From: SSAA, [EMAIL PROTECTED] SSAA Victoria Media Release � 26/7/2000 (For Immediate Release) Criminology Study Clears Shooters The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) today released a study demonstrating that licenced firearm owners who register their firearms in accordance with the law are not a threat to the community. The AIC study �The Licensing and Registration Status of Firearms Used in Homicide� clearly shows that those mainly responsible for homicides do not register their firearms nor do they obtain a shooters licence; they hold their firearms illegally. The Victorian Branch President of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia, Mr Sebastian Ziccone, noted that the study said that for the period 1997-1999 �the overwhelming majority of these firearms were not registered and the offenders of homicide were not licensed firearm owners.� �This puts the vast majority of firearm owners, and especially our 28,000 members, well in the clear� he said. What is of interest said Mr Ziccone is that the publication date of this report is May 2000. Justice Minister Vanstone and the AIC have apparently sat on this report for two months, not wishing to release it because it is so favourable to the shooting sports. They didn�t know how to deal with it. Mr Ziccone also noted that �This will certainly take the wind out of the Coalition for Gun Controls sails and clearly shows that they should back off!� �Unfortunately, Minister Vanstone also continues to refer to licensed shooters firearms as �weapons� when clearly they are nothing of the sort� said Mr Ziccone. �Firearms used for sporting and recreational purposes are not weapons and, as the AIC study shows, are never likely to be used as such� he added. �Both the AIC study and Minister Vanstone note that handgun homicide is on the increase� said Mr Ziccone. �However, it is hoped that any Government legislation will not once again be targeted at the wrong group of people, the legitimate, licenced law-abiding sporting shooter, but will focus on the real problem, that of those people, criminals, who already operate and continue to operate outside of existing laws�. �This type of study has been demanded by the SSAA for some years and we knew what the result would be. Nothing more clearly demonstrates than this study that the buyback was targeted at the wrong people and was a huge waste of public money� said Mr Ziccone. (Ends) Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
