Over 300 people have rallied in support of Peter Spencer outside Parliament House today, and the ABC* have covered it (at least on their website).
Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce also addressed the crowd, calling for a Royal Commission into vegetation laws. He says the state laws have robbed farmers across Australia of their assets.
“It might have been legally possible but it was totally unjust,” he said.
Senator Joyce says Mr Spencer should cease his hunger strike but the fight for justice should continue.
“This is obscene,” he said. “The Government became the thief of an asset and when the Government becomes a thief of an asset – when the individual is divested of an asset without payment – there is a word for that and unfortunately without being too dramatic the word is communism.”
Some of the protesting farmers are now travelling to Mr Spencer’s property to offer their support.
Unmentioned on the ABC story was that there are allegations that the interstate chartered buses for this event were targeted by Road Traffic Authority (RTA) inspectors. Bus inspections were suddenly arranged, which can take up to 6 hours, and incredibly called for over the New Years Day holiday and weekend? These inspections are legal, but the timing, if this is true, is extraordinary.
One of the bus company operators confirmed that a man who identified himself as an inspector from the Department of Road Transport and Infrastructure had called the company on New Year’s Day from a motel in Coffs Harbour and announced a “safety inspection” would be conducted on their bus. The company promptly cancelled the previously-announced service to Canberra as such inspections can take up to six hours. Cars were organized instead. The other company was also reported to have cancelled its service. [Freedom Graffiti]
This is the fast encroaching face of fascism-by-stealth, where governments create a prickly web of legal clauses then pick and choose whether to ignore or enforce the laws. By so doing, those in power can selectively help friends and hurt enemies. The only thing that stands against it is the free press. Where are the journalists? Who will pursue these rumors and find out if RTA inspectors were dispatched with the express purpose of harassing protest buses. If true, those bus charter companies may have also lost some income.
REQUEST: Here’s hoping the ABC put the story on the radio and TV news broadcasts as well. The ABC website has done at least 8 stories on Peter Spencer which is commendable, but it’s not clear where these have been displayed (perhaps our ABC could include a list of where their stories are published when they post them). If you see or hear a mention of Peter Spencer on your local news broadcast please post a comment here. I’m especially curious to know if the ABC will put this item in their nightly news bulletins around Australia.
*ABC here means Australian Broadcasting Corporation – our government funded media.
I am glad to see people voicing their feelings on this – I was beginning to think I was being paranoid. My guess is there are tens of thousands who feel the same way but have not been able to organise themselves into reputable organisations. We need some real leaders fast to get things going. This is statism by stealth is unlikely to fix itself. Kyoto and the UN Little REDD Book (cute name isn’t it) provide perfect mechanisms for spreading the grief Peter and others face throughout the country. This is in the Copenhagen accord now. Watch out.
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Jo Nova et.al Thanks for what you are doing for so many! I have sent many emails to my hometown paper, my congressional representatives, and my friends. I am overwhelmed by how indoctrinated our society seems to be, regarding AGW. It doesn’t make sense to me. I wish one could get a peak at the financial implications supporting such a ‘stiff-necked’ public media. But then I fear I am just becoming a loony conspiratorialist(if this is even a word).
I wish you and Sallie Baliunas could make an appearance before the US Senate to share your knowledge when the Cap and Trade bill comes to the floor! That would be great. Keep up the wonderful work! You give me hope, thank you.
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I have written to the local paper, one Peter Spencer article did get in. I also keep buzzing it up to gain worldwide coverage, inc this link:-)
Man of the people mr KRudd?. when auto reply is the only response? I think Not!
good onya Jo Nova:-)
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I heard on local Western Australian radio 6PR this morning that Channel 7 News @ 6pm will have the story.
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[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Fred Chukkawakka, ClimateGate_RT. ClimateGate_RT said: JoNova: Peter Spencer Rally a Big Success http://bit.ly/5f5F7w #climategate […]
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Perhaps somebody has put some loony-juice into the Canberra water supply. It is the only thing I can think of that could possibly explain the stupidity of all this.
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Hello,
The ABC 7.00pm News (in Melbourne)has just shown a segment about this topic.
They say the government will not change policy due to people causing self harm. They should deal with it through the courts.
But due to Peter Spencer hitting dead ends through the courts, is the very reason he is doing this!
