Way back in the column of November 26 2015 I started. “The morning news flashes on. Massacre in …..”. I also wrote, are we going to say, “Oh well, another week, another massacre.”
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Last week it was America with 59 people killed by a crazed gunman in Las Vegas.
So many killed and hundreds injured while enjoying a music concert.
Harken back to Port Arthur April 1996, when 35 were killed by Martin Bryant.
We asked ourselves “Why?”
The Howard Government toughened gun laws including a buy back scheme 96/97.
There have been incidents since, but nothing near the scale of Port Arthur.
The American gun lobby has to be reined in. America should have a close look at its gun laws, should have a look at Australia and the effect the decisions of 1996 have had.
If America doesn’t take a stand against gun ownership, we will again and again wake up to the morning news, “Massacre in ….”
Then again, maybe we should look deeper into the question, “Why?”
WITS
I rattled on last week about how long this plebiscite is taking, presenting a fair way to have it done in a month.
After submitting the column I see the Equality Campaign stating 74% of the votes had been returned, only to find the actual number returned was about 57.5%.
We’ve been going a month.
Or is it more?
There’s still a month to run. I feel everyone is over it.
One thing is apparently apparent, the mob running this country couldn’t organize a raffle.
WITS
A man was walking down the street when he was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby homeless man who asked him for a couple of dollars to buy dinner.
The man took out his wallet, extracted $10 and asked, “If I give you this money will you buy beer with it instead of dinner?”
The homeless man replied, “No. I had to stop drinking years ago.”
“Will you spend this on green fees at a golf course instead of food?” the man asked.
“Are you NUTS!” replied the homeless man, “I haven’t played golf in twenty years.”
“Well,” said the man, “I’m not going to give you the money, I’m going to take you home for a hot shower and a terrific dinner cooked by my wife.”
The homeless man was astounded. “Won’t your wife be furious with you for doing that?”
The man replied, “That’s okay. It’s important for her to see what a man looks like after he has given up beer and golf.”
WITS
Two thirds of Hilltops Council vote on Saturday to elect a replacement for Katrina Hodgkinson in the State electorate of Cootamundra.
We don’t.
Usually electorates comprise a group of council areas. How long will it be before we’re shoveled into Cootamundra despite our affinity with our current placemen in Goulburn.
One thing is sure, we will have little say in it.
Take the case of two nearby towns, how did Central Western towns Cowra and Parkes like it when they were shoveled federally into Riverina?
Not too happy I would say.
Electorates are determined by the number of people enrolled, but surely, especially in rural areas, geographic location should also come into the equation, as regional affinity is important.
The powers to be really don’t care, and, maybe, this sums it up:
“Bureaucracy is a giant mechanism operated by pygmies.” (Honore de Balzac)