(Australia) Minister Looks At Ban On Owning Swords, Bows

[Drizzt]

Copyright 2002 The Age Company Limited
The Age (Melbourne)


August 29, 2002 Thursday

SECTION: News; Pg. 7

LENGTH: 246 words

HEADLINE: Minister Looks At Ban On Owning Swords, Bows

BYLINE: Richard Baker

BODY:
Owning swords, crossbows and machetes may be prohibited in Victoria as the State Government continues its campaign against the use of dangerous weapons.

Police Minster Andre Haermeyer yesterday said the government was considering changing the ownership category of swords, crossbows and machetes from restricted to prohibited. Responding to reports of weapons such as swords and machetes being sold at a weekend market in Melbourne, Mr Haermeyer said few people would have legitimate reasons for owning those weapons or crossbows.

"There's no reason why anybody needs to be walking down city streets carrying a machete, similarly swords," he said.

But those with proper reasons, such as some farmers and weapons collectors, would still be able to keep machetes and swords, Mr Haermeyer said.

Police have been instructed to visit weekend markets in the coming weeks to check if weapons are being sold.

"Some of these stalls, they're not selling kitchen equipment, they're not selling cutlery, they're out there selling martial arts equipment. That's totally inappropriate in a family setting . . . it's also quite frightening the sort of mentality this appeals to," Mr Haermeyer said.

The government this week launched a $550,000 advertising campaign to curb the carrying of knives and other weapons by young men.

Mr Haermeyer said he was concerned by a growing obsession that many young men had with weapons. Such people were sooks, not real men, he said.



Aw, come on..... you knew it was coming......

[spacemanspiff]

cut out the middle processes, all violence comes from the thoughts a person has and then acts upon them. prohibit all brains, and discourage anyone from thinking for themselves. its completely inappropiate in a family environment to use your brain.

[Blackhawk]

Pardon my ignorance, but "dangerous weapons" are the only kind that are of any use.

In my experience, rubber knives, foam bats, and suction cup arrows have no value whatsoever as weapons.

Mr Haermeyer said he was concerned by a growing obsession that many young men had with weapons. Such people were sooks, not real men, he said.

I guess a "real" man in Australia doesn't need weapons to defend himself. Can these supermen fly, leap tall buildings in a single bound, and outrun bullets?

Served with a bunch of Aussies in VIetnam and couldn't tell the difference between them and us until the talking started....

What's a "sook" anyway...?

[Drizzt]

Copyright 2002 The Age Company Limited
The Age (Melbourne)


August 27, 2002 Tuesday

SECTION: News; Pg. 5

LENGTH: 347 words

HEADLINE: Blunt Words To Fight Sharp Weapons

BYLINE: Richard Baker

BODY:
An advertising campaign that brands young armed assailants "wankers" and "[color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color]s" is the Victorian Government's latest attempt to curb attacks involving knives and other weapons.

The $550,000 print and radio campaign began yesterday as the Alfred Hospital reported a 110 per cent increase in major injuries caused by knives during the past year.

Police Minister Andre Haermeyer said he was concerned that an increasing number of children and young men were carrying weapons for self-defence and because they thought it was "cool" or tough. Statistics showed the use of weapons in assaults in Victoria increased by almost 38 per cent last financial year.

In 2000-01, the Alfred treated 25 injuries - none fatal - from attacks with weapons. In 2001-02 there were two deaths and 45 injuries. The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons said the number of deaths from knife wounds was rising.

Mr Haermeyer said: "This dangerous trend towards carrying weapons shows that we have to get the message out that young people who do so are not just breaking the law, they are putting themselves, and their friends and families at serious risk."

He said the advertising campaign warned that weapons could be easily used against their carriers.

The advertisements, which will be displayed at nightclubs, warn of tough new penalties for possessing a weapon, including 12 months' jail or a $12,000 fine.

The government believes the colourful language will have more impact on its target audience of young males because it is "consistent with the vernacular of Melbourne's young people".

Mr Haermeyer said the government was developing legislation for the spring session of parliament to give police greater powers to search people suspected of carrying weapons.

Police stations will begin receiving this week 420 metal detectors to help in the search for weapons.

State Opposition police spokesman Kim Wells said he supported moves to reduce the number of people carrying knives but accused the government of doing little in recent years to combat aggressive crime.

[MitchSchaft]

Any item can be a weapon of opportunity.

[Leatherneck]

Let's review recent history Down Under: first guns get restricted; next guns get confiscated; then machetes and swords get restricted, then taken away. And still there's violent crime? It's not working? OH NOOOOOO! Let's spend a half mil or so on an ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN!
Beyond words...
TC

[croyance]

But those with proper reasons, such as some farmers and weapons collectors, would still be able to keep machetes and swords, Mr Haermeyer said.

Well thank god there is a government to tell us what is proper and what is not.

Mr Haermeyer said: "This dangerous trend towards carrying weapons shows that we have to get the message out that young people who do so are not just breaking the law, they are putting themselves, and their friends and families at serious risk."

I love this one. So you get assaulted by criminals because you are armed. By that logic, the US TFL members should be in the hospital.

Police Minister Andre Haermeyer said he was concerned that an increasing number of children and young men were carrying weapons for self-defence and because they thought it was "cool" or tough. Statistics showed the use of weapons in assaults in Victoria increased by almost 38 per cent last financial year.

