Date: Wed, 1 May 1996 22:56:10 -0400
Reply-To: [ferris c c] at [Mainstream.net]
From: Chris Ferris <[ferris c c] at [Mainstream.net]>
Subject: Reflections on The Tasmanian Devil

It has happened again. One psychotic individual, angry at the world, has 
entered a cafeteria, this time at a tourist resort on the island of 
Tasmania off the southern coast of Australia, and has methodically killed a
large number of unarmed, innocent persons. Memories of Luby's cafeteria 
Texas, anyone? One female witness to the killings in Tasmania was quoted as 
having said, (paraphrased): "There were no heroes in the cafeteria. People 
just cowered, hoping that they would not be the next ones to be killed."
That woman's remark haunted me last night. Australia, another country 
which fails to trust its citizens to carry concealed handguns safely and 
responsibly, has enabled a two-legged monster to run amok and execute 
innocent men, women and children with impunity. Australia, through its 
draconian controlling of handgun ownership, ensured that a barely 
human Tasmanian Devil would be able to select and slay numerous victims 
without fear of encountering a sudden, no-holds-barred counterattack.
Sadly, many families of tourists and Australians grieve today because 
nobody present was armed and prepared to defend self, family, friends, 
neighbors, tourists and fellow Australians when the criminal arrived and 
began to run amok. Where indeed does the fault lie? The fault lies with the 
government of Australia and with all other such regimes which view the good
people they govern as unworthy to bear firearms (concealed) for self defense.

After the Tasmanian massacre had already occurred, it was reported that up 
to 200 "special" armed police officers had arrived on the scene. From that 
observation, one must surmise that the Australian government considers 
only certain "special" police officers as worthy of carrying guns for defense
against ruthless predators and that common folk are not quite so "special" 
and thus must go about their daily business unarmed while praying to The 
Good Lord that another Tasmanian Devil never decides to shatter the 
peace of a sunny day and rain death and destruction on them, their loved 
ones, their children, their neighbors, their fellow citizens or visitors 
to their nation. 

What if, folks? What if a 75 year old Aussie vet of WW II Pacific campaigns
had been present at the Tasmanian cafeteria and had been lawfully 
packing a battle-scarred Browning P-35 Hi-Power under his jacket? What if 
that vet, upon the arrival of The Tasmanian Devil, had taken cover quickly, 
had pushed his loved ones to safety, thinking, "Not my wife, not my family, 
not my children, not my grandchildren, not my fellow Aussies, not any
visitors to my land, you bloody monster!" and had sent multiple 124 grain 
fully metal jacketed "milspec messages" through the murderer's torso at 1,000
feet per second, before the madman could kill thirty five innocent people?

What if, indeed? What if a few brave Aussies trapped in that cafeteria in 
the gun sights of that madman had been allowed by their government the right 
and the tools to fight back? I will tell you what if! Lovers might still be 
able to hold one another. Husbands might not grieve for lost wives. Wives 
might not grieve for lost husbands. Fathers and mothers might not now be 
enduring the horror of losing a child forever. Grandparents might not now be 
weeping for grandchildren lost for all time. What if? What if a few brave 
Aussies had not been hamstrung by their government and had not been forbidden
from saving themselves and their families from a madman running amok? The 
point is moot. Many lives are now lost, forever. And the blood of the victims
lies not only on the hands on the madman who killed them, but also on the 
hands of the Australian government which refuses to allow its citizens to 
carry concealed firearms for the purpose of self defense. One tough, armed 
Aussie (and they are darn tough!) would likely have dropped The Tasmanian 
Devil in a heartbeat and then coordinated an efficient emergency response
for wounded victims. But no. The score was Madman: 35, Innocent Victims: 0.
Thank you, Australian government, for not trusting your people to keep 
and bear arms. The price for your not trusting your people is truly a heavy 
one. Incessant grief. Eternal pain. Anguish beyond belief. Yes, the fault is 
the criminal's. Yet, the fault is also yours, Australian government!

And so it goes in another land where gun control is "chic", where mere 
"civilians" are never allowed to carry concealed firearms, and where nuts
have free rein to run amok at will, to wound, to kill and to wreak havoc 
until "special" armed police arrive to say, "Oh my, what's all this?"
(Bill Clinton, you would just love Australian "gun control", oh yeah!)

This is the result of another government fearing freedom and fearing the 
very people it governs. The Tasmanian Devil would have been stopped, and 
quickly, in various regions of the U.S.A. where freedom still matters and 
carrying arms for self defense is allowed by law. But alas, The Tasmanian 
Devil knew well that he would encounter no armed civilian opposition in his 
chosen killing ground. For he lives in a land where freedom matters not and 
the State determines who deserves to be able to defend himself or herself in 
extremis. A sad state of affairs "Down Under", is it not? Please join me 
in praying for the victims of this latest horrific crime and their grieving 
families. And please consider sending a polite message to the Australian 
government that its illogical disarming of its populace only emboldened The 
Tasmanian Devil to ply his trade of death without fear of facing real 
consequences, e.g., experiencing sudden, deserved death in the midst of his 
commission of homicides, courtesy of a pistol-packing Aussie full of love 
for self, family, friends and neighbors, tourists visiting Tasmania, and 
full of determination to save many innocent men, women and children from a 
terrible fate. Once again, a government "kills" by means of "protective 
legislation", i.e. "gun control" ... I will never understand how moral, 
governing politicians can sleep at night, knowing that they have disarmed 
people and made them helpless prey for the few human hyenas who prowl the
streets? How, indeed, can they sleep? If you know the answer, please 
advise me.

Christopher C. Ferris
Litchfield NH
[ferris c c] at [mainstream.net]