Maybe if these criminals knew that people had the right to defend themselves then attacks such as this would be rare.
A gang of armed thieves has left "innocent people" with horrific and disfiguring injuries after violently bashing them in their beds during six separate home invasions.
Police said the robbers, aged in their teens and early 20s, used machetes and an axe to terrorise victims.
The home invasions occurred in Auburn, in Sydney's west, between September and November last year. It is believed the same gang was also involved in armed robberies on businesses in the area.
One person was injured in each of the home invasions, with one man left with a large chunk of his forehead missing after being hit with an axe.
Another man suffered injuries to his face and skull after being attacked with a machete.
Now there is too much to cover in this rant, but I think what does need to be seriously addressed is stronger protections for the sanctity of the home.
Under common law we all have some basic right to defend our person and home, but the problem in QLD at least, the police can arrest you if in the process of defending yourself or your home, you “assault” or “kill” the intruder or intruders. You can’t use the defence of “a genuine belief that it was necessary” to assault or kill in order to protect yourself or your family (criminals know this and that’s why attacks like the one above will continue unabated).
The only state in Australia that allows householders to use "whatever force they deem necessary" when confronted with a home invader is South Australia. In July 2003, the Rann Government introduced such laws and the rest of Australia needs to do the same.
Another problem with QLD law is that citizens are basically not allowed to carry “items” lawfully for self-defence. I don’t mean allowing everyone and anyone to carry concealed handguns or knives, but in QLD it is illegal for anyone other than the police to carry, mace, a black jack (extendable baton – Category M weapon) or hand held Taser. Why can’t a law abiding citizen carry for their own protection non-lethal devices such as mace or a black jack? Did you know under QLD Weapons Act 1990, the possession of Body Armour is illegal (Category E weapon)? Has anyone ever been killed by body armour? No, it’s illegal for a citizen to own because it makes it harder for the police to kill you. You can legally buy a baseball or cricket bat and use it as an item to defend yourself (so long as you don’t use “excessive force” but it’s illegal to carry an extendable baton? The Excessive Force provision (especially in QLD) needs to go. Think about it, someone breaks into your home, you challenge them and in the end you break their arm. Under QLD law you could well be prosecuted because you used “excessive force.” How are you to know whether the force you use to defend yourself is excessive in the heat of the moment? Again, we need the SA clause.
In QLD, there are only five genuine reasons to own a firearm (ref page 11 QLD Weapons Act 1990).
(a) sports or target shooting;
(b) recreational shooting;
(c) an occupational requirement, including an occupational requirement for rural purposes;
(d) the collection, preservation or study of weapons;
(e) another reason prescribed under a regulation.
Notice the there is no self-defence reason to own a firearm in Queensland. Big problem - the criminals also know this.
If you look like food, you will be eaten. Criminals are looking for easy prey. They are looking for easy victims. If they wanted to “work hard” for a living they’d be like you and me and have a regular job. So when you pull your handgun, you are no longer prey, you are now “work”, so the criminals are going to go find somebody else to pick on.
Never forget, criminals, by definition, don’t obey the law. Period.
As for protecting my family and my property, I’d rather beg for forgiveness than ask for permission. If that means in the process of defending my family I happen to “assault” or “kill” those who would put my family in harm’s way, then so be it. When second’s count, isn’t great the police are just minutes away…
Graphic via Moonbattery
Excellent comment above. Sad thing for Australians (especially Queenslanders) is that as sure are my arse points to the ground, we will NEVER get the right to use a weapon to defend ourselves in our home. Warning to my American brothers, dont let your rights be taken away, you will NEVER get them back.
Posted by: BigSnuffy | 09 January 2013 at 12:40 PM
Self defense is a great secondary benefit of the inalienable God-given Right To Possess and to Bear Arms but we aught take note that in America We, The (Sovereign) People were Constitutionally guaranteed that right to ensure those we entrusted with the required power to govern, never created a tyrannical government. With a fascist in the white house and the senate and supreme court similarly run and already acting post-constitutionally, the time rapidly approaches when Mr Thomas Jefferson's admonition regarding the Tree of Liberty requiring its regular manure comprised of the blood of tyrants and patriots will be on every patriots lips.
As likely when any dared come for United States Marine Corporal Joshua Boston's AR-15.
And Corporal Boston's is only one of hundreds of millions of privately owned American weapons for which We, The (Sovereign) People, also own billions of rounds of ammunition ......
A Marine responds to Dianne Feinswein’s gun ban
28 DEC
Short, to the point and written in the spirit of the Founding Fathers! If we only had political leaders with this Marine’s character and sense of duty.
Her gun ban legislation has made one person in particular so concerned that he, as an active duty Marine, decided to come out of the shadows and go public with his feelings. His name is Corporal Joshua Boston and he wrote a very polite but direct letter to Senator Dianne Feinswein regarding her gun ban legislation.
CNN’s iReport letter from Cpl Joshua Boston to Senator Dianne Feinstein:
Senator Dianne Feinstein,
I will not register my weapons should this bill be passed, as I do not believe it is the government’s right to know what I own. Nor do I think it prudent to tell you what I own so that it may be taken from me by a group of people who enjoy armed protection yet decry me having the same a crime. You ma’am have overstepped a line that is not your domain. I am a Marine Corps Veteran of 8 years, and I will not have some woman who proclaims the evil of an inanimate object, yet carries one, tell me I may not have one.
I am not your subject. I am the man who keeps you free. I am not your servant. I am the person whom you serve. I am not your peasant. I am the flesh and blood of America.
I am the man who fought for my country. I am the man who learned. I am an American. You will not tell me that I must register my semi-automatic AR-15 because of the actions of some evil man.
I will not be disarmed to suit the fear that has been established by the media and your misinformation campaign against the American public.
We, the people, deserve better than you.
Respectfully Submitted,
Joshua Boston
Cpl, United States Marine Corps
2004-2012
God bless this man.
Posted by: BrianA | 09 January 2013 at 01:22 AM