Someone actually checked the links! :o) I wondered how many would agree or disagree without any substantiation (or doing their own research which I recommended)... :o)

Although, I have seen the stats in Australia (including the longtime stats) be twisted to support both sides.


>>------------------------------
>>It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by new
>>law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by their own
>>government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million
>>dollars. The first year results are now in:
>>
>>List of 7 items:
>>Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent
>>Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent
>>Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)!
>>
>>In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300
>>percent. Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the
>>criminals did not, and criminals still possess their guns!
>>
>>While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed
>>robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12
>>months, since criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed.
>>
>>There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the
>>ELDERLY. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety
>>has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in
>>successfully ridding Australian society of guns The Australian experience
>>and the other historical facts above prove it.
>>
>>
>>*****************************************************************************
>>Ok, now some stats:
>>
>>http://www.snopes.com/crime/statistics/ausguns.asp
>
>
>I'm just responding to highlight the Snopes piece about the Australian statistics because it makes it quite clear that at least this part is full of it.
>
>Tamar