OT - Your thoughts for Australia.

[gimpyguy]

Probably because your nation are so far up their own asses, they don't even know how to spell Australia, let alone know where the hell it is!

People in glass houses, should watch where they throw stones. I've heard from a great many pissed-off Brits, that don't enjoy Big Brother looking over their shoulders when they go to the Loo in Public.

But there are alot of terribly ignorant Americans, mostly they're Democrats

 

[James "Taffy" Jones]

You have to give it to Gimpy--he sticks to his guns! Literally, I'm afraid!

I agree, however, his post was in poor taste.

:focus: My heart goes out to our Aussie friends! We are no strangers to wildfires (and arson) in the States, and know how devastating to lives and property it can be. In fact, there is an especially good reason (among many others) to send our best wishes to the firefighters in Australia: they sometimes fly half-way around the world to help fight fires in the western USA. So I say to everyone "down under:" "Good luck and be careful out there!"

 

[Mk2]

Probably because your nation are so far up their own asses, they don't even know how to spell Australia, let alone know where the hell it is!

My prayers go out to all suffering in Australia.

And while I loathe to take any attention from this very serious and grave subject , I would like to address some comments.

1st, the Australian news has been on Fox News (the number one news source in America) around the clock including at the front page of their website (even now,I just checked).

and 2nd, I bet these 1260 souls (pictured below) and their families knew (and still know how) to spell Australia. I know anti Americanism is the "in" thing now but lumping anyone people, all in the same bucket, is silly.

 

[Cobra427so]

First, Sympathy and Prayers to all those folks in Australia. And though I know where Gimpy is coming from, and I understand hat he was trying to say, I'm not sure I would have said it. (No offense Gimpy).

But since it was, I will say this; I work in the firearms industry, I was a cop, (in Chicago no less), and now I'm a firearms instructor. I know the statistics, national and world-wide when it comes to violent crime... Who has it, who doesn't, where it's increasing, where it's declining, how it's measured, how they're tallied, how they report.

Stop listening to the general news, they consistently lie about firearms, crime, and twist the few facts that they do have.

So here's a few real facts...

Fact: Violent crime in the US is at a 40 year low. (All types of violent crime).
Fact: Firearms are more commonly used to legally defend and save lives, (over 1.2 million times a year), than to commit crime.
Fact: Children in the US are more likely to be struck by lightning that killed by a firearm.
Fact: Countries that attempt to reduce crime by abolishing firearms see a sharp rise in violent crime.

Remember, "when seconds count, the police are only minutes away..."

Facts and information gathered from: FBI Crime Reports, International Crime Bureau, Interpol, Scotland Yard.

Regards,
Cobra427so

 

[rabu]

All the best to those suffering down under. We had a horrible fire here a few months ago near me in Big Sur, California and it is devistating.
I see no reason to get side tracked by political theories, let's just be supportive to those who are having to go through the loss of property and possibly friends lost.

 

[BadKarma1001]

I work in the firearms industry, I was a cop, (in Chicago no less), and now I'm a firearms instructor.

Sorry but this doesn´t add any credebility, on the contrary.

Stop listening to the general news, they consistently lie about firearms, crime, and twist the few facts that they do have.

Stop listening to the firearms industry, they consistently lie about firearms, crime, and twist the few facts that they do have.

Fact: Violent crime in the US is at a 40 year low. (All types of violent crime).

Yup violent crime might be down but murder involving firearms is up since 2005.

Fact: Firearms are more commonly used to legally defend and save lives, (over 1.2 million times a year), than to commit crime.

Hmm how would this show if private citizens couldn´t obtain firearms at all? Would it be necessary to defend ppl against these crimes? How many of these 1.2 million time where the firearms used by officers of the law?

Fact: Children in the US are more likely to be struck by lightning that killed by a firearm.

Okay let´s break down this statistic to a murder capital like Washington DC or Baltimore.

Fact: Countries that attempt to reduce crime by abolishing firearms see a sharp rise in violent crime.

OMG the main reason for an increase in violent crimes is poverty/socioeconomic problems! Increasing poverty=increasing crime!
I bet my butt that we will see an increase in violent crime in 2009 because of the failing world economy.


So never trust statistics you didn´t falsify yourself.

We (yup i was born in Santa Clarita CA and raised in DC) Americans should never argue with American statistics when it comes to crime and guns we should argue with Canadian statistics since they look so much better with almost the same lack of gun control laws. So whats wrong with us?

 

[marklaur]

We nearly lost our home in the fires in Sydney 1994, the houses on both side both burnt and most of the street. I stayed to fight the fires and still remember the fibro houses exploding and the horific winds. Then after the fires past trying to patch together hoses to put out the spot fires that flared up burning down more houses.

But that was nothing compared to what is happening now. I have a few relatives that are under threat but safe so far.

Easy to look at on the news but untill you have been in a place and experienced the advancing flames (now called fire stores) it is hard to know the terror.

The police let me stay during the Sydney fire as I was involved in caving at the time and I ended up suppling torches and batteries to the services when they ran out at night. Odd but they had no spares at their stations and no way of getting any. We even did a few little repairs in our shed workshop for the people fighting the fires.

My hat is always off to these under resourced firefighters who put their lives on the line with very little resources, and cop all the flack when something goes wrong. Our friends in USA also seem to have very bad forest fires sometimes.

Hopefully it will be over soon, and the insurance companies pay out a little money quicker than last time. Some people in our street had to wait 18 months to get their insurance, and they were over insured.

Thanks for the kind thoughts.

Cheers MarkL