed is good🤦🏼♂️
I’d rather be poor and happy, oh and sometimes I use medicinal herbs let’s say due to my health problem as I trust that a whole lot more than the shite doctors have given me which have left me a dribbling mess and unable to function at all!!!
Fixing the drug problem is easy America should admit they let the shit in to keep poor people poor, look into it!
And legalise drugs that are safe like most countries are doing with let’s say cannabis it isn’t a bloody “gateway” drug as you’re not going to go from that to bloody heroin, and oxy and various other legal drugs are just mild heroin….
It’s called take responsibility for YOUR ACTIONS and bloody adult FFS!
I guess if guns are outlawed school shootings will turn into school druggings? Is that what you say? Making sure kids cannot get their hands on assault rifles has to be something that any sane person can see the benefit of.
To be fair, there are increased incidents with knives in countries that have restricted guns. We have always had access to firearms here in the U.S, but there is a correlation between the increase in mass shootings and mental health/societal issues that always gets overlooked. We will never solve anything until the two can be rationally discussed and devolve into throwing shit on each other like a bunch of Chimps. The political environment in the U.S is toxic AF, and divisive as ever, just the way the powerful like it. Until that changes, no real change will happen
Sadly some humans that are messed up in the head more often than not due to backgrounds, will always find a way to cause injury to others, mostly younger people (mostly men!) but a knife whilst dangerous isn’t something that can kill 100’s in seconds by a NUTJOB!
Indeed, although it still doesn't change the fact that it's a mental societal cause and effect. You can Explosives sure can do a lot of damage in a split second. The methods are interchangeable
Not even a little bit helpful. When I read that attitude, it pushes me the other way. Read the comment from former the Special Forces person. That’s well thought out, (not just repeating incendiary rhetoric) kind and helpful.
For white, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native children, car accidents remain the leading cause of death. Cancer has been the leading cause of death in Asian or Pacific Islander children since 2010.
For black kids, it’s guns being fired by black people. Fix that!
That's the "fallacy of relative privation". Like Mike said - because one thing causes a bigger issue than another, is not a reason to dismiss that other thing. Fewer people die in cars since 1970 - does that mean we should stop improving motor vehicle safety? "Know your stats" is a totally irrelevant point, regardless of which side of the discussion any of us are on.
As an MP in the Army I investigated a tragic collision between a car and a 6 year old boy that ran out between two cars. We pulled the data, and he was doing 18 mph when he hit the brakes just an instant prior to impact. The speed limit in the housing area was 25.
Despite what we did on scene, and the doctors in the ER, the little boy died. The young soldier was absolutely devastated.
My point is that it’s out of our control. Our planet is spinning at 1,037mph, traveling around the sun at 67,100 mph, and through the universe at 447,000 mph. Nothing we can do will stop what we don’t have control of.
When will people realize that it isn't the guns, it's the mentally ill people wielding them. Fentanyl kills more people every second than guns have for centuries, excluding casualties of war.
When will people realize that it’s the access to guns that is the problem. Yes, most mass killings are perpetrated by the mentally ill, but if they had no easy access to guns the United States wouldn’t have the problems it does now.
I would have liked for everyone here to have been with me the last time I purchased a gun for hunting. I was at the Gun Shop for over 4 hours and then had to come back the next day and wait another 2 1/2 hours before I could actually leave the shop with my new purchase. The ONLY easy access is kids getting into their father's gun cabinets because you cannot go into a store and just buy a gun. It isn't that "EASY." Only fools leave guns lying around without safety locks on them or storing them in a gun safe. And like I commented earlier, I cannot continue to debate with people that are one sided.
I agree that mental illness is a serious issue that needs targeted attention and improved support. Enhanced mental health care is essential for addressing many societal problems, including violence. However, it's also important to recognize that mental illness and gun ownership intersect in complex ways. Some individuals who are struggling with mental health issues may also be gun owners, and they might not always acknowledge their condition or its potential impact on their behavior.
Moreover, I’ve observed that many gun owners who consider themselves responsible and well-informed often display concerning safety practices. For example, at shooting ranges or while hunting, these individuals might boast about their expertise and responsibility, yet their actions sometimes suggest otherwise. This discrepancy raises concerns about how mental health issues and a lack of self-awareness can affect gun safety.
Addressing this issue effectively requires a holistic approach. We need to improve mental health support and awareness, while also ensuring that gun ownership comes with appropriate safeguards and responsibility. This includes having systems in place to support individuals who may be struggling and ensuring that all gun owners are mindful of and manage potential risks, including those related to mental health.
Being a responsible gun owner means not only following safety practices but also being aware of and addressing any mental health challenges that could impact one’s behavior. Policies that integrate mental health care with firearm safety regulations would help address these nuanced issues and enhance overall safety.
In essence, while mental illness is a critical factor, it's also crucial to recognize how mental health intersects with gun ownership and safety practices. By fostering a culture of responsibility and openness regarding mental health, we can work towards reducing risks and ensuring safer practices for everyone.
Would you be opposed to gun laws that state parents must lock up their guns if they have children, and if they are found not to have done so, there is some sort of punishment? Jail or a fine? And how would you actually police that without people getting pissed off that the government is visiting their home unannounced or however they do it?
What about parents that give their children guns like with the case in Atlanta?
The thing is, is that people want to at least TRY and do something about this horrific issue that mainly happens in America. So enhancing gun laws would be a way to target the issue. It might not be the ONLY way, or it might be just a piece in a larger puzzle. But people only push back against the idea of any sort of gun regulations and don’t fight for other solutions. And by “fight” I don’t mean just mentioning other solutions as a counter argument, but actively push to make meaningful policies that address the issue.
But it’s like the pro assault weapons people just don’t really care enough to try and change the system at all, in any way.
More people die from non-gun violence issues, but the deaths are only a small portion of that. A mass shooting in a school rocks an entire community. It creates trauma for parents and survivors that they cary for the rest of their lives. It creates fear across the nation. It’s brutal and horrendous and is he choice of one person to end the lives of many.
A car crash is an accident. A mass shooting is on purpose.
Quite right. Only fools leave guns lying around where kids can find them. I think you have to understand that nobody is trying to take your hunting guns away, but nobody needs an assault rifle unless they’re in the army going to war. I’m sure the vast majority of gun owners do keep their guns in a locked cabinet with the ammunition stored elsewhere, and I would hope the police would be doing random checks as they do in England. My dad was a hunter, I grew up with guns in the house in England, but they were never out of the cabinet unless he was cleaning them or off hunting. Yes, only fools leave them lying around, but it seems that there are a lot of fools down there.
2A has NOTHING to do with hunting. Please explain to everyone what an "assault rifle" is, since they don't exist. If you'd like to know the uses for high capacity magazine's, please enroll in a personal safety course at your local range. Educate yourself before demanding emotional, low information legislation.
Justin- Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear. By access, I meant access to guns in the house. Nobody is trying to stop you buying a gun for hunting if that’s your thing, just make sure that it’s safely stored in a locked cabinet and your teenage son doesn’t have access to it. There are random checks by police in England to make sure that guns are stored safely.
