Australians Buying via the Net

Gene,

Brian may disagree with me (actually, knowing him, he probably will
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) but I think the answer lies in differences in our culture and history. Remember we obtained our independence without a revolution and, as a result, I don't believe the right to bear arms is as deeply entrenched in the nations psyche. We certainly aren't in a position to quote the constitution in defence of that right.

The massacre at Port Arthur had a profound effect on the whole nation, and I think, at that time, there was a feeling that we had to do everything possible to prevent such an event ever happening again. As a result it was relatively easy to pass the gun control laws.

As far as the new knife laws, well, since they were passed a 14 year old ex-student of mine was stabbed to death on his way to a party and two other students were mugged at knife point, in the middle of the day, in one of the busiest parts of the city. Enough said.

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Take care,
Clay
kesting@idx,com.au

Some people make things happen, some watch while things happen, and some wonder "What happened".


 
Yeah, Gene.....I ask myself that every morning.

Actually....there are a lot of myths about the "Great Aussie character". We are, really, one of the more urbanised peoples on Earth. But nobody is more convinced of the truth of the myth than the fat bloke slumped in the chair in front of the TV
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Guns are not a major factor in the lives of most of us and , while many of us have knives in our pockets, knives are not regarded as an essential daily accessory.
Most Australians are happy to give up some "basic" freedoms to acquire an easy life and to feel "safe" from the threat of molestation. This has worked for the past 50 years or so.
I don't think this is, necessarilly, a good thing but it seems that the attitude is democratically arrived at and not the result of any Socialist conspiracy. Our welfare and health systems contribute to this complacency but I will take up arms to defend them if required.

And it IS remarkable that, when the chips are down, Aussies queue up to put on a uniform and to take up arms against "evil empires".
Hey...we have even saved a place for you Yanks on a couple of occasions
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Crocodile Dundee does exist, somewhere. And so does Daniel Boone.



Looks like Clay was quicker on the keyboard than I.......no Clay, could not agree more .




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Brian W E
ICQ #21525343
MONEY- spend it before it's gone.




[This message has been edited by brian w edginton (edited 27 January 1999).]
 
I guess you can add another Aussie to the list - three of us agreeing means it must be true:-)
I'm somewhat luckier than most in Oz - we don't (yet) have the same restrictive laws here in Western Australia that other states do. Not that I can own anything as 'deadly' as an automatic knife, of course, but for the moment butterfly knives are still legal here.
If I actually carry one though, I still need a "lawful reason". Of course, to find out if I have a "lawful reason" means getting arrested and going to court. Other than that it's "officer discretion" - which doesn't answer the question of lawfully carrying a knife, it just means I didn't get arrested this time.

What annoys me most is the lack of any logic in our State's upcoming, new and improved weapon control laws. Automatic knives are already illegal, butterfly knives will soon become illegal, but any of the hundreds of designs of one-hand opening folders won't.
And I can't comprehend one tiny bit why blowpipes need to be banned - I don't think I've missed the news stories about marauding tribes of headhunters in the suburbs:-)

At least we will still be able to legally own double edged daggers. Until they are banned at some time in the future, anyway.

But it's politics - sense or logic doesn't come into it.
 
Clay, Brian, and Trevor,
Thought provoking responses all, and thank you for your intelligent thoughts. Our countries differences are really vast but a lot more like than we think.

I never really gave it much thought Clay, that your country did not gain it's independence through the bearing of arms like ours did. Even though my friend, it is a lesson that no country should ever forget.

In my "state", (as in insanity), of California, we have some of the most restrictive laws in the U.S. You Aussies have more freedoms with knives, than we do.

Brian, you are not more "urbanized" than us Yanks. Ever been to Los Angeles or San Francisco? Also one of the problems in the world today is giving up some of our "basic freedoms" to aquire a so called "easier life". Giving up even the most basic of freedoms makes all our lives harder but I know what you mean.

Trevor, you state correctly that common sense or logic doesn't come into play when politics is involved. Money and prestige is the bottom line. That is why we need to keep politics and politicians in their proper prospective. We, (the common folks), tell them what to do, not vice versa.

Anyway, thank you wonderful folks for being on these forums and thank you for your much valued opinions. I love to think that when I'm fondling a much loved knife, my Aussie brothers and sisters and others all around the world, are also. We're world's apart but we have the same addiction...KNIVES!

 
Gene

Thanks for the kind words.

In my reference the "urbanising" of our people, I wasn't actually referring to gross numbers.
Oz only has about 20 million people.....but the proportion of us that lives in cities, towns and suburbs is among the highest in the world. Our rural and agricultural holdings are, generally, quite large and highly mechanised. They do not employ great numbers of workers and young country people are forced to seek work in the population centres. Many never go back.
As an aside, most of our population centres are on the coasts....Oz is the driest continent.
The majority of Australians probably has only ever seen a kangaroo in a zoo
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I hope I wasn't lecturing.





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Brian W E
ICQ #21525343
MONEY- spend it before it's gone.



 
Brian,
Well, you've got us pegged, that's for sure;-) Pretty much all americans visualize aussies as beer drinking, crocodile wrestling, just this side of totally bonkers good old boys who chase kangaroos with their pickups on the weekend.....that is when they're not building rocket powered Mad Max machines for Y2K ;-)

BTW, not ignoring you. My e-mail server (I hope) went on the fritz, and this is my last 'forum' to contact anybody! The bowie is in the mail ;-)
If you could, please let the guys on rec.knives know I can reply via e-mail, so if they want to contact me, use the phone # in the website.

mel
 
Geez, Mel
That is , pretty much ,the way a lot of Aussie males WANT the world to see them.
As long as they don't have to ,actually ,DO that kind of dangerous crap
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Not me, of course.....I am the REAL thing.

Ok...talk to rec.knives for you. Sent you an email about an hour ago. Hope you read it sometime.....there is so much "sharing" stuff in it.

Brian



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Brian W E
ICQ #21525343
MONEY- spend it before it's gone.



 
The catalog arrived last March 2, and was postmarked Jan 29. Thanks, Mr. Korn. What have I learned? Not to use USPS again (but in fairness to them, it was our own local post office that caused the delay in delivery).

Brian -- sorry for using your thread.
 
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