[dd74]

Before any of you disparage Matt about being an "Aussie" know first that he's as American as any of us - born here in Northern California, which is, in many areas, a haven of ultra right-wing politics.

Secondly, his point is well taken as Oz has taken extreme measures to limit personal gun ownership in light of a massacre much like this about 15 yrs. ago, IIRC. The Oz PM even brought this to light Tuesday (4/17), and that it should be a position the U.S. takes.

Question: is Oz so much different from the U.S.? Both have obtained sovereignty from the U.K., and both have a certain Wild West appeal to them. Their landscapes even look the same - at least out west. And Australia's idea of freedom and democracy is not dissimilar to our own.

Personally, I would think the Aussie position about gun control would have made sense two or three decades ago, when social and economical pressures were just beginning to become psychological issues in the U.S. Now, those pressures have mushroomed into a perception that no place is safe - schools, hospitals, church, govt. buildings, even your own home, hence a possible need for an ordinary U.S. citizen to carry a weapon, concealed or not.

I appreciate the POV from Australia about gun control in the U.S. But with the proliferation of firearms fueled by political opportunists who hide behind the coattails of the 2nd Amendment, the simple fact is the advice/criticism given to us by Australia and other advanced countries throughout the world remains too little too late here in the U.S.