Yeah, random checks are NEVER going to happen here. We're too busy using our taxes for fat people to live work free. Anyway, guns being locked away is even less of a problem than mass shootings. Here's a list of things that kids die more from every year than mass shootings and this is each, not collectively:
What about governments sending people to war over oil? Or excess deaths through not having protection from Covid? Or people from deprived communities having less opportunities through lack of investment in transport, education, etc? None of the people making those decisions were mentally ill, so why are you trying to reduce a complex discussion into an overly simplistic point?
You're not engaging in a 2 sided debate, you're trying to convince people to your side with an argument that's not fully qualified.
There’s not a small vocal group of gun nuts in the United States, there are tens of millions of gun owners who refuse to surrender the firearms they own that are protected by the constitution. I very much doubt that you were actually special forces. That’s something that’s often said by those wishing to pose as soldiers in order to validate their opinion.
Tens of millions is a fraction of people who live here, but we are all held hostage by the radicalized center of them, and are beyond fed up with coddling these types. The day is coming when we will melt down all semi-automatic weapons here and make it a federal offense to own them.
Please tell me more about all those left-wing fascists of history. I'll wait 😆
Try as you might at rebranding your own sins, fascism is 100% a tool of the extreme-right. You're stuck with it. Nobody outside of the T rump cult is stupid enough to follow your line of 'logic'
A constitution written when guns were muzzle loading single shot muskets which could fire three rounds a minute. It's antiquated and your 'founding fathers' likely never imagined it'd still exist as worded in a time when guns bought in corner stores can have a cyclic fire rate of several hundred rounds a minute. When your gun laws are so weak that children can regularly and easily gain access to guns to shoot other children, common sense and mass morale outrage should be enough to enact changes to those laws. Unfortunately, your top lawmakers are appointed by geriatric politicians who only care about buying votes and staying in power. Justice and impartiality have taken a backseat to ambition and greed, and the children keep dying. That's your present reality of life in the United States, and the sad future that you're setting your descendants up for.
A constitution written when the guns of the people matched the guns of the tyrannical government. There I fixed it for you. Hopefully you learn from it.
You do realize the puckle gun could only fire about nine rounds a minute with a handcranked flintlock firing mechanism and had to be mounted on a tripod for use? That you had to take apart half of the gun to reload it? That you couldn't conceal it underneath a jacket or inside a pocket, and it was such a burdensome and undependable weapon that only a handful were ever manufactured?
You sound like you have two brain cells left fighting over the last beer. The second amendment is there for a reason. If you dont understand that, dont talk out your ass. Trump has nothing to do with gun rights and everything to do with your agenda.
You disgust me, the People perpetrating these shootings are Already, in most cases, breaking one of our existing gun laws or another
And In the case of several, including the one in Georgia law enforcement in the FBI were tipped off to the plans in advance, and chose not to take action. The majority of these shootings taking place in the end are a failure on law enforcement and government officials.Having not done their job. And the fact that you choose to use your military service as part of your conversation, leading into the fact that you are anti gun, Is absolutely f****** disgraceful. You swore an oath to protect the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic
We already have common sense gun laws. The vast majority of shootings happen around them. Nice try though but as former US Army, I can see how small your soap box is. Let me guess you probably think waiters only make $2.13 an hour so you makes sure to tip 50% at every meal?
Please don't claim to speak for all veterans as you champion leftist, pro socialists who attack our constitution, freedoms, and rights. It's surprising for someone who's seen other parts of the world and terrible policies and dictatorships who can't see the clear difference in America's massive challenges and problems, and why gun control is not only counterintuitive to the goal of school safety, it's beyond dangerous and disproportionately unfair for the honest and good people living in crime ridden areas rife with crime
You have no idea what socialism actually means. It's certainly not what you describe above and the word (as well as communism) has been bastardised to mean "someone I dont agree with" or "russian" or "anti capitalist".
I had to look up the context. My opinion for what it’s worth. Australia: a country that reacted in mature fashion to a horrendous mass killing, after experiencing a dozen before it. Seems where there’s a will there’s a way. Please point us to why you are posting this now?
What I found out, hopefully helpful to people like me, not in the loop. There was a significant change to gun ownership laws in Australia in 1997, following the Port Arthur massacre in 1996. The massacre, where 35 people were killed and 23 injured by a gunman in Tasmania, led to widespread public outcry and a major overhaul of gun laws across the country.
The National Firearms Agreement (NFA) was introduced in 1996, spearheaded by then-Prime Minister John Howard. It included a range of measures designed to reduce gun violence, such as:
1. Banning certain types of firearms: Semi-automatic rifles, pump-action shotguns, and other rapid-fire firearms were prohibited for civilian use.
2. Tighter gun ownership regulations: Stricter licensing requirements were introduced, including the need to prove a "genuine reason" for gun ownership (self-defense was not considered a valid reason), and applicants had to undergo background checks and a waiting period.
3. Gun buyback scheme: As part of the NFA, a nationwide amnesty and gun buyback program were implemented in 1996–1997. The government purchased and destroyed over 640,000 firearms from private owners. The goal was to reduce the number of high-powered weapons in the community. During this period, many videos and images showed thousands of firearms being crushed and destroyed, which is likely what we see here.
4. Gun registration: All firearms had to be registered, and laws regulating the safe storage of firearms were enacted.
This was one of the largest and most successful gun control reforms in Australian history. Another amnesty was held in 2017, collecting more than 57,000 firearms, continuing the country's strong stance on gun control. These reforms were credited with significantly reducing gun violence and mass shootings in Australia.
That's some efficient research. Timbo! Yeah I had 2-3 takes I recorded saying some of this stuff, but I've opted for my silent less is more style, which kinda has a comedic vibe to it still...something I always attempt to keep in tack. Again, top notch research!
To be honest, I didn't find much comedy mate but really thought provoking with the silence. That's not a criticism, I thought it was excellent. It's a serious subject, where the Aussie government and citizens actions of that time speak for themselves and made the country a better place, which the world took notice of.
I've always loved your videos for mixing that accent with all the slang and Aussie terms. Totally hellarious ! Still this has got to be my favorite to date. Perfect!
On 31/08/2024 Western Australia completed a huge firearm buyback scheme. It was incredibly successful and has removed thousands of firearms from private hands where they are easily subject to being stolen or misused. I saw piles of firearms at the police station where I work. I am a dual citizen of America and Australia and I am definitely a fan of gun control. I never want to see Australia follow in the footsteps of the USA where guns are politically divisive and a topic for talking heads on the right who blather on about their 2nd Amendment rights whilst children are slaughtered near daily in their schools. Good on ya WA and Australia! Remove firearms and never allow assault weapons here.
While you have done some research into the creation and implementation of the NFA you have chosen to use the official government rhetoric and measures of success.
The incident of violent firearms crime of all types was in decline in Australia for several decades at the same rate prior to the implementation of the NFA as after. If the NFA was the success the government sells it as our firearms crime should have dropped dramatically.
The priminister of the time did not have the support of the individual states who were responsible for the creation and implementation of firearms laws and he threatened the states with withholding federal funding for states not complying with his wishes !!
The classification of the various firearms types was created by people with little or no understanding of firearms types or their operation.
States in creating and implementing their interpretation of the NFA have very different rules from state to state so in effect we don't have an NFA.
