Police Minister proud of kicking LAFOs; tee time with a bullet; assault musket; meagre support for anti-hunting petitions; shooting down the anti-hunting argument; Russell misses final; RSPCA lashed over ducks; US Congress drops semi-auto ban; the right to bear arms.
Police Minister proud of kicking LAFOs
Days after Robert Borsak gave NSW Police Minister Michael Gallacher no marks for his performance regarding legitimate shooters, the Shooters and Fishers MLC asked him a question in parliament about the ammo control legislation and police use of ammunition purchase details in their efforts to resolve a recent murder. Gallacher avoided giving an answer on the basis it would be inappropriate to talk about an ongoing investigation, but he did take the opportunity to boast that he wore his score of 0/10 “as a badge of honour”.
Tee time with a bullet
Do you like chasing little white balls into holes as much as you like hunting rabbits before they reach theirs? These golf tees (click on the image below) will stir up a few members as you line up to hit down the fairway. They’re made from .223 cases and fitted with real projectiles, but of course they’re inert. They can be used but if you whack one with the club you’ll probably ruin it, so the maker calls them a one-hit wonder. More resilient wooden ones are in the pipeline. The bullet tees cost US$9 for a set of three, from Knoxville Knife Depot, but we haven’t looked into the details of Australia’s laws for importing them. KKD’s golfers are also working on AR-15 putters and a .50-cal driver.
Assault musket
The guys at Knoxville Knife Depot clearly have a sense of humour. As well as the bullet golf tees, they’ve had a tongue-in-cheek dig at the controversy over gun control, “assault weapons” and the US Second Amendment, building an “assault musket” (pictured top right). A development of the Kentuckian muzzle-loader, it has a terrifying pistol grip, a highly advanced optical sighting system and, worst of all, a high-capacity magazine. With firepower like this, it’s no wonder the Americans won their independence from the British…
Meagre support for anti-hunting petitions
An online petition opposing hunting in NSW national parks has closed after garnering just 157 signatures in 10 months. Meanwhile, a new one set up Greens MP Jamie Parker, who represents the inner-west Sydney electorate of Balmain, is moving a little more quickly. Since starting this month, it has reached 125 signatures, a quarter of the way to its modest target of 500. Parker is continuing to push the line that “amateur recreational hunting is not an effective or humane way to control feral pests” and that only professionals are good enough for the job.
Shooting down the anti-hunting argument
David Leyonhjelm, of the Liberal Democratic Party, has posted a thorough debunk of the anti-hunting arguments put forward by Jamie Parker and other Greens. Describing the debate over hunting in NSW national parks as “farcical”, Leyonhjelm gives some good background to the story as well as clearly explaining why the Greens’ espousal of professionals is hollow. He shows that many more of their points are false. At the same time, he outlines opposition by hunters to the Game Council. He concludes, “if those opposed to hunting in national parks held genuine concerns for the environment they would want to make it easier for volunteers to shoot feral animals, wherever they occur”.
RSPCA lashed over ducks
The RSPCA’s anti-duck hunting campaign misses the mark, according to an article by Weekly Times journalist Christopher Bantick, who explains what’s good about the season in a short but scathing piece. “What the RSPCA needs to accept is that duck hunting serves 25,000 Victorians. They generate income for rural communities. The RSPCA does not,” he concludes.
Russell misses finals as Italy gets gold
Australia’s Russell Mark didn’t make the finals of the men’s double trap in the opening round of the ISSF World Cup shoot in Mexico. Italian shooters are continuing their dominance of the early 2013 season, chalking up another gold after Daniele Di Spigno’s victory ahead of Sergio Pinero (Dominican Republic) and 19-year-old American Ian Rupert. Men’s and women’s skeet remain to be decided.
US Congress drops “assault weapon” ban
US President Barack Obama’s series of gun control measures partially stalled in the US Senate this week. The proposed ban on semi-automatic rifles, tabled by anti-gun Democrat politician Diane Feinstein, would not have gained the votes it needed to pass with a clear majority in the Republican-dominated house. Individual states can still enact their own laws, but most are not doing so.
The US and the right to bear arms
Many Australians don’t understand what the US Second Amendment means, and in fact its intent is still a contentious issue over there. It’s also largely irrelevant to Australia because we do not have anything like America’s constitutional rights regarding firearms. This video goes a long way to demonstrating why so many US citizens are so adamant about maintaining their existing gun laws.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=0sujnvIV4g4
0 Comments