Re:*sigh* (Score 1)

In Australia the phrase "only in America" comes to mind. I'm glad that Australia has gun control regulations. The best way of increasing the chances of a member of your family shot is to own a gun. If people actually sit down and look at how guns are used it becomes obvious very quickly that owning a gun decreases the personal safety of you and your family. Having had friends killed in the Port Arthur massacre I have a very emotional response to the the pro-gun lobby. I acknowledge this bias but firmly believe that in the majority of cases guns are used to deny the civil rights of others, not to defend one's own. US history is very different to Australian, and in Australia our constitution doesn't provide the right to bear arms, nor do we have a Bill of Rights. Having read a number of essays on the US constitution I believe the right to bear arms has been interpreted incredibly liberally. The US was born out of bloodshed, Australia came into existance peacefully. These events from long ago still seem to have significant impact on modern society. Glad to live in a country where shootings aren't an everyday occurence. Psike.