Martin William Smith wrote:

[...]
>> Your idea of limiting the number of guns a person can own, before
>> they must be stored in a central armoury, would be rather a nuisance
>> (and probably quite a financial burden) to many gun owners though.
>
>Children are also a nuisance and a financial burden to many mothers
>and fathers.  We continue to expect people to take care of their
>children properly.

People have children voluntarily and look after them voluntarily. People
see the point in having children, you don't have to mandate it.
>
>> Guns are just tools, you need different tools for different jobs.
>
>One gun is a tool.  You can only shoot one gun at a time.  Ten guns is
>an armory.  If you need a different type of gun for each task, fine.
>How many are there?  Hunting, target shooting, self-defence (if your
>worries about a police state lead you to believe police do not deter
>crime), and service in the militia.  That's four.  Any others?

There's diferent tupes of hunting, different types of target shooting.
There's different terrains, different game. Why do you think people
invented all those different types of firearms if they didn't all have a
different use?

I'm dubious about self-defense as a legitimate use for a firearm myself, to
be honest. I don't even think cops should carry guns as a matter of course.
In fact nothing irritates me more than to see traffic cops wandering around
like some sort of pimple-face John Wayne with a dirty great gun strapped to
his/her hip. These people are accidents waiting to happen. Untrained and
undisciplined civilians pointing guns at each other is just as bad really.

[...]

>I don't know how this guy can go on living.  I can't imagine shooting
>roos without taking at least three pump action shotguns along for
>emergencies.  War is hell.

He moans a lot, but he just has to find some other way to feed his dogs,
and himself, and me occassionally (I get lower priority than his dogs, only
when his freezers are full).

But he doesn't necessarily take them ALL along, ideally just one spare gun.

[...]

>> Next thing you know we have the likes of Pauline Hanson, a bigoted
>> ignoramus, getting huge support from rural Australians. Wonder why?
>
>Because rural Australians are just as prone to errors in judgment as
>urban middle class Australians.

Yeah. Difference is the errors of judgement of the urban Australian
middle-class often become law.

Bill Bartlett
Bracknell tas.