Today I was reading about how Americans were lining
up to turn in weapons in a gun buyback program in Los Angeles. A summary of the
event is below but what really caught my interest was an associated photo
revealing just the kind of guns that were being turned in. My mind went back to 1996 in
Australia and it’s fascinating to look back at a photo from that event as a comparasion. Have a
look.
Back Story:
Lines of cars formed as Los Angeles gun owners
turned in weapons and rocket launchers, in a gun buyback event brought forward
after the Connecticut school shooting.
Authorities
promised there would be no questions asked at the drive-thru style event, where
owners handed over weapons including assault rifles and Uzis directly from
their cars, in exchange for grocery store gift cards.
Picture: AFP / Joe Klamar Source: AFP
Two
rocket launchers were among the thousands of weapons handed back, with officers
telling local media the "shoulder launchers" were decades-old devices
bought by collectors or handed down by war veterans to their family.
The Australian
Government banned the manufacture and possession of semiautomatic long guns
(rifles and shotguns) and high capacity magazines in 1996. They then spent
about $500 million buying back existing guns, compensating gun dealers and for
loss of business, etc. In total, roughly 650,000 guns were reclaimed and
destroyed. Australia has lower overall gun ownership rates, and a higher share
of those guns fell into this category.
