The Associated Press has this article, which is being trumpeted across a wide variety of outlet as being awesome, but, forgets a very important detail
New Zealanders hand in 50,000 guns after assault weapon ban
New Zealand authorities said Saturday their country will be a safer place after owners handed in more than 50,000 guns during a buyback program following a ban on assault weapons. But critics say the process was flawed and many owners have illegally stashed their firearms.
The government banned the most lethal types of semi-automatic weapons less than a month after a lone gunman in March killed 51 worshippers at two Christchurch mosques. The police then launched a six-month program to buy the newly banned weapons from owners.
The buyback ended midnight Friday, with gun collection events staying open late as police reported in a surge in last-minute returns.
Provisional figures indicate 33,000 people handed in 51,000 guns, and another 5,000 guns as part of a parallel amnesty in which owners could hand over any type of firearm without any questions being asked but without getting compensated.
Owners also modified another 2,700 guns to make them legally compliant, while police said they had seized a further 1,800 guns from gangs since March. And police said they’re in the process of collecting another 1,600 guns from gun dealers.
Police Minister Stuart Nash told reporters Saturday that criminals would find it harder to get their hands on assault weapons because they tended to steal them from lawful owners, but those weapons would now be out of circulation.
Remember, New Zealand banned most semi-automatic guns, not just the scary looking assault weapons. Handguns and regular rifles above .22 caliber are banned. My Walther P22 would be OK, my Walther P9, which is 9mm, would be illegal.
The thing is, it’s interesting that the Police Minister is lauding the fact that law abiding citizens are having to turn in their property because a criminal could steal it, but, about that thing the AP forgot?
But nobody has a clear target for the program because authorities haven’t kept track of the number of guns in the country.
Tentative estimates put the total number of guns in New Zealand at about 1.5 million and the number of weapons that are now banned at up to 175,000. If those numbers are correct, it would mean less than 10% of the banned weapons have been handed in so far. Owners have until Dec. 20 to turn them over or potentially face charges.
The thing is, that number of what is potentially banned is a pure guess. Another guess is 500,000 which do not comply with the law. No one knows. There are surely a lot of handguns and rifles that do not comply. If the rest are shotguns and small caliber handguns and rifles, thieves will just steal them. And people will just purchase large caliber revolvers. So, 50,000 is a fail. Just like when Australia did a similar type ban.
TEACH needs a new photoshopped pic to support his fib that an AR-15 and a .223 hunting rifle are “the same”. Militaries AND mass shooters all over the world disagree with him!
They do?
Since you are neither (no guts), we take it as just another lie.
That’s a lot of guns for a 4 million people population. That’s one gun for each person in the 25-54 age group.
The mosk shot up was a fake made from call of duty and photoshop.
… a month after a lone gunman in March killed 51 worshippers at two Christchurch mosques.
The mosk (sic) shot up was a fake made from call of duty and photoshop.
How many conservatives believe these kookie conspiracy “theories”?
Crazy cons perpetrated the hoaxes that the Sandy Hook massacre was a false flag operation, and that Sec Clinton was running a pedophile ring out of a DC pizza parlor.
Whatever happened to freedom of speech – at least one of the nitwits who claimed no kids were murdered at Sandy Hook lost a lawsuit brought by one of the dads. And Trump supporter Alex Jones…
How many conservatives believe these kookie conspiracy “theories�
How many of Jeffery’s hate crimes are the fake ones?
Crazy cons perpetrated the hoaxes that the Sandy Hook massacre was a false flag operation, and that Sec Clinton was running a pedophile ring out of a DC pizza parlor.
No, that was Podesta. Lying doesn’t make it go away.
Whatever happened to freedom of speech – at least one of the nitwits who claimed no kids were murdered at Sandy Hook lost a lawsuit brought by one of the dads. And Trump supporter Alex Jones…
Clearly, you do not understand freedom of speech (what else is news?).
And very few people support Alex Jones.
Look at the psychos who support the Democrat party.
Look at the psychos who are the Democrat party.
Sibley is incapable of learning.
I’ve learned how easy it is to make you look like a fool.
Idiot Wiz believes that the Dems are running a pedophile ring out of a DC pizza parlor! What a maroon. This conspiracy hoax came from the bowels of the right-wing and was distributed from foreign sources and by right-wing/Trumpist loons such as John Michael Posobiec III, Michael Flynn (Trump’s NSA), Michael Flynn Jr, Michael Cernovich and Alexander Emric Jones.
And very few people support Alex Jones.
Trump has even appeared on the Alex Jones Show, with Trump saying “Your reputation is amazing. I will not let you down.” Like many commenters here, Alex Jones promotes the white genocide conspiracy, stating that Democrats and communists were plotting imminent “white genocide” attacks. So sounds as if Trump, TEACH and his loyal commenters “support” Alex Jones. Jones has said he has 5 million daily radio listeners and recently topped 80 million video views in a single month. Coincidentally, many of Trump’s idiotic conspiracy theories originate with Jones – Muslim celebrations at 9/11 – Fake Media! – Media Enemy of the People – Mexicans carrying big bags of drugs – Fake Media covering up terrorist attacks – Hillary for Prison! – Millions of illegal votes for Hillary! – Obama and Clinton founded ISIS – The Election was Rigged! –
Donald Trump relies on Alex Jones and his followers (who voice many Alex Jones/Trump conspiracies).
Idiot Wiz believes that the Dems are running a pedophile ring out of a DC pizza parlor! What a maroon. This conspiracy hoax came from the bowels of the right-wing and was distributed from foreign sources and by right-wing/Trumpist loons such as John Michael Posobiec III, Michael Flynn (Trump’s NSA), Michael Flynn Jr, Michael Cernovich and Alexander Emric Jones.
The Podestas are known pedophiles, so you’ll have to come up with something a little better than the old, “You’re just being paranoid”.
Trump has even appeared on the Alex Jones Show, with Trump saying “Your reputation is amazing. I will not let you down.†Like many commenters here, Alex Jones promotes the white genocide conspiracy, stating that Democrats and communists were plotting imminent “white genocide†attacks. So sounds as if Trump, TEACH and his loyal commenters “support†Alex Jones. Jones has said he has 5 million daily radio listeners and recently topped 80 million video views in a single month.
When he was running for the top spot, Trump appeared on Howard Stern, too.
So what? He even went on The View with Boobs McCain.
Democrats and communists were plotting imminent “white genocide†attacks.
Gee, I remember somebody bragging about how the Brown Wave was gonna wash all us Whiteys away.
Muslim celebrations at 9/11 – Fake Media! – Media Enemy of the People – Mexicans carrying big bags of drugs – Fake Media covering up terrorist attacks – Hillary for Prison! – Millions of illegal votes for Hillary!
Those are all verified, so thanks for making the point.
The Election was Rigged!
It was supposed to be, but America fought back.
And, since you’re the one who’s a Commie and thinks the Mocha Messiah was so great, I’d say you’re the Idiot.
New Zealand is inconsequential. They have no predatory animals, minuscule immigration and very low crime rate. They are one of the few places on the globe that can give up their firearms with zero impact. Virginia on the other hand is entirely different.
Here, I have to live in fear that the Virginia government will declare me a criminal next week, for doing only the same thing that has been perfectly legal all my life. hopefully they will start their confiscation in the Suburbs. Then as the felon roles increase in those locations, the rural areas might gain enough slim majority to vote the Democrats out of the state house.