Shooting

According to the CNN White House correspondent this morning the President’s staff had “admonished” the press corps for raising the issue of gun laws in the wake of the unspeakable tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. 

Now is not the time for that sort of thing, apparently.

The President himself was careful to avoid even using the term “guns” in his tearful but composed statement on the shooting that has left 20 young children, and six innocent adults, dead. But he gave the strongest signal yet he was considering cracking down on the United State’s notoriously damaging gun culture.

Continue reading "If there is a line on gun control surely this crossed it" »

He’s the poster boy for bogans, sporting a mullet that would make Warwick Capper blush and has a wife who obviously shares the same hair stylist; however I’d wager there are a lot of guys and girls out there who would love to have Dog the Bounty Hunter’s job.

Kitting out in tactical gear; kicking down doors; dragging bail-jumpers back to prison all for a hefty fee – sure beats sitting at a desk staring at white walls all day.

Dog the Bounty Hunter could also provide the solution to NSW and potentially Australia’s rural pest problem.

Continue reading "For Dog’s sake let’s shoot these ferals" »

In 2008, the Queensland Labor Government banned shotgunning flying foxes in orchards in response to the Queensland Animal Welfare Advisory Committee judging that shotguns weren’t a humane killing method. The Beattie Government banned duck shooting for the same reason in 2005.

In response, Campbell Newman promised before the last election to reintroduce shotguns in orchards. Why should the pig doggers have all the fun? But there was a legislative requirement that control measures be humane. What to do? Too easy. Get rid of the requirement for humaneness.

As of last Friday, you can now cripple and wound flying foxes without any risk of prosecution for cruelty. Instead there will be a code of practice. This is a familiar trick. Any time you want to do something cruel to an animal, have it put in a code of practice along with a general provision defining all actions done under a code of practice to be outside the welfare jurisdiction. This prevents any uppity RSPCA inspector applying anti-cruelty legislation where it’s not bloody welcome.

Continue reading "You’d have to be batty to gun down these critters" »

In the aftermath of the Empire State shootings, the dialogue has spun off in two distinct directions. One is the rather shocking news that nine bystanders were injured by police bullets, an unfortunate event referenced by the song below.

By the way, the above song “New York City Cops” (with its chorus New York City cops… ain’t too smart) by The Strokes, was kicked off their famous 2001 Album “Is This it?” in respect to 9/11 victims but made the Australian version.

Another dicussion after the weekend’s shootings centres on a photo which showed a victim of the shooting dead in a pool of his own blood. There is a case to be made that the image was impersonal as it was taken from quite a distance. What do you think? Was The New York Times right to publish it? And what else is on your mind?

Continue reading "Punch on: Open thread 27/08/2012" »

Sad. Horrific. Tragic.

Three words that can be found instantaneously when reading or watching reports related to the Aurora theatre shooting that occurred in the early hours of Friday July 20th, where 12 were killed and at least 50 injured.

Thirteen years prior, only 15 miles away in Columbine, Americans were all too familiarly ‘shaken’ and ‘shocked’ by similar gun-related violence.

Continue reading "After Denver’s darkest night, time for a fresh gun debate" »

So it was a fantastic week for guns. Nick D’Arcy and Kenrick Monk had to go the mega mea culpa for momentarily being confused as to which sport they pull on the green and gold tracksuit and Dunlop Volleys for.

It was also a great week for parenting combined with guns, and it doesn’t get any better than that. One notable example showed that children are not only our future, but are in very good hands. Ok, one of those hands might be their mum or dad brandishing a semi-automatic pistol, or a pump-action shotgun, but that’s of little consequence.

The story of eight-year-old kids having parties at a shooting range copped more of a barrage than a nude guy chomping on a face in Miami.

Continue reading "Giving a game of Cops and Robbers new consequences" »

I went shooting recently. A couple of old friends and I spent a few days on a farm in northern NSW which can only be described as a target-rich environment.

I’ve never seen so many rabbits in one place ... between us we nailed about 300 of them and left thousands more chewing up the paddocks.

So numerous were they that at night you could have walked through the pastures with a cricket bat and scored a century.

Continue reading "Wowser-watch: shooters are making environment’s day" »