They showed Barneby Joyce stating a snippet of what he was quoted saying in the above post. No Mention of the word “communism” on the
the ABC!
Liz
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Very good. A nice turnout of sensible people protesting against very damaging laws.
It is great that Barnaby Joyce was there to speak, but if I were a Labor or Liberal supporter, I would be very disappointed that no one from those parties were there to add their view to this situation…
Surely there are many ministers of all Political parties that have recognized that this ill conceived Native Vegetation Legislation, goes against the spirit of the Constitution. That it imposes hardship on landowners and treads upon the rights of private ownership… If politicians cannot see these simple points, then they have become anti Australian…. They are against the Australian people and its Constitution.
When people fear the government, that is called tyranny. When the government fear the people, that is called freedom.
I support Peter Spencer in his fight against this government tyranny and I think his purpose is now served. It is time to end his Hunger strike, but I have no worries with him staying up that pole.
I think that the Authorities must allow food to be delivered to him and I would call upon people to camp on Peter’s land to ensure that he is not ill treated by this violent and unrestrained government, and to stay there until this is resolved to our full satisfaction. No other outcome is acceptable….. This needs to be stepped up a level or two…
Keep fighting Mr Spencer.
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Channel Nine (Sydney) gave it a full, long, segment with explanation – the only twist was that it emphasised that the legislation was John Howard’s – which it was.
Otherwise it was neutral and “news” – even included a sound bite from Barnaby Joice.
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So what happens tomorrow?
Let me turn a page.
Or maybe it will be written like this.
but I really hope it is written like this.
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On reading his website, a solicitor whom I think would be worth having on a legal team is Selwyn Johnston of Cairns Qld. He is an Independent Community Representatives Advocate dealing with property rights in Australia. His website is:
http://www.johnston-independent.com/property_rights.html
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I am most anxious that Peter should get all the help he needs. I realise he has a lot of support from the rural community, but I wonder if enough is being done – I can’t for instance, find a website. He is the victim of a global scam which is starting to unravel, and I really think a smart lawyer would find ways of making life sufficiently uncomfortable for his tormentors to break the impasse. Can anyone assure me that any fresh legal options delivered by Climategate are being explored by a good, angry lawyer? And if any are identified, where do I send my ten bucks towards the costs?
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tom forester, see the Agmates site they have a campaign going for weeks!
or to climatesceptics.com.au they also have been supporting and passing info on:-)
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The ABC (regional Queensland) reported on the protest this afternoon.
It is true that the State legislation that led to this problem was more or less at Howard’s behest. But I understand that the Commonwealth gave the states funds (compensation?) in return for passing the legislation. The states did not pass it on to those who they made pay the price and apparently they were not asked or expected to. It says very little for morality on either side of politics. The “pick and choose” approach to regulation and law enforcement (“Let’s see who we want to harass today”)is also a disturbing development (it certainly occurs, whether or not it has in this matter). It is disturbing because we – the public – don’t know who is pulling the strings and what their real motives are. But it is even more disturbing because there are those out there who are willing to do the dirty work even though they must know that they are simply harassing someone for political reasons. The historical parallels are not nice.
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IN WA NEWS I SAW THAT CHANNEL 10, 7 HAD IT ON,I ALSO SAW FROM COMMENTS THAT 6PR WILL HAVE A SECTION ON THIS. ALTHOUGH THEY WHERE CONTACTED THE SAME DAY ALAN JONES SPOKE OUT.
MINISTERS WHO WHERE PRESENT AT PGA SEMINAR FEB. 2008 HAVE BEEN SENT ALL THIS INFORMATION, AND WHERE VERY STRONG ADVOCATES OF PROPERTY RIGHTS, THEY NOW SIT IN PARLIAMENT, THE SILENCE IS DEAFENING, ALONG WITH FARMING AND LOBBY GROUPS.NOW GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND FIGHT IF YOU REALLY WANT WHAT PETER SPENCER IS TRYING HIS DAMMED HARDEST TO ATTAIN FOR YOU ALL, BECAUSE IT SURE AS HECK WILL NOT DROP FROM THE SKY INTO YOUR LAP.
