LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
I AM writing regarding an article written by Rob Harris (Herald Sun 29/7), with the heading ‘Muir opens fire on PM’s gun ban’.
Rob Harris stated that Ricky Muir has “fired back at the Abbot Government’s over-reaction”, and that “hunting groups have slammed” the government’s “importation suspension” of the import of 7000 new Adler A110 lever-action shotguns.
Other words “unfairly targeted”, and “law-abiding hunters” were also used.
The article also mentioned that Senator Muir had an order placed for the purchase of such a gun.
I have a few questions to ask prospective Adler A110 owners.
Why do they need to have this gun?
What do they expect to kill with it?
What use do they have except for killing?
Does holding such a gun make them feel like a man?
My comment to the first is that there are enough high powered, automatic guns now in Australia, without bringing in another 7000 of these weapons.
That is tied to my second question.
Would they be of use on rabbits, ducks, possums, deer and other small game?
Would they spend many hundreds of dollars on a gun to hit lumps of clay fired from a machine in a paddock?
As far as thinking a man’s manhood depends on a gun in the hand, I think not.
I feel sorry for any man if he needs this physical and psychological prop to be a man.
That is truly a mental problem.
As you can see, I am not a fan of repeating guns of any make or style capable of mass murder.
Some years ago I knelt over my murdered daughter, after she was shot by a weirdo with an AK-47 at the Port Arthur historic site.
I then moved about two metres to the gutter at the side of the road, stooped down and rubbed the face of my 3 -year-old granddaughter.
She had multiple bullet wounds through the stomach.
Moving further up the hill, I found my 6 -year-old granddaughter shot several times at close quarters through the back of the neck, with the same AK-47 gun.
Perhaps if Mr Muir was in my position, his criticism of a gun importation ban, and hence trying to save lives of people, may hopefully be quite different.
Guns may have some use, but should certainly not be freely available to any Tom, Dick or Harry.
By the way, I have tried to meet Mr Muir, but after filling in an appointment query sheet, and subsequent enquires at the office, his wife said she would tell him to contact me.
That never happened.