Again the states in their rush to create and implement the laws demanded by a single person have multiple issues in their information storage and accuracy which is still an issue nearly three decades later.
Again due to the rush to create and implement the new firearms laws the state governments included the nasty little clause "at the police commissioners discretion or his appointed representative ". This again left the interpretation and implementation of the laws to be decided by one person or his representative, being the police officers, which has resulted in laws that can be continually changed.
A simple example of this is that in my state, New South Wales, we have "apperance laws". These law's can make a firearm of the lowest classification , Class A, a prohibited fireaarm because it has a tactical or millitary appearance. This is applied to new manufactured firearms and to modified previously legal firearms. There is no change to the caliber, action type or rate of fire just changes to the appearance to often utilize modern accessories available.
Does this sound correct in any way ??
It's not fact or data based.
It's not the result of consultation with the affected community.
It's not even democratic as the laws are changed by appointed individuals not elected individuals !!
While the NFA is credited with lowering our firearms crime rate the question needs to be asked why is there still firearms crimes ?? Where are criminals getting their firearms ?? It's not from licensed firearms owners and registered firearms as data supports the fact the number of registered firearms recovered from police raids or at the scene of crimes is less than 0.5% of all firearms siezed !!!
Despite this supported fact we, licensed firearms owners with registered firearms, continue to be further regulated and restricted in the ownership and use of firearms !!!
There's already plenty of laws and restrictions out there to enforce on those that do the wrong thing, being the criminals, but it's easier to be seen to do something by creating another law or restriction on the law abiding rather than pursue the criminals or explain how the criminals obtained their firearms !!!
Ok I’ve seen this footage before. I’m an American but have been living in Australia for 25 years and I am a dual citizen. I’m also a gun owner as I target shoot in competitions with a .22 custom made rifle. A guy I went to school with in the US showed me this footage to prove that we can’t have guns here and that they were taken away without consent. I told him that absolutely isn’t true. That these were all rifles willingly given up after the Port Arthur massacre. For some reason he refused to believe that the vast majority of Australians have a distaste for guns after this tragedy happened. We went back and forth as I patiently explained how I can own as many guns as I want here as long as I follow a few rules. I even have several friends with walk in gun safes. He kept hammering me about whether I had to store my guns at the range and if I could have it at home. I explained all the rules over and over again. Ultimately he still refused to believe this footage was of willingly surrendered guns. He unfriended and blocked me on Facebook. Hahaha so grown up hey. Anyway, I have since seen him at a couple of class reunions back in the US and we just avoid each other. Difficult as we had quite a small class.
Since you clearly have all the answers then explain to everyone here how exactly the US is supposed to "get the fuck on" with protecting themselves from the insane amount of drugs, gang activity and guns that come up from the southern boarder.
Strayan fella here. I personally think the video itself speaks VOLUMES even WITHOUT commentary. Not to make light of a serious problem, but when I send my kids off to school, my biggest fear is whether or not I’ve packed something in their lunch that may contain allergens. I’m fortunate being an Aussie parent across the pond, but for our American friends, I know there’s ‘rights’ and ‘amendments’ and blah blah blah, but where does it end? How many does it take? I salute you Ozzy man, you may cop some flak, but you aren’t wrong brother….
As an American I have become numb to the tragedies that happen in our country due to unenforced gun laws and lax gun laws. I live in the state of Louisiana and I know the tragic cost of poor gun control. Louisiana has some of the least strict gun laws in the country and that's saying something in a country where there are more guns than people and only 36% of our population actually owns guns.
Thank you for this commentary. It's perfect, I think. But I'm also a person who believes we need better gun laws and enforcement.
I appreciate your humor and your compassion for people and animals. It is sometimes hard to find humor that isn't just ironic nihilism or just plain mean. You are a bright spot in my time on the internet.
I think that the opinions of a small group of men from the 1700s - men who would be overwhelmed by the sight of our kitchen sinks with hot/cold taps - shouldn’t necessarily be kept as gospel in perpetuity. This is a solution that I would cheer. Loudly.
Very powerful footage. I'm an Aussie as well and I personally appreciate that this is a thing that happened. The footage completely speaks for itself. There didn't need to be any commentary from you about it Ozzy Man. I know there would a comment shitstorm if this was posted on the bigger platforms like Facebook or YouTube but it is still a powerful video. I had no idea there was yet another shooting in the US today though.
I don't think we hear about it much now, simply because it happens so much, most of us are sick the same old news. Sympathy for a nation that has their head up their ass about gun control can only go so far.
With you, OM. No commentary needed. Post on other platforms? Difficult. If it were my decision, I would briefly explain context and let it roll without commentary, as now. Also, don’t reply to haters - just leave their comments hanging.
I had occasion to handle a gun once, inside its Evidence Case, in court. Horrible. There were all kinds of articles, used to bludgeon people to death, including a three foot long catering rolling pin! Had to handle a LOT of knives, though, in the same context - knives are a huge problem in UK.
Seems a bit unfair though, those guns never hurt anyone. They should do this to the people who misuse these guns, it would be much more efficient ánd much more entertaining lol.
The late, absolutely great, Bill Hicks: “There’s no connection between having a gun and shooting someone…and you’d be a fool and a Communist to make one.”
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Benjamin Franklin
My safety here, in Canada, isn't temporary, and your situation in the USA doesn't seem too bloody free to me. The masses held hostage by well-funded Russian actors. Look up the NRA.
People, in all countries, have access to firearms. There are more guns in the UK than you might think, but their ownership and use is strictly controlled. That control doesn’t aways work - that’s an unrealistic expectation.
But think on this: since much stricter gun controls were introduced after Dunblane, in 1996, as far as I can tell (I am sure I stand to be corrected) there have been no fatal incidents involving a firearm in the UK (there weren’t many/any before, to be fair). Since Columbine, in 1999, the Washington Post estimates 416 gun-related incidents in US schools, with 500 fatalities (including shooters) and 382,000 kids affected in one way or another.
Criminal use of guns is often linked with drugs trade in UK. An unregistered gun may be purchased, for a specific occasion, used, then moved on just as quickly afterwards.
Great you got the powerful vibes too (and Tommy who has commented as well). The crazy thing is I saved this footage to my desktop a week ago, so was thinking of doing it without any "relevancy" required type thing. It obviously just escalated in my mind today. I've had two beers at 5pm here, so maybe that dutch courage will translate into just posting the fucken thing...as said, it's not thought of in a rushed way (which often backfires on the internet for people), I genuinely watched it a week ago and have thought about doing something with it.
I don't know if you "should," but I wish you would. As for the question about whether posting it today could be misinterpreted -- if that's because there was a mass shooting in the US today, well, that's just a regular day over here.
Here in Canada we did the same thing 30 years or so ago. I remember some people being very upset about it, and they were found to have a LOT of semi automatic weapons, even specialized assault weapons. There's no reason for any civilians to own guns like that. They are NOT hunting guns. They are used for war. My husband and his friends are hunters and they happily made sure all their rifles are registered. Those who had hand guns and wanted to keep them had to get special registration for them. This enables law enforcement to keep track of all guns particularly in case of theft, and use in committing a crime. Our "accidental" shooting accidents have vastly diminished over the years.
