Another Reason, I Absolutely, Positively, Will NOT Comply with Licensing or “Safe Storage” Laws
Because they lead to crap like this (from Australia, of course – “Million” Mom chant: “England can do it! Australia can do it! We can too!” – No you can’t, ladies. No you can’t.)
AN apologetic father has urged gun owners to make sure their weapons are properly secured — after his 10-year-old son took a bullet to school. (So?)
After a court hearing yesterday, Robert George Wilton, 38, said his son and other children took bullets to school during the deer-hunting season after teachers asked what they were doing at home. But on the school bus a student grabbed the bullet from the youngster’s bag — and an older student took it to the bus driver. (Again, SO?)
The bus driver’s report led to a visit by Constable Stephen Timmons to the Wilton home at Wilberville on Arthurs Lake in the Central Highlands.
And Robert Wilton ended up being convicted in the Hobart Magistrates Court of storage safety breaches.
And that’s the plan for here.
In the name of “gun SAFETY“.
The court heard Constable Timmons had asked to see where Wilton stored his rifles and ammunition and was shown a safe in the main bedroom.
Wilton took a key from a key ring hanging from a rack to open the safe which contained four rifles, including one belonging to a friend, the friend’s silencer and ammunition. (At least the Aussies get silencers without a rectal scan from the government.)
The prosecution based its case on the safe key being accessible from the key rack and the fact that the safe was in a visible place.
Want to cut down on the number of legally-owned firearms in the country? Keep changing the regulations – no changes in the law per se, just keep making it harder and more expensive to comply with the specifics of the regulation – and make sure you get some high-profile prosecutions of some poor schmucks who violate the regulation-of-the-week.
Worked real well in England.
Wilton was found guilty at yesterday’s hearing of failing to take all precautions to ensure the safekeeping of firearms and possessing a silencer. (Whoops! Apparently he didn’t have the right paperwork after all. And, you’ll note, the government gets to decide what “all precautions” means, not you.)
He pleaded guilty to failing to comply with firearms storage requirements and ammunition storage requirements for category A weapons.
Convicting Wilton, magistrate Sam Mollard said in his opinion it was a “basic obvious precaution to store a gun safe in a place where it can’t be seen”.
Like, say, at the bottom of a lake? Inside a block of cast concrete? Seen by whom, Mr. Mollard?
Mr Mollard said the same could be said for the safe’s key.
Oh BITE ME!
Wilton denied the safe could be seen from outside the house and said it could only be seen inside if the bedroom door was open.
He also said he kept the safe with his car keys and carried them with him all the time except when he hung them on the rack while at home.
Constable Timmons told the court that after speaking to Wilton’s son he was unable to say how the boy obtained the bullet found on the bus.
Mr Mollard said the offences were of “somewhat lesser seriousness than is typically the case” and fined Wilton $300 and ordered he pay levies and costs of $190.
And here’s the kicker:
Outside court, Wilton said the offences had cost him not only the fine but also $3000 worth of rifles, which were confiscated and would be destroyed.
The keen deer hunter said that was the hardest part of the case.
“Looks like it’s put me out of the deer season,” he said.
(Looks like they’ve disarmed you, but then defending yourself or your family with a firearm is already pretty much a no-no in Australia, isn’t it?)
He urged fellow gun owners to ensure they obtained gun safes and made sure they were not clearly visible and that the gun licence holder was the only person who knew where the key to the safe was.
Yes, be good little proles. Obey the (current) regulations, and wait for them change the rules again and try to trip you up. It’s for your own good, really. You’re not qualified.
Wilton will now have to provide a reason why his firearm licence should not be revoked and, if he wants to buy another rifle, police will have to inspect his storage facilities first.
Yes, he’s a good little prole, except for that nasty insistence on owning firearms – which should be restricted only to employees of the government. But they’re fixing that – one subject at a time.
Let’s review: Little Johnny took a round of ammo to school for show-and-tell. On the way home he was accosted by a bully who took said round from little Johnny’s knapsack and then it was carried up and shown to the bus driver. The bus driver, shocked and horrified to learn that something as evil as a round of live ammo was on his bus, then filed a report.
The police are contacted, and the cop in charge of investigating the “safe storage” of guns and ammunition makes a call to little Johnny’s house. Without a search warrant – ’cause they’re not necessary in Australia for this, having a gun license subjects you to warrantless search – the cop in question inspects the premises for compliance with the “safe storage” laws. Now, while he can’t say for sure just where little Johnny got the round in question, he does notice that Dad’s gun safe can actually be seen, and that Dad doesn’t keep the key in his jockey shorts or, preferably, STORED 12″ UP HIS RECTUM.
As a result of this, Dad gets fined $490 (Australian), and loses $3,000 worth of personal property which the state is going to destroy.
And all Dad has to say is “Looks like it’s put me out of deer season.”
Sweet bleeding Jebus.
I WILL NOT license. I WILL NOT register. Ever. Period.