Australian example

got this from another mail list.


>>
>> Gun Control Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2002 17:47:52 -0700 (PDT)
>> From: Ed Chenel, a police officer in Australia.
>>
>> Hi Yanks,
>>
>> I thought you all would like to see the real figures from Down Under. It
>> has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by a new
>> law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by our own
>> government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million
>> dollars.
>>
>> The first year results are now in:
>> Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent,
>> Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent;
>> Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)!
>>
>> In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300
>> percent. (Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the
>> criminals did not and criminals still possess their guns!)
>>
>> While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed
>> robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12
>> months, since the criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed.
>> There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the
>> elderly.
>>
>> Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has
>> decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in
>> "successfully ridding Australian society of guns." You won't see this data
>> on the American evening news or hear your governor or members of the state
>> Assembly disseminating this information.
>>
>> The Australian experience proves it. Guns in the hands of honest citizens
>> save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws affect only the
>> law-abiding citizens. Take note Americans, before it's to late!
>>
>> FORWARD TO EVERYONE ON YOUR EMAIL LIST!
>>
>> DON'T BE A MEMBER OF THE SILENT MAJORITY AND LET THE VOCAL MINORITY LET
>> THIS HAPPEN IN THE U. S.
>>
>>
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