I will add that the people who were against gun control were in the minority, by a lot.
This video is interesting and brought back memories to me of how proud I am of our government for handling the gun control issues the way they did.
Ozzy, never be ashamed to post something controversial. You did it in a great way, and your commenntary on every topic is always done with thoughtful humor, a huge dose of fairness, and no judgment upon one side or the other. Good on ya, mate ;)
I’m an American who’s torn on the issue of gun control. Part of me thinks it should be as strict as possible to prevent mass killings like the ones in Columbine, Sandy Hook, and the church in South Carolina (all of which dredge up memories nearly as awful as 9/11), but another part thinks that the type of person who commits those atrocities is the type who would buy a gun illegally. Buybacks in the US have been a bust because people bent on having guns just use the money they get from “selling” their guns to buy, you guessed it, more guns! Maybe the solution is to control gun *sales* at places like Wal-mart—if they don’t have inventory, nobody can buy a gun, legally or illegally!
I think the kind of person who is doing these mass school shootings is not your career criminal, it’s young, quiet Mr. Average, not known to the police, who had access to a gun kept at home, which was not locked away. Criminals are going to get guns one way or another, but tighter gun controls in the States would go a long way towards helping to stop the kind of thing that happened in Georgia yesterday.
I think the situation in the states has got to the stage where people think 'there are so many guns., it's impossible to go back' so it almost becomes self-defeating. Why control guns if criminals will buy them illegally? The thing is, criminals would find it much harder to buy guns illegally if there weren't hundreds of thousands being produced every year for the legal market. You have to get guns out of circulation (well, most of them - there will always be a legal and well-regulated population of weapons) before you see a fall in gun crime. All of that is perfectly doable, but it has economic consequences for the manufacturers and the huge number of gun shops. The biggest problem, though, is politics. Enough people equate any loss of their right to pick up a glock from main street with fascism/communism that you will never be able to get to a place where serious controls will happen. Call it American exceptionalism - what works in most of the rest of the rich world can't work there...
Agreed. Most school shooters are underage students with mental health issues—why else would a 14 or 16yo think the solution to his problem (and it usually is a boy) is to shoot up his school? We saw it this week in GA; we saw it in 1999 in Columbine. Not much has changed in this century, and it won’t until parents who ignore safeguards are held accountable. Shooters over 18, like the one at VA Tech, can buy a gun legally—if there are guns to be had. (It’s not just a federal matter, either. My daughter goes to college in Texas and has commented on the signs at nearly every store and restaurant’s door stating that guns are not permitted—unless you show your concealed carry permit! Her home state doesn’t have concealed carry permits, and the only place that sells guns is Bass Pro Shop, which has hunting rifles only.) My original point was that where there are guns, there will be people who misuse them. I don’t want to go to war with Texas, which I think was settled in 1865, but the only obvious choice is to destroy the guns, as Australia did in Ozzy Man’s video.
Personally, I don't agree with our laws around air powered guns & would like to see them more like the UK, but you can't argue the results of '97. Some of the stuff that was handed in back then had no business being out there in society.
You might not change the world, but if you post it you'll at least provoke some debate & may even change a few minds on the subject. As JFK once said; "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. "
What a beautiful dream that still is in the US. Funny how Australia has not yet slipped into communist dystopia as a result of this common-sense action of 1997. Cheers.
As an American and former Special Forces in the US Army I have to say you’re right, there are a small vocal group of gun nuts in our country (many belong to the right-wing NRA) who have got enough US politicians around the balls to make sure the will of the majority of Americans to have common sense gun laws doesn’t see the light of day. We’re all sick of the BS we see from the nutty right wing GOP and Trump but all I can do is vote. Sorry.
As a Canadian, it’s heartening to read your view. In England I grew up with shotguns in the house. My father liked pheasant, duck, goose shooting. They had to be registered with the police, in a locked cabinet, with the cartridges stored elsewhere. I remember the police coming to the house to check. The situation in the States seems to have gotten completely out of control and it’s very scary. As you say, all you can do is vote and encourage everyone else to do the sensible thing. Yesterday’s tragedy in Georgia could have been avoided if, years ago, America had reacted as Australia did.
Everyone has turned into Snowflakes, no one has a backbone anymore. Get a grip, drugs and alcohol kill more people every second than a gun ever will and drugs are available on EVERY street corner in every city in America. Know your statistics.
That's like saying heart disease kills twice as many people as cancer, so don't worry about cancer. It'll be fine.
Guns are a cancer on American society.
Then dont have a gun. Stop trying to take others rights
No, it's NOT like saying that. It's like saying, ban smoking for a decade then we'll revisit this gun issue. Because we need to stomp out all the many things that kill more first.
Seriously. All issues need to be resolved. But clearly in the video it shows how EASILY the "minimal" deaths as you put it. The supposedly insignificant deaths as you put it... they could be avoided. SIMPLY by getting rid of the stupid guns. Sure. Stupid people will still be stupid and they'll find a way to hurt people, but at the same level an automatic gun offers!!!
It's a simple solution... sadly until Trump and his minions bugger off, i can't see this ever happening. Too many stupid people!
And as far as the drugs and alcohol. Yes they are a bigger problem that also, isn't being ignore. But that isn't a damn excuse to justify leaving the automatic guns blatantly available for the stupid people to go and shoot children!!!
Fixing the drug and alcohol problem is an entirely separate issue that we can only hold hope for the future of. Governments could choose to make a difference with this also!
How did getting rid of guns help the little girls that were hacked and stabbed to death? Should we also get rid of knives?
According to FBI statistics, in 2022 there were 665 killed with personal weapons ‘hands, feet, fists’, 1,630 killed with knives, 7,936 killed with handguns, and 541 killed with rifles.
Where on Earth are you getting your figures from?
In 2022 there were 48,204 gun related deaths in the U.S.:
27,032 Suicides
19,651 Homicides
643 Due to Legal Intervention
415 Due to Undetermined cause
463 Accidental
In 2021, 54% of all gun-related deaths in the U.S. were suicides (26,328), while 43% were murders (20,958), according to the CDC. The remaining gun deaths that year were accidental (549), involved law enforcement (537) or had undetermined circumstances (458).
Tom Slick, you’re an idiot. Get a fucking clue you moron.
Truth hurt? Go fuck yourself!
They aren't "stupid", they're mentally ill, unbalanced, SICK! Hope is only a word, not a solution. Get rid of any and all guns, knives, baseball bats, etc...and you will still have murders because there will always be sick people. I will not continue to argue with people that only see one side of the problem.
get in, you’re a brain damaged idiot.
You mention drugs, Jesus visit America every 5 minutes in advert breaks they advertise legal fucking drugs?!? WTF?!
The legal ones are what people get hooked on mostly…. Then when they don’t do the job they go to the illegal ones!!!
It’s a perpetual circle of humans screwing themselves by corporate greed, because in America greed is good🤦🏼♂️
I’d rather be poor and happy, oh and sometimes I use medicinal herbs let’s say due to my health problem as I trust that a whole lot more than the shite doctors have given me which have left me a dribbling mess and unable to function at all!!!
Fixing the drug problem is easy America should admit they let the shit in to keep poor people poor, look into it!