If the number of armed assaults increased by 38%, who wouldn't go armed? If you don't defend yourself, you end up in that hospital statistic they mention. I guess the government wins either way. But why actually tackle the issue of citizens needing to defend themselves when you can disarm them?

[Dave P]

But those with proper reasons, such as some farmers and weapons collectors, would still be able to keep machetes and swords, Mr Haermeyer said.

And who's the wanker that will decide who has "proper reasons"?


I can't believe all this crap!

How hot does the water have to get before the frog jumps out?


:barf: :barf: :barf: :barf:

[Futo Inu]

I gotchur proper reasons - right hea!

[SamH]

What the heck?

So my surburban home has a machete and an axe. Gee, they must be so dangerous to my family when all I'm doing is cutting bushes!

Bows and arrow, fair enough. But everyday implements like knives, machetes, etc. don't need banning.

Police Minister Andre Haermeyer said he was concerned that an increasing number of children and young men were carrying weapons for self-defence and because they thought it was "cool" or tough.

Does Mister Haermeyer wear a seat belt when driving? Wow, he must be really cool and tough because he concerns about his own safety.

What's a "sook" anyway...?

Sook = wimp, whiner, coward, etc.

[OF]

Once the means of resistance are gone, the populace is literally at the whim of the government. The population of Australia will be subjected to whatever the government can dream up, and there isn't a damn thing they can do about it.

It's game over.

- Gabe

[mister rogers]

it's also quite frightening the sort of mentality this appeals to," Mr Haermeyer said.


That would be that frightening mentality that believes in freedom and individual Liberty no doubt.

[Cosmoline]

I thought our left-wing gun grabbers were insane. This takes the cake. I pity any good folk left down under. Many of them will die before the idiot politicos realize the road they started down after the Tasmanian shootings leads over a cliff.

[Beowulf_93]

The best that can be hoped for is that some of those still holding firearms stashed them away before the ban went into effect. It amazes me that this mentality exists. I wonder if the UK covertly sent some of their Labor Party members to infiltrate Australia?

[Hkmp5sd]

At the rate they are going, in a few years the Aussies will have to go to the "knife range" to access their steak knives for supper. Provided of course, they pass the background check and they can demonstrate an actual need to use one.

[gwalchmai]

Bows and arrow, fair enough. But everyday implements like knives, machetes, etc. don't need banning.

NO, NOT FAIR AT ALL!

I think the worst aspect of what has happened in Australia and England is the fact that people in the US are not learning from it. Here we have a case study of all the things we have always feared about gun-control, played out exactly as predicted. We should be shouting from the rooftops about this nonsense. Foxnews should have a nightly report showing the latest developments. Everytime an anti opens their mouth they should have to answer the "What about Australia?" question.

[Oleg Volk]

Maybe the Aborigines can now re-take that continent...they'd be better armed than most other Australians.

[Christopher II]

It's tough to defend one's liberty with kitchen utensils.

Makes one wonder what the Aussie gov't has planned for the peons, that they need to be disarmed down to the barest detail.

- Chris

[Sodbuster]

How can I elaborate on the many fine responses concerning the words of Chief Wanker Haermeyer? It can't be done.

[Ben Swenson]

(in reference to banning of bows and arrows being fair)
NO, NOT FAIR AT ALL!

Maybe not fair, but it is the next logical step.
Why ban guns? "Because their only purpose is to kill."
So, what purpose does a bow have? "Target practice! Hunting!" So? You can hunt and target-practice with a gun. Not only that, but guns allow weak individuals an equal opportunity to hunt and target practice. Additionally, self-defense with a gun is more likely than self-defense with a bow.
Let's take this a little further. A typical bow will fire an arrow that can cut through most body armor. You can buy "Cop Killer" broadheads or "Armor peircing" field tips. Anyone - even if they have a crimnal record - can buy or make a bow without breaking the law. Crossbow bolts and arrows can be fired with great accuracy and are quieter than a firearm.

Close the "Assault Bow" loophole!

[Scott Conklin]

I'm still stuck on this machete thing. Ban machetes? Hell, Wally World has a half a row of the damn things out there. I've got 'em rattling around in my truck, car, basement... A machete is a tool. A utensil for Pete Sake! Next on the list? Axes! I mean, this is worse than what any of us have actually envisioned from the Grabbers. They've moved beyond weapons to tools.

Anything is fair game now.

[TheEgg]

There are no dangerous weapons, only dangerous people. Laws, to be rational and effective, must address this issue -- a dangerous person, no matter how many laws are passed to ban "things" is still dangerous, if with nothing more than teeth, hands, and feet. Laws that instead attempt to remove simple objects are doomed to ultimate failure, if indeed the purpose of those laws are to deal with dangerous people and not to 're-engineer' society into someones ideal of socialist utopia. A telling point here is the reaction of the gun-banners in England, who after they were successful in banning handguns were asked why the crime rate did not go down, answered in effect that "they never expected crime to go down, and that was not the purpose of the ban." (paraphrased)

The politicians and fellow travelers in UK, Australia, and here in the US that refuse to see the simple truth, are either fools, or are pushing these laws for a far different agenda.

[RepublicThunderbolt]

Next up, the dreaded "pointy stick", followed shortly by mandatory quadruple limb amputation...
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