In 1996 newly elected Prime Minister John Howard of Australia pushed for stricter gun control. That year the Australian Parliament passed the National Firearms Agreement which banned the private ownership of all semiautomatic rifles and semiautomatic and pump action shotguns. The new law also established more restrictions in the licensing of other firearms.
According to the National Firearms Agreement private citizens were forced to turn over the banned weapons in a government buyback system. Beginning on October 1, 1966 through September 30, 1997, the Australian government spent $500 million in purchasing and destroying more than 631,000 banned guns. Howard and other politicians promised the citizens of Australia that they would be safer now that these horrible weapons had been taken off the streets.
However, that was not the case! Since Australia banned semiautomatic rifles, shotguns and pump action shotguns the gun crime rates have skyrocketed throughout the country.
Murders committed with guns increased by 19%.
Home invasions increased by 21%.
Assaults committed with guns increased by 28%.
Armed robberies skyrocketed with an increase of 69%.
Many former gun owners blame the government and their gun control laws for the increases in crimes. They feel helpless in their own homes, unable to protect themselves. In fact, home invasions were so rare prior to the gun ban that the nation did not even have a legal definition for what a home invasion was.
Seeing the direct results of what the ban on guns did in Australia, they are now warning us not to follow in their footsteps.
With gun control being the number one item on Obama’s agenda, I feel that it is vitally important to share this video with everyone you know, especially your Senator and Representative in Washington and your state capital. Show them that banning guns will only increase crime not reduce it and demand that they take action to prevent the Obama administration from turning us into another Australia.