And legalise drugs that are safe like most countries are doing with let’s say cannabis it isn’t a bloody “gateway” drug as you’re not going to go from that to bloody heroin, and oxy and various other legal drugs are just mild heroin….
It’s called take responsibility for YOUR ACTIONS and bloody adult FFS!
You obviously have no clue how many guns come up through the southern boarder.
Tell me you know exactly zero about guns or gun laws
I guess if guns are outlawed school shootings will turn into school druggings? Is that what you say? Making sure kids cannot get their hands on assault rifles has to be something that any sane person can see the benefit of.
To be fair, there are increased incidents with knives in countries that have restricted guns. We have always had access to firearms here in the U.S, but there is a correlation between the increase in mass shootings and mental health/societal issues that always gets overlooked. We will never solve anything until the two can be rationally discussed and devolve into throwing shit on each other like a bunch of Chimps. The political environment in the U.S is toxic AF, and divisive as ever, just the way the powerful like it. Until that changes, no real change will happen
Sadly some humans that are messed up in the head more often than not due to backgrounds, will always find a way to cause injury to others, mostly younger people (mostly men!) but a knife whilst dangerous isn’t something that can kill 100’s in seconds by a NUTJOB!
Indeed, although it still doesn't change the fact that it's a mental societal cause and effect. You can Explosives sure can do a lot of damage in a split second. The methods are interchangeable
Please explain what an "assault rifle" is
It’s a mythical creation from the twisted mind of people that know nothing about guns.
Is nobody going to mention the elephant in the room? The latest shooting in Georgia is another ‘transgender’.
JOHN CLEESE ON SNOWFLAKES:
"Yes, l've heard of this word.
I think sociopaths use it in an attempt to discredit the notion of empathy."
Not even a little bit helpful. When I read that attitude, it pushes me the other way. Read the comment from former the Special Forces person. That’s well thought out, (not just repeating incendiary rhetoric) kind and helpful.
Dickhead…. What do they use in wars pea shooters?!?
Remember World War One oh and two?!?
You’re a moron!
Guns are safe in the right place like a shooting range as I visit!
Are drugs and alcohol now the leading cause of death for children? No. Guns are.
For white, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native children, car accidents remain the leading cause of death. Cancer has been the leading cause of death in Asian or Pacific Islander children since 2010.
For black kids, it’s guns being fired by black people. Fix that!
That's the "fallacy of relative privation". Like Mike said - because one thing causes a bigger issue than another, is not a reason to dismiss that other thing. Fewer people die in cars since 1970 - does that mean we should stop improving motor vehicle safety? "Know your stats" is a totally irrelevant point, regardless of which side of the discussion any of us are on.
https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Not_as_bad_as
Gun confiscation is like mandating a 20 MPH (32.19 km/h) for all vehicles, with required governors on the engines to assure compliance.
As an MP in the Army I investigated a tragic collision between a car and a 6 year old boy that ran out between two cars. We pulled the data, and he was doing 18 mph when he hit the brakes just an instant prior to impact. The speed limit in the housing area was 25.
Despite what we did on scene, and the doctors in the ER, the little boy died. The young soldier was absolutely devastated.
My point is that it’s out of our control. Our planet is spinning at 1,037mph, traveling around the sun at 67,100 mph, and through the universe at 447,000 mph. Nothing we can do will stop what we don’t have control of.
Murica is phucked
Then you need to get a grip. Muricans kill more muricans with guns each day than in all other countries combined.
Gun violence is the leading cause of death and hospitalisation for black and Hispanic males aged 16-30 than any other cause combined.
Murica is the last bastion of the gun nut with "small man" syndrome.
When will people realize that it isn't the guns, it's the mentally ill people wielding them. Fentanyl kills more people every second than guns have for centuries, excluding casualties of war.
When will people realize that it’s the access to guns that is the problem. Yes, most mass killings are perpetrated by the mentally ill, but if they had no easy access to guns the United States wouldn’t have the problems it does now.
I would have liked for everyone here to have been with me the last time I purchased a gun for hunting. I was at the Gun Shop for over 4 hours and then had to come back the next day and wait another 2 1/2 hours before I could actually leave the shop with my new purchase. The ONLY easy access is kids getting into their father's gun cabinets because you cannot go into a store and just buy a gun. It isn't that "EASY." Only fools leave guns lying around without safety locks on them or storing them in a gun safe. And like I commented earlier, I cannot continue to debate with people that are one sided.
I agree that mental illness is a serious issue that needs targeted attention and improved support. Enhanced mental health care is essential for addressing many societal problems, including violence. However, it's also important to recognize that mental illness and gun ownership intersect in complex ways. Some individuals who are struggling with mental health issues may also be gun owners, and they might not always acknowledge their condition or its potential impact on their behavior.
Moreover, I’ve observed that many gun owners who consider themselves responsible and well-informed often display concerning safety practices. For example, at shooting ranges or while hunting, these individuals might boast about their expertise and responsibility, yet their actions sometimes suggest otherwise. This discrepancy raises concerns about how mental health issues and a lack of self-awareness can affect gun safety.
Addressing this issue effectively requires a holistic approach. We need to improve mental health support and awareness, while also ensuring that gun ownership comes with appropriate safeguards and responsibility. This includes having systems in place to support individuals who may be struggling and ensuring that all gun owners are mindful of and manage potential risks, including those related to mental health.
Being a responsible gun owner means not only following safety practices but also being aware of and addressing any mental health challenges that could impact one’s behavior. Policies that integrate mental health care with firearm safety regulations would help address these nuanced issues and enhance overall safety.
In essence, while mental illness is a critical factor, it's also crucial to recognize how mental health intersects with gun ownership and safety practices. By fostering a culture of responsibility and openness regarding mental health, we can work towards reducing risks and ensuring safer practices for everyone.
Would you be opposed to gun laws that state parents must lock up their guns if they have children, and if they are found not to have done so, there is some sort of punishment? Jail or a fine? And how would you actually police that without people getting pissed off that the government is visiting their home unannounced or however they do it?
What about parents that give their children guns like with the case in Atlanta?
The thing is, is that people want to at least TRY and do something about this horrific issue that mainly happens in America. So enhancing gun laws would be a way to target the issue. It might not be the ONLY way, or it might be just a piece in a larger puzzle. But people only push back against the idea of any sort of gun regulations and don’t fight for other solutions. And by “fight” I don’t mean just mentioning other solutions as a counter argument, but actively push to make meaningful policies that address the issue.
But it’s like the pro assault weapons people just don’t really care enough to try and change the system at all, in any way.
More people die from non-gun violence issues, but the deaths are only a small portion of that. A mass shooting in a school rocks an entire community. It creates trauma for parents and survivors that they cary for the rest of their lives. It creates fear across the nation. It’s brutal and horrendous and is he choice of one person to end the lives of many.
A car crash is an accident. A mass shooting is on purpose.
Quite right. Only fools leave guns lying around where kids can find them. I think you have to understand that nobody is trying to take your hunting guns away, but nobody needs an assault rifle unless they’re in the army going to war. I’m sure the vast majority of gun owners do keep their guns in a locked cabinet with the ammunition stored elsewhere, and I would hope the police would be doing random checks as they do in England. My dad was a hunter, I grew up with guns in the house in England, but they were never out of the cabinet unless he was cleaning them or off hunting. Yes, only fools leave them lying around, but it seems that there are a lot of fools down there.