A SPECIAL THANKS TO JOANNE WHO DID A GREAT JOB IN A FEW HOURS AND WAS UP WELL INTO THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING.ESPECIALLY FOR ALL WEST AUSTRALIANS, BECAUSE OF ISOLATION AND LACK OF MEDIA.
MANY AREAS IN PERTH IN THE LAST FEW DAYS HAVE HAD SERVERE FIRES, ALOT OF THESE AREAS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CLEAR VEGETATION, AND THE VICTORIA FIRES NOT EVEN 12 MONTHS AGO. START WITH THE MINISTERS YOU ELECTED.
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Tyranny is going to go out of style. Exposure puts the chill on it.
Banks must stop making farm loans because the farmers can be restricted from using crops to repay debt.
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Saw it on ABC and Julia Gillard’s weak response.We need Andrew Bolt back from holidays to get some Mainstream Media coverage. Our socialist press dislike landowners and are generally selective about who is subject to injustice!
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Re: “The ABC website has done at least 8 stories on Peter Spencer …”
Google search works much better for this than the ABC site search, so try using this phrase in Google to find the P. Spencer stories. Enter it exactly like this:
site:abc.com.au “peter spencer”
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Where are the journalists? Helping their friends and hurting their foes.
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Today I finally received a return message from one of my congressional members for the State of Washington. Why was I not surprised when she listed all the propaganda rhetoric issuing forth from the EPA, CRU type of scientific groups, etc, etc.
Senator Patty Murray did have the grace to respond to my email, and I appreciate it. However, it leaves one frustrated when your representative spews what is quickly becoming known to be falsified science.
I responded with information I have received from sites such as Joannenova etc and listed said sites for she, or her staff to investigate. Jo Nova, do you personally wish to also communicate with her office? I am not sure how they would respond, but your knowledge of the science is what is needed here. Or perhaps you are in contact with Sallie Sallie Baliunas and she might contact Sen. Murray. In any event I will continue to share my thoughts with her regarding CO2 and UN treaty sham.
Fight like we have never before Fought~ Our children and grandchildren’s lives depend on us.
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I can’t stop wondering Australians and please correct me if I’m wrong but it’s my understanding that in the last decade you have had what I would consider the right of free men to bear arms, taken away the people were disarmed?
Now you’re experiencing injustice in what many would call tyranny by the government there, was there no backlash at the political elites by the people for taking their firearms? So I can’t help wondering if your people were armed with the government be so unresponsive. Not that I’m calling for armed rebellion but I think the mere presence of an armed populace keeps would-be tyrants from overreaching.
They tried this back in the early 1990s in the US with banning guns and draconian gun control laws but the very next election we threw the scoundrels and their party out of power I think they learned a lesson from that they’ve left our gun rights alone since then, but we stay vigilant because they will undoubtedly try again.
Peter Spencer is in my prayers and the best of luck to you Aussies in obtaining righteous justice for yourselves.
Climategate: Follow the Money –> http://online.wsj.com/article/SB40001424052748703939404574566124250205490.html
“He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.” — The Bible, Luke 22: 36
“I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by the gradual and silent encroachment of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpation.”
President James Madison (1751-1836) speech, Virginia Convention, 1788
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[…] The politics of green religion, Hating policies instead of hating people, Getting the facts right, Peter Spencer rally […]
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I know of one: http://www.climategate.com is chasing Michael Mann here in the U.S.
Not much yet. But it’s started.
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Please write to your representatives if you haven’t already! Peter Spencer has at least one more supporter here in the US.
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thanks amicus curiae, I looked at Agmates – yes, Peter’s cause is there, but given the nature of the matter (he hasn’t eaten for 40-something days, ffs) it’s rather buried, don’t you think? But in any case Agmates is, as I earlier said, really rather rural in focus, and not likely to carry far into the general community. And yes I’m aware climatesceptics and other online organs (Quadrant, for another) are ‘supporting’ Peter.
What I don’t see is a focussed campaign, readily accessible to all, with a clickable donation box. Maybe that’s because all avenues are being taken care of? As I say, the ratchet of history has just reversed for AGW. Just because Rudd et al are trying to hum and whistle their way through Climategate doesn’t mean they aren’t savvy enough to be acutely anxious about someone “calling them” on their folly, especially if it looks as though they might have to defend their position in court. In particular the net-savvy Rudd, in whose mind the part reserved in ordinary people for “principle” and “good faith” is entirely occupied by “cunning” and “calculation”, must be acutely aware that AGW policy is becoming more and more vulnerable to challenge.
