The curious case of the gun in the night
Last month on near Albury farmer defended his home with an unloaded rifle. He apprehended the dangerous assailant and delivered them to the police. Rather than being hailed as a local hero the man’s weapons have been confiscated sparking debate about Australian gun control.
The history of Australian gun control
Last year was the 20th anniversary of the Port Arthur Massacre – the first and only mass shooting on Australian soil.
The same year federal, state and territory governments across Australia acted in unison making automatic and semi-automatic firearms illegal. The reforms also tightened firearms storage and acquisition laws.
It’s a contested notion that these reforms alone reduced firearm accidents, suicides, injuries and homicides in the following years. What’s uncontested is that Australia has one of the lowest rates of gun crime in the world and the figures are declining.
Self defence
David Dunstan experienced anyone’s worst nightmare when a young man knocked on his door in the middle of the night holding a 7ft long red-gum log and a concealed knife.
This was the second attempt at home invasion by the youth who is known to police in the area. The first attempt involved trying to enter a house through a child’s bedroom. He is now facing court this month.
Mr Dunstan has children aged 9 -14 and insists he was acting to protect his family. He checked that his rifle was not loaded and took control of a situation that could have ended in tragedy. So how is it that the police are not knocking on his door to thank him for his cool-headed bravery?
Guns and farm life
Most farmers would agree that owning and occasionally using a rifle is part of life on the land. David Dunstan has a valid gun permit for pest control. Primary producers are required to demonstrate that they require a firearm due to a genuine need, which can not be satisfied by other means.
Guns and Australian law
The National Firearms Agreement clearly states that “Personal protection is not a genuine reason for acquiring, possessing or using a firearm.”
Mr Dunstan’s circumstances have some people saying that our self defence laws are laughable. Others feel that they prevent escalation between would-be criminals and the law-abiding public.
Most agree that a family man is to be commended for such a simple, effective and non-violent solution in this given situation.
Ordinary Australians have been putting their money where their opinions are and rallying behind Mr Dunstan. If you’d like to support David’s legal case, you can visit his gofundme page created by the Combined Firearms Council of Victoria.
The post Own A Gun, But Can’t Defend Yourself? appeared first on ABC Sheds.
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