2A has NOTHING to do with hunting. Please explain to everyone what an "assault rifle" is, since they don't exist. If you'd like to know the uses for high capacity magazine's, please enroll in a personal safety course at your local range. Educate yourself before demanding emotional, low information legislation.
When will people realize that we've ALWAYS had access to guns and NO, access is not the problem.
Justin- Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear. By access, I meant access to guns in the house. Nobody is trying to stop you buying a gun for hunting if that’s your thing, just make sure that it’s safely stored in a locked cabinet and your teenage son doesn’t have access to it. There are random checks by police in England to make sure that guns are stored safely.
Repeat with me... 2A has nothing to do with hunting, 2A has nothing to do with hunting, 2A has nothing to do with hunting
England Population - 56 Million
England Square Miles - 51,325
US Population - 333 Million
US Square Miles - 3,809,525
Yeah, random checks are NEVER going to happen here. We're too busy using our taxes for fat people to live work free. Anyway, guns being locked away is even less of a problem than mass shootings. Here's a list of things that kids die more from every year than mass shootings and this is each, not collectively:
Choking on food
Starvation
Cancer
Being beaten to death by parents or care givers
Car accidents
Heart disease
SUICIDE!!!!!! <-let that sink in!
What about governments sending people to war over oil? Or excess deaths through not having protection from Covid? Or people from deprived communities having less opportunities through lack of investment in transport, education, etc? None of the people making those decisions were mentally ill, so why are you trying to reduce a complex discussion into an overly simplistic point?
You're not engaging in a 2 sided debate, you're trying to convince people to your side with an argument that's not fully qualified.
Explain what exactly is scary. More people in the US die from a knife than from mass shootings. So should we take care of knives first?
Yes
It's settled then. Everyone shut up about guns and do a mass knife buy back!
There’s not a small vocal group of gun nuts in the United States, there are tens of millions of gun owners who refuse to surrender the firearms they own that are protected by the constitution. I very much doubt that you were actually special forces. That’s something that’s often said by those wishing to pose as soldiers in order to validate their opinion.
Tens of millions is a fraction of people who live here, but we are all held hostage by the radicalized center of them, and are beyond fed up with coddling these types. The day is coming when we will melt down all semi-automatic weapons here and make it a federal offense to own them.
No, you won’t. Dream on.
THIS is exactly why the 2A SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED. Fascists like you are why we will never give them up, come and take them
Last I checked fascists are the gun nuts, but don't you worry: we will.
I have zero doubt that you were cheering on citizens being thrown into covid camps
Try just 2 minutes of a history review, which fascist EVER let the people keep and bear arms, go ahead, enlighten us.
Please tell me more about all those left-wing fascists of history. I'll wait 😆
Try as you might at rebranding your own sins, fascism is 100% a tool of the extreme-right. You're stuck with it. Nobody outside of the T rump cult is stupid enough to follow your line of 'logic'
A constitution written when guns were muzzle loading single shot muskets which could fire three rounds a minute. It's antiquated and your 'founding fathers' likely never imagined it'd still exist as worded in a time when guns bought in corner stores can have a cyclic fire rate of several hundred rounds a minute. When your gun laws are so weak that children can regularly and easily gain access to guns to shoot other children, common sense and mass morale outrage should be enough to enact changes to those laws. Unfortunately, your top lawmakers are appointed by geriatric politicians who only care about buying votes and staying in power. Justice and impartiality have taken a backseat to ambition and greed, and the children keep dying. That's your present reality of life in the United States, and the sad future that you're setting your descendants up for.
A constitution written when the guns of the people matched the guns of the tyrannical government. There I fixed it for you. Hopefully you learn from it.
You do realize the puckle gun existed when the constitution was written and which is a machine gun
You do realize the puckle gun could only fire about nine rounds a minute with a handcranked flintlock firing mechanism and had to be mounted on a tripod for use? That you had to take apart half of the gun to reload it? That you couldn't conceal it underneath a jacket or inside a pocket, and it was such a burdensome and undependable weapon that only a handful were ever manufactured?
So the 1st amendment only applies to parchment and quill?
Agreed. That entire comment smells of left wing nut job.
You sound like you have two brain cells left fighting over the last beer. The second amendment is there for a reason. If you dont understand that, dont talk out your ass. Trump has nothing to do with gun rights and everything to do with your agenda.
"As a former special forces"
You disgust me, the People perpetrating these shootings are Already, in most cases, breaking one of our existing gun laws or another
And In the case of several, including the one in Georgia law enforcement in the FBI were tipped off to the plans in advance, and chose not to take action. The majority of these shootings taking place in the end are a failure on law enforcement and government officials.Having not done their job. And the fact that you choose to use your military service as part of your conversation, leading into the fact that you are anti gun, Is absolutely f****** disgraceful. You swore an oath to protect the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic
You should uphold that oath.
We already have common sense gun laws. The vast majority of shootings happen around them. Nice try though but as former US Army, I can see how small your soap box is. Let me guess you probably think waiters only make $2.13 an hour so you makes sure to tip 50% at every meal?
Please don't claim to speak for all veterans as you champion leftist, pro socialists who attack our constitution, freedoms, and rights. It's surprising for someone who's seen other parts of the world and terrible policies and dictatorships who can't see the clear difference in America's massive challenges and problems, and why gun control is not only counterintuitive to the goal of school safety, it's beyond dangerous and disproportionately unfair for the honest and good people living in crime ridden areas rife with crime
You have no idea what socialism actually means. It's certainly not what you describe above and the word (as well as communism) has been bastardised to mean "someone I dont agree with" or "russian" or "anti capitalist".
https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/The%20NRA%20&%20Russia%20-%20How%20a%20Tax-Exempt%20Organization%20Became%20a%20Foreign%20Asset%20(with%20addendum).pdf is the most recent investigation of the link between our adversaries - enemies of democracies worldwide - and their efforts to flood the conversation around gun ownership. Because this campaign has spanned several generations now, it's harder to accept that one's entire worldview is part of a foreign intelligence campaign designed to sow discord.
I had to look up the context. My opinion for what it’s worth. Australia: a country that reacted in mature fashion to a horrendous mass killing, after experiencing a dozen before it. Seems where there’s a will there’s a way. Please point us to why you are posting this now?
What I found out, hopefully helpful to people like me, not in the loop. There was a significant change to gun ownership laws in Australia in 1997, following the Port Arthur massacre in 1996. The massacre, where 35 people were killed and 23 injured by a gunman in Tasmania, led to widespread public outcry and a major overhaul of gun laws across the country.
The National Firearms Agreement (NFA) was introduced in 1996, spearheaded by then-Prime Minister John Howard. It included a range of measures designed to reduce gun violence, such as:
1. Banning certain types of firearms: Semi-automatic rifles, pump-action shotguns, and other rapid-fire firearms were prohibited for civilian use.
