[JohnG (John)]

Guns

I wasn't going to get into this discussion because I have seen the effects that guns and the users of them can inflict on people. At the age of 18, I joined the RAN and was trained in the operation and use of most types of Military weapons of the day, I subsequently was rated and Quarter Master Gunner and posted to A class patrol boats operating in the Barrier Reef area and part of that involved boarding what were considered hostile vessels in that period, as a junior sailor, I was always given the L1A2 to handle and also carried a 9mm Browning sidearm, the day did occure when someone was shot and killed and it is something I will not forget. A bit further into the future and I was drafted to a Helicopter Squadron and became a Helicopter Gunner, the effect of firing twin M-60 machine guns and the thought of using them against people is hard to describe as a 20 year old, I was trained for a reason and that reason was to go to Vietnam, luckily we only got halfway up the coast of AU before we turned back and the war ended.

Fast track to now and I am retired after spending 30 years in the NSW Police Force, during that time I carried a sidearm every working day, during that time I drew that weapon once only. Unfortunately I had to attend more deaths than I would like to remember, caused by people with mental illnesses, deliberate murders, suicides, accidents using guns. I have also been shot at and have had the unpleasant role of having to notify people of these incidents. My primary role was in Police Rescue and as such we were the people who had to deal with firearm related incidents, I will not attempt to describe what I have seen or what happens to someone using a shotgun on themselves or another person. It is not very pleasant. I still to this day cannot get out of my mind an incident involving children playing with a firearm.

Guns/firearms, unfortunately, they are a fact of life, you won't get rid of them, in the hands of idiots, they will always be lethal.

I don't want to have anything more to do with them, I have seen enough of what they can do in the hands of idiots.

Long arms for farmers, sporting shooters etc, with appropriate security, not a problem, hand guns, thats a whole different story

My say

Lets get back to Astronomy.

JohnG