On 18/07/2013, at 12:31 AM, Jordan Hayes <jmhayes at j-o-r-d-a-n.com> wrote:
> If you want to switch gears and talk about central gun registration, yes: I'm on record here as saying that I'm against it for similar reasons: there's no scenario that such a thing would help stop gun crime, and it's the kind of thing that on its own is easily abused. If you want to ban gun ownership, go work on that; in the mean time, this half-baked "We'll make a list!" idea is dumb.
>
> There's an underlying priciple, which I think I'm also on record here as saying: law enforcement, in a society like ours, SHOULD be difficult. Anything whose sole purpose appears to be "to make law enforcement easier" is usually something I'm against. In the case of guns, I think the answer is clear: require manufacturers to adequately keep records of who they ship them to; require stores to adequately keep records of who they sold to; etc. ENFORCE THIS. If you want to track a gun, make a few phone calls. Work down "through the tree" instead of having a big pile of leaves to sift through any time you want.
Here's a case in point. See a bit into the story: "The home invasion comes just days after police carried out a firearms inspection at the property.": Of course the police are denying there is any connection or any pattern, but then they would, wouldn't they?
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-03/home-invasion-terror/4798150 Gunman terrorises Hobart family in foiled break-in
By Edith Bevin Updated Thu Jul 4, 2013 10:12am AEST
Police have defended the security of the state's firearms register, after the invasion of a home belonging to registered gun owners. A Hobart man is recovering from a head injury after being attacked by a gunman who tried to force his way into his family home early on Wednesday morning.
The terrified family say they are baffled as to why the house was targeted and nothing was stolen.
Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, a man with a sawn-off shotgun smashed his way through the back door of the family's Mt Rumney home.
Susan King's husband struggled with the gunman, trying to stop him getting inside, and was hit in the head with the shotgun as the intruder fled when the house alarms were activated.
"I was scared he was going to shoot me but he didn't seem to be after anything he was just trying to scare the living hell out of us," Mrs King said.
Jamie King was still shaking as he recalled how close his 65 year old father came to being shot.
"He had blood coming off his face, my Mum was petrified and I was quite shook up. We're lucky that my Dad and my Mum and I weren't shot or killed."
The home invasion comes just days after police carried out a firearms inspection at the property.
About 70 break-ins this year have involved the theft of guns and several of them followed firearms inspections.
Police are confident their firearms database has not been compromised and say they do not believe there is any link between their inspection and the Mt Rumney home invasion.
More than 200 firearms were stolen in the financial year just ended, about double the number recorded the year before.
Hotels have revised security after a series of armed hold-ups and some businesses are now keeping less cash on their premises.