2. Tighter gun ownership regulations: Stricter licensing requirements were introduced, including the need to prove a "genuine reason" for gun ownership (self-defense was not considered a valid reason), and applicants had to undergo background checks and a waiting period.
3. Gun buyback scheme: As part of the NFA, a nationwide amnesty and gun buyback program were implemented in 1996–1997. The government purchased and destroyed over 640,000 firearms from private owners. The goal was to reduce the number of high-powered weapons in the community. During this period, many videos and images showed thousands of firearms being crushed and destroyed, which is likely what we see here.
4. Gun registration: All firearms had to be registered, and laws regulating the safe storage of firearms were enacted.
This was one of the largest and most successful gun control reforms in Australian history. Another amnesty was held in 2017, collecting more than 57,000 firearms, continuing the country's strong stance on gun control. These reforms were credited with significantly reducing gun violence and mass shootings in Australia.
That's some efficient research. Timbo! Yeah I had 2-3 takes I recorded saying some of this stuff, but I've opted for my silent less is more style, which kinda has a comedic vibe to it still...something I always attempt to keep in tack. Again, top notch research!
To be honest, I didn't find much comedy mate but really thought provoking with the silence. That's not a criticism, I thought it was excellent. It's a serious subject, where the Aussie government and citizens actions of that time speak for themselves and made the country a better place, which the world took notice of.
I've always loved your videos for mixing that accent with all the slang and Aussie terms. Totally hellarious ! Still this has got to be my favorite to date. Perfect!
Thank you for your research, Tim. Very grateful.
On 31/08/2024 Western Australia completed a huge firearm buyback scheme. It was incredibly successful and has removed thousands of firearms from private hands where they are easily subject to being stolen or misused. I saw piles of firearms at the police station where I work. I am a dual citizen of America and Australia and I am definitely a fan of gun control. I never want to see Australia follow in the footsteps of the USA where guns are politically divisive and a topic for talking heads on the right who blather on about their 2nd Amendment rights whilst children are slaughtered near daily in their schools. Good on ya WA and Australia! Remove firearms and never allow assault weapons here.
While you have done some research into the creation and implementation of the NFA you have chosen to use the official government rhetoric and measures of success.
The incident of violent firearms crime of all types was in decline in Australia for several decades at the same rate prior to the implementation of the NFA as after. If the NFA was the success the government sells it as our firearms crime should have dropped dramatically.
The priminister of the time did not have the support of the individual states who were responsible for the creation and implementation of firearms laws and he threatened the states with withholding federal funding for states not complying with his wishes !!
The classification of the various firearms types was created by people with little or no understanding of firearms types or their operation.
States in creating and implementing their interpretation of the NFA have very different rules from state to state so in effect we don't have an NFA.
Again the states in their rush to create and implement the laws demanded by a single person have multiple issues in their information storage and accuracy which is still an issue nearly three decades later.
Again due to the rush to create and implement the new firearms laws the state governments included the nasty little clause "at the police commissioners discretion or his appointed representative ". This again left the interpretation and implementation of the laws to be decided by one person or his representative, being the police officers, which has resulted in laws that can be continually changed.
A simple example of this is that in my state, New South Wales, we have "apperance laws". These law's can make a firearm of the lowest classification , Class A, a prohibited fireaarm because it has a tactical or millitary appearance. This is applied to new manufactured firearms and to modified previously legal firearms. There is no change to the caliber, action type or rate of fire just changes to the appearance to often utilize modern accessories available.
Does this sound correct in any way ??
It's not fact or data based.
It's not the result of consultation with the affected community.
It's not even democratic as the laws are changed by appointed individuals not elected individuals !!
While the NFA is credited with lowering our firearms crime rate the question needs to be asked why is there still firearms crimes ?? Where are criminals getting their firearms ?? It's not from licensed firearms owners and registered firearms as data supports the fact the number of registered firearms recovered from police raids or at the scene of crimes is less than 0.5% of all firearms siezed !!!
Despite this supported fact we, licensed firearms owners with registered firearms, continue to be further regulated and restricted in the ownership and use of firearms !!!
There's already plenty of laws and restrictions out there to enforce on those that do the wrong thing, being the criminals, but it's easier to be seen to do something by creating another law or restriction on the law abiding rather than pursue the criminals or explain how the criminals obtained their firearms !!!
Ok I’ve seen this footage before. I’m an American but have been living in Australia for 25 years and I am a dual citizen. I’m also a gun owner as I target shoot in competitions with a .22 custom made rifle. A guy I went to school with in the US showed me this footage to prove that we can’t have guns here and that they were taken away without consent. I told him that absolutely isn’t true. That these were all rifles willingly given up after the Port Arthur massacre. For some reason he refused to believe that the vast majority of Australians have a distaste for guns after this tragedy happened. We went back and forth as I patiently explained how I can own as many guns as I want here as long as I follow a few rules. I even have several friends with walk in gun safes. He kept hammering me about whether I had to store my guns at the range and if I could have it at home. I explained all the rules over and over again. Ultimately he still refused to believe this footage was of willingly surrendered guns. He unfriended and blocked me on Facebook. Hahaha so grown up hey. Anyway, I have since seen him at a couple of class reunions back in the US and we just avoid each other. Difficult as we had quite a small class.
I don't want to stereotype here, but did your mate also think Covid was a hoax and that vaccines are poison?
Hahaha he unfriended me before all that but I would guess he’s a Trump supporter and everything that goes with that.
Good of you to post it. Powerful stuff. Hope the right people will actually get the fuck on with the program and do something about it.
They won’t. Yanks love their guns more than they love their kids.
Since you clearly have all the answers then explain to everyone here how exactly the US is supposed to "get the fuck on" with protecting themselves from the insane amount of drugs, gang activity and guns that come up from the southern boarder.
Strayan fella here. I personally think the video itself speaks VOLUMES even WITHOUT commentary. Not to make light of a serious problem, but when I send my kids off to school, my biggest fear is whether or not I’ve packed something in their lunch that may contain allergens. I’m fortunate being an Aussie parent across the pond, but for our American friends, I know there’s ‘rights’ and ‘amendments’ and blah blah blah, but where does it end? How many does it take? I salute you Ozzy man, you may cop some flak, but you aren’t wrong brother….
As an American I have become numb to the tragedies that happen in our country due to unenforced gun laws and lax gun laws. I live in the state of Louisiana and I know the tragic cost of poor gun control. Louisiana has some of the least strict gun laws in the country and that's saying something in a country where there are more guns than people and only 36% of our population actually owns guns.
Thank you for this commentary. It's perfect, I think. But I'm also a person who believes we need better gun laws and enforcement.
I appreciate your humor and your compassion for people and animals. It is sometimes hard to find humor that isn't just ironic nihilism or just plain mean. You are a bright spot in my time on the internet.
Thanks, Ozzy Man. <3
When you say "only" 36% In Australia that would be more like 0.36%
You know, like one in 300 people.
The gun violence in the US has got to be stopped.
I think that the opinions of a small group of men from the 1700s - men who would be overwhelmed by the sight of our kitchen sinks with hot/cold taps - shouldn’t necessarily be kept as gospel in perpetuity. This is a solution that I would cheer. Loudly.
