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Sadly, the credit claimed by politicians of all persuasions is
misplaced.
"Despite some large annual fluctuations, murders and manslaughters
involving the use of firearms have generally declined in significance over
the last decade [1985-1994]. Using three-year averages because of the
small numbers involved, the rate of firearm killings per million people
fell from 6.8 in 1985 to 4.0 in 1994. The decline over the last decade
follows a slow but steady increase in murder/manslaughter death rates
attributed to firearms for most of the post-war period. In proportionate
terms, murder and manslaughter deaths by firearms have generally decreased
from 32% of all murder/manslaughters in 1985 to 20% in 1995."
(http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/2f762f95845417aeca25706c00834efa/8f1f383829ef039fca2570ec001b2fc4!OpenDocument
Accessed 17/02/2007)
"The crude firearms death rate declined from 4.8 deaths per 100,000
population in 1980 to 2.6 in 1995...This represented a decline of 46% over
a period of 16 years...The 1995 standardised rate of 2.6 was the lowest
death rate from firearm use recorded during the reference period."
(http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/ProductsbyTopic/9C85BD1298C075EACA2568A900139342?OpenDocument
Accessed 17/02/2007)
Note that this downward trend occurred PRIOR to the national gun law
changes, which principally affected longarms, at an initial cost of
approximately $500 million.
"...the number of attempted murders involving a firearm [in 1999]
increased to a seven-year high of 32 per cent from 1993."
(http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mediareleasesbyReleaseDate/F809595B8F181A17CA25690C0013AC9B?OpenDocument
Accessed 17/02/2007)
Note that this increase occurred AFTER the new, very expensive, laws
were introduced.
The types of firearms at which the legislation was aimed (military-
style longarms) were only involved in 1.3% of deaths, where such
information was recorded.
Since then, hundreds of millions more dollars have been spent
repeating the process with respect to pistols.
Both in Australia and post-Dunblane England, the statistics do not
support such misuse of tax dollars, which could have been better spent on
preventing suicide, repairing main roads or providing clean drinking water
to remote aboriginal communities, all of which would have saved more
lives.
Competing interests:
Licenced target shooter, and have worked in under-funded rural and remote hospitals.
Nothing of which to boast.
Sadly, the credit claimed by politicians of all persuasions is
misplaced.
"Despite some large annual fluctuations, murders and manslaughters
involving the use of firearms have generally declined in significance over
the last decade [1985-1994]. Using three-year averages because of the
small numbers involved, the rate of firearm killings per million people
fell from 6.8 in 1985 to 4.0 in 1994. The decline over the last decade
follows a slow but steady increase in murder/manslaughter death rates
attributed to firearms for most of the post-war period. In proportionate
terms, murder and manslaughter deaths by firearms have generally decreased
from 32% of all murder/manslaughters in 1985 to 20% in 1995."
(http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/2f762f95845417aeca25706c00834efa/8f1f383829ef039fca2570ec001b2fc4!OpenDocument
Accessed 17/02/2007)
"The crude firearms death rate declined from 4.8 deaths per 100,000
population in 1980 to 2.6 in 1995...This represented a decline of 46% over
a period of 16 years...The 1995 standardised rate of 2.6 was the lowest
death rate from firearm use recorded during the reference period."
(http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/ProductsbyTopic/9C85BD1298C075EACA2568A900139342?OpenDocument
Accessed 17/02/2007)
Note that this downward trend occurred PRIOR to the national gun law
changes, which principally affected longarms, at an initial cost of
approximately $500 million.
"...the number of attempted murders involving a firearm [in 1999]
increased to a seven-year high of 32 per cent from 1993."
(http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mediareleasesbyReleaseDate/F809595B8F181A17CA25690C0013AC9B?OpenDocument
Accessed 17/02/2007)
Note that this increase occurred AFTER the new, very expensive, laws
were introduced.
The types of firearms at which the legislation was aimed (military-
style longarms) were only involved in 1.3% of deaths, where such
information was recorded.
Since then, hundreds of millions more dollars have been spent
repeating the process with respect to pistols.
Both in Australia and post-Dunblane England, the statistics do not
support such misuse of tax dollars, which could have been better spent on
preventing suicide, repairing main roads or providing clean drinking water
to remote aboriginal communities, all of which would have saved more
lives.
Competing interests:
Licenced target shooter, and have worked in under-funded rural and remote hospitals.
Competing interests: No competing interests