I’d still like to know that Peter’s got a really nasty lawyer on the case. Because the “enquiries” that are being set up into Climategate are otherwise likely to give a whitewash, somewhere in all this someone’s got to go to court, where the rules of evidence will give the warmists an overdue lesson in forensic thought.
And Peter’s got to get some tucker down his neck…
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Tom, you seem to be following this fairly well – if you go to the Agmates site and join (it’s free), you will be able to contact me.
Regards, Alan Fitzgerald
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The controlling,despotic Marxism is all but a memory, and a new system marches in its place. We are seeing a range of controls: The Green Gestapo tell farmers what they can and can’t do (e.g. Victoria Pre-February last year); eople go to court without equitable justice; anti-discrimination Laws actually discriminate under the guise of ‘social justice’; Male partners/husbands are ‘battered’ in the Family Court, their futures controlled; Political Correctness via Anti-villification Laws, has individuals taken to court over what they said; farmer’s dams are located by satellite and they are charged for collecting God’s water from the air..and a man starves himself up a tower to be heard when a government thought they could pick him off and get away with it. Govt’s have been Globalising us and secxretly signed a host of treaties without asking us first. Many knew about the ‘vegetation Act’ 10 years ago; as usual no one was listening–until it took one man’s starvation protest.
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The Peter Spencer issue is primarily about the fairness and equity in governments compensation processes but it also highlights the fundamental flaw in using trees as a carbon offset. With Australia’s history of fire, at some stage all those trees will turn to smoke in a bushfire and the so-called carbon savings will literally be a smoke screen. For every carbon off-set tree ultimately burnt, will the government ‘debit’ its carbon off-sets in that year.. I suspect not.
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Robert B – I have a further question, although this is straying a little off-thread – presumably the purpose of clearing the trees would be to grow stuff on the cleared land? I had always understood that mature trees were rather poor CO2 sinks, compared, say, either to early growth forest, or to grasses, etc. Any botanists out there care to comment?
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We drove from Brisbane through floods and rain to march with others yesterday at the rally. I was overwhelmed to be part of history. This is just the beginning. We are on our way back to Brisbane. We are stopping at the Whiskey Gully winery in Stanthorpe region. Top spot.
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http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/newsradio/audio/20100105-spencer.mp3
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http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/newsradio/audio/20100105-hungerstrike.mp3
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This is the sort of article that the SMH would never print. This researcher saying that even if the IPCC was right about warming etc, the world socioeconomic effects are grossly overstated.
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/01/05/socioeconomic-impacts-of-global-warming-are-systematically-overestimated/#more-14861
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To all Aussie’s who are really, really passionate about this – harrass your senators & mp’s: the more we let them know we hold THEM responsible, the more likely we are to get something happening. Tony Abbott is totally silent on this issue: Rudd wont respond to riff raff like the electorate & his House of Rep’s bench warmers dont respond either.
The best way to get this happening is to let them know that we know & we want answers. Its easy to ignore one or two emails/letters but a couple of hundred or thousand is a different matter.
Please please email these liars. WE are the only ones who can do anything.
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[…] JoNova […]
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Just for the record. This kind of thing has been going on for a long time regardless of what party is in power.
The fact nothing is done about it is that like most others I was not up with knowledge of my citizens rights or even if such a thing exists and it was not a commercially viable proposition to contest it in court.
Spare a thought for a disadvantaged farmer, Peter Spenser, I know what has happened to him.
It happened to me but with less drastic consequences. In 1997 I purchased a replacement fishing vessel with a Commonwealth 117 fishing endorsement. Endorsement value $30,000. That endorsement was handed to NSW by Commonwealth and because the catch history was 50 Kg short it was effectively removed without compensation. Fortunately I had other alternative fisheries to continue in. Does not alter the fact I was deprived of $ 30,000 (1987) value on my business without compensation.
I realise this comes about by Australia being effectively 6 or 7 countries all doing deals among themselves without due consideration of its individual citizen’s moral rights.