Very powerful footage. I'm an Aussie as well and I personally appreciate that this is a thing that happened. The footage completely speaks for itself. There didn't need to be any commentary from you about it Ozzy Man. I know there would a comment shitstorm if this was posted on the bigger platforms like Facebook or YouTube but it is still a powerful video. I had no idea there was yet another shooting in the US today though.
I don't think we hear about it much now, simply because it happens so much, most of us are sick the same old news. Sympathy for a nation that has their head up their ass about gun control can only go so far.
With you, OM. No commentary needed. Post on other platforms? Difficult. If it were my decision, I would briefly explain context and let it roll without commentary, as now. Also, don’t reply to haters - just leave their comments hanging.
I had occasion to handle a gun once, inside its Evidence Case, in court. Horrible. There were all kinds of articles, used to bludgeon people to death, including a three foot long catering rolling pin! Had to handle a LOT of knives, though, in the same context - knives are a huge problem in UK.
Thanks for the gun vid posting here.
Seems a bit unfair though, those guns never hurt anyone. They should do this to the people who misuse these guns, it would be much more efficient ánd much more entertaining lol.
The late, absolutely great, Bill Hicks: “There’s no connection between having a gun and shooting someone…and you’d be a fool and a Communist to make one.”
And that's why the USA has the gun problem.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Benjamin Franklin
My safety here, in Canada, isn't temporary, and your situation in the USA doesn't seem too bloody free to me. The masses held hostage by well-funded Russian actors. Look up the NRA.
Quit taking the piss! You realize we can look up gun violence in Canada right?
Police services in Canada reported around 14,000 incidents of firearm-related violent crime in 2022, roughly 1,400 more than the previous year.
People, in all countries, have access to firearms. There are more guns in the UK than you might think, but their ownership and use is strictly controlled. That control doesn’t aways work - that’s an unrealistic expectation.
But think on this: since much stricter gun controls were introduced after Dunblane, in 1996, as far as I can tell (I am sure I stand to be corrected) there have been no fatal incidents involving a firearm in the UK (there weren’t many/any before, to be fair). Since Columbine, in 1999, the Washington Post estimates 416 gun-related incidents in US schools, with 500 fatalities (including shooters) and 382,000 kids affected in one way or another.
Like Ozzy Man, I’ll leave you to think on that.
Criminal use of guns is often linked with drugs trade in UK. An unregistered gun may be purchased, for a specific occasion, used, then moved on just as quickly afterwards.
Mate, you're right about it being powerful. Posting it today could be misinterpreted though. Bloody tough question mate.
Great you got the powerful vibes too (and Tommy who has commented as well). The crazy thing is I saved this footage to my desktop a week ago, so was thinking of doing it without any "relevancy" required type thing. It obviously just escalated in my mind today. I've had two beers at 5pm here, so maybe that dutch courage will translate into just posting the fucken thing...as said, it's not thought of in a rushed way (which often backfires on the internet for people), I genuinely watched it a week ago and have thought about doing something with it.
As there are about 600 mass shootings in the US every year at present, you’d find it impossible not to pick a bad day
Mass shootings count as three people including the shooter so gang violence is most of it
I don't know if you "should," but I wish you would. As for the question about whether posting it today could be misinterpreted -- if that's because there was a mass shooting in the US today, well, that's just a regular day over here.
I think that's a very valid reason to post it. Maybe that Dutch will help. Hope they were nice mid strength beers mate
Here in Canada we did the same thing 30 years or so ago. I remember some people being very upset about it, and they were found to have a LOT of semi automatic weapons, even specialized assault weapons. There's no reason for any civilians to own guns like that. They are NOT hunting guns. They are used for war. My husband and his friends are hunters and they happily made sure all their rifles are registered. Those who had hand guns and wanted to keep them had to get special registration for them. This enables law enforcement to keep track of all guns particularly in case of theft, and use in committing a crime. Our "accidental" shooting accidents have vastly diminished over the years.
I will add that the people who were against gun control were in the minority, by a lot.
This video is interesting and brought back memories to me of how proud I am of our government for handling the gun control issues the way they did.
Ozzy, never be ashamed to post something controversial. You did it in a great way, and your commenntary on every topic is always done with thoughtful humor, a huge dose of fairness, and no judgment upon one side or the other. Good on ya, mate ;)
I’m an American who’s torn on the issue of gun control. Part of me thinks it should be as strict as possible to prevent mass killings like the ones in Columbine, Sandy Hook, and the church in South Carolina (all of which dredge up memories nearly as awful as 9/11), but another part thinks that the type of person who commits those atrocities is the type who would buy a gun illegally. Buybacks in the US have been a bust because people bent on having guns just use the money they get from “selling” their guns to buy, you guessed it, more guns! Maybe the solution is to control gun *sales* at places like Wal-mart—if they don’t have inventory, nobody can buy a gun, legally or illegally!
I think the kind of person who is doing these mass school shootings is not your career criminal, it’s young, quiet Mr. Average, not known to the police, who had access to a gun kept at home, which was not locked away. Criminals are going to get guns one way or another, but tighter gun controls in the States would go a long way towards helping to stop the kind of thing that happened in Georgia yesterday.
I think the situation in the states has got to the stage where people think 'there are so many guns., it's impossible to go back' so it almost becomes self-defeating. Why control guns if criminals will buy them illegally? The thing is, criminals would find it much harder to buy guns illegally if there weren't hundreds of thousands being produced every year for the legal market. You have to get guns out of circulation (well, most of them - there will always be a legal and well-regulated population of weapons) before you see a fall in gun crime. All of that is perfectly doable, but it has economic consequences for the manufacturers and the huge number of gun shops. The biggest problem, though, is politics. Enough people equate any loss of their right to pick up a glock from main street with fascism/communism that you will never be able to get to a place where serious controls will happen. Call it American exceptionalism - what works in most of the rest of the rich world can't work there...
Agreed. Most school shooters are underage students with mental health issues—why else would a 14 or 16yo think the solution to his problem (and it usually is a boy) is to shoot up his school? We saw it this week in GA; we saw it in 1999 in Columbine. Not much has changed in this century, and it won’t until parents who ignore safeguards are held accountable. Shooters over 18, like the one at VA Tech, can buy a gun legally—if there are guns to be had. (It’s not just a federal matter, either. My daughter goes to college in Texas and has commented on the signs at nearly every store and restaurant’s door stating that guns are not permitted—unless you show your concealed carry permit! Her home state doesn’t have concealed carry permits, and the only place that sells guns is Bass Pro Shop, which has hunting rifles only.) My original point was that where there are guns, there will be people who misuse them. I don’t want to go to war with Texas, which I think was settled in 1865, but the only obvious choice is to destroy the guns, as Australia did in Ozzy Man’s video.
The U.S. is fifty mostly sovereign nations unlike Australia which is one sovereign
Personally, I don't agree with our laws around air powered guns & would like to see them more like the UK, but you can't argue the results of '97. Some of the stuff that was handed in back then had no business being out there in society.
You might not change the world, but if you post it you'll at least provoke some debate & may even change a few minds on the subject. As JFK once said; "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. "
What a beautiful dream that still is in the US. Funny how Australia has not yet slipped into communist dystopia as a result of this common-sense action of 1997. Cheers.