Regards
Geoff Collet
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Peter Spencer has a debt of over $1million. He is looking to the government to pay him to maintain his unsustainable lifestyle. His land is marginal and will not support any further farming activities. Removing more trees will only add to the problem. It is considered that trees are fertility donors. At least one third of a property should be covered with trees or shrub – obviously more where land is unsitable for farming ( see Peter Andrews book “Back from the Brink” ).
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Ivy, Peter’s debts and your opinion of the viability of his land (you don’t reveal your agronomic qualifications – do you have any?) are beside the point. He ought to be able to use his land as he sees fit, and find out for himself if it is viable or not.
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ivy,
Forgive a poor dumb computer scientist from halfway ’round the world for his ignorance. But what the heck is a, “fertility donor?”
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There is a very disturbing trend in having both Farmland and Ocean Fishing (whaling case by extension fisheries) to be put out of bounds to Food Production under a rafter of reasons be Global Warming (carbon sinks), Native Vegetation, Heritage Listing, Sustainable Development (resource depletion).
Is this part of trend in reducing the land and sea available for cultivation and fishing.
In the US and EU land is being put to grow ethanol crops such as Maize instead of foodstuff for human consumption, prices for ethanol are mandated and subsidised by governments to send a inaccurate market signal to farmers.
See more
Food Shortages and Climate Change
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From Geoffc3 by email:
” I think many are missing the point. Which is by buck passing, duck
shoving, call it what you like. Governments have locked up his land
for 30 years without compensation of any kind. All other points are
irrelevant, regardless of peter’s other circumstances. This has not
happened only in the farming industry but in various other rural/
primary industries. Geoffc3″
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I think if we accumulate the precedents and legal cases where property rights are either abridged and/or neutralised by the government and Leftwing Movements (such as Mabo’s Native Title among others) via UN and NGOs. We can see there is a deliberate effort and goal at undermining Real Property Law and its rights in favour of government seizure and confiscation arbitrarily without compensation and drowning with legal action costs.
Once again it is better to see the Forest from the Trees in this maze of legal precedents; the government wants to railroad such precedents to get around the Australian Constitution by many means possible abolish the Landowner Classes. The effort is coherent with the UN and the ALP Ideology although done under Fabian Gradualism strategy.
This makes sense in the light of the Rudd Government non-show, but Mr Spencer fought on, he knows what’s at stake here. The legal chicanery is done to pick on the little guys first then the precedent is applied to ever larger groups of property owners.
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A figure not entirely uncommon for farmers. Presumably a lot of that is interest payments going back to 1980 when he bought the property.
He is looking to be able to use the land in the same manner as it was when he bought it. It had been supporting grazing for some generations before. It became economically marginal because of a combination of regrowing trees reducing the available grass, and wild dogs coming out of the national parks.
I would have thought this was something that the land owner would consider in his/her own interests. Peter seems like a guy who has done a lot of study on the details of his particular farm.
The “Back from the Brink” book is about salinity (I haven’t read the book but I can see that half the chapters do discuss salinity, the other half discuss biodiversity). Is there any evidence that Peter’s farm had problems with salinity, at any time? Is there any evidence that Peter intended actions that would reduce biodiversity below the level it was when the farm was first purchased?
I point out that there are a very large number of places on earth that are highly productive farms and have relatively sparse numbers of trees (the entire South of France for example). Where trees are part of successful farms they are generally either fruit trees, or lightly spread shade trees for grazing (or I guess we could count plantation forests as farms in which case the trees are selected for their wood).
Various people have pointed the high productivity of Israeli agriculture on decidedly marginal land; so grab google earth and zoom in around Nazareth (one of the well-know high intensity farming regions) and take a good look how many fields there are with no trees. These farms use irrigation, fertilizer and mechanized production systems to achieve high yields. Where grazing land is visible it has sparse trees to allow for grass regrowth. Also visible are the easily identified geometric patterns of orchards and plantations.
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Whatever your personal opinion, you have to admit he’s working hard. Good on you, Pete!
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i don’t get it. how are the farmers being robbed of their assets by having bus inspections on long weekends?
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i think that gun control should always be imposed at all times to reduce violence.*:~
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i always thought that gun control should be mandatory in all places.`*
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Since gun laws are only observed (by definition) by the law-abiding, you shouldn’t expect such to reduce crime. It definitely makes crime safer, however — for the criminals.
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websites
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