[SOC] This is What I'm Talkin' About!

[S.Nordenstroem]

Just to be perfectly SOC, "In Australia we don't have criminals running 
amok" does not mean they don't exist, just that they don't kill to get 
their loot. They are unarmed and probably do burglary the old fashion 
way by entering through windows with a bag over the shoulder and loot 
your valuables not your lives.

Yes there are different kind of criminals depending on where you live, 
some are armed and shoot first and ask after, while others are not the 
Rambo-type. Here in HS we deter the would-be-burglars by having a few 
dogs. Thai's have a great respect for dogs and do not even try to enter 
a house that have a dog or two. Not that the dogs are trained Pit-bulls 
or the likes, just the fact that there are dogs around is enough for 
them to look for an easier target. In my 32 years in this house I have 
never had any burglary, but my neighbors that does not have dogs have 
been looted several times.

As an analogy to this, during my active life at sea, I have been 
passing  pirate infested waters hundreds of times and only once been 
attacked. The reason was that the captain at that particular instance 
refused to have any deterrents set up, so we were going with all lights 
out and he was hoping not to be detected. He soon realized that the 
pirates have radars too. As the only ship sneaking around blacked out, 
we were attacked! Luckily we had a former marine on deck watch at that 
time and he managed to wrestle the two pirates that tried to enter the 
ship over the side and dumped them into the sea. The attack was called 
off and that was the end of it. Normally we pass these waters with all 
lights on including deck lights and rigged fire hoses, spraying a fog of 
water over the sides. This will not in any way stop a pirate attack as 
they are hardly afraid of water, but it will tell them that we are 
prepared and that works as a deterrent, same as with a few dogs in the 
garden. Commercial ships are unarmed for many reasons and the standing 
orders are not to fight back, if the pirates are already in the 
accommodation. We are to make this as difficult as possible but if the 
doors are breached, we are to cooperate and give them what they demand 
in order to save lives.

What have all this to do with guns or no guns? Guess it have to do with 
the attitude of the criminal. With a gun in your pocket you feel like 
Rambo and will most likely "run amok" as Ian put it. With no guns in the 
picture you will be a lot more careful and try to do your crime 
undetected and are not likely to do any harm to anybody. As far as 
pirates, yes they are armed but if they do not meet any armed 
resistance, they are very unlikely to shoot.

Whether the crime rate goes down or up is not really relevant, what is 
relevant is the amount of injuries and deaths related to crimes and in 
this context a gun does make a huge difference.

Now, I have done my bit in producing a "dumb" e-mail. Your turn Bob!



73's
Sam

w9ya wrote:
> Yeah in fact Ian did say as much; And I quote;
>
> "And your point is? In Australia we simply do not have criminals running
> amok. Similarly other countries such as UK, Canada, New Zealand and most
> if not all European Union countries."
>
> (To which I gleefully reply; Rubbish, pure rubbish...the crime rate is going
> down here in the US and is going up elsewhere.)
>
> Statistics aside (and they would be if you are ever the object of crime);
> this nonsense you choose to spout is nothing but pure amusement ya' all -
> amusement by people trying to suggest that the rest of the world does NOT
> have a problem with crime, or that somehow their criminals are of a better
> class that will not harm you and so forth continues .... to the person
> affected adversely by a criminal act you guys sound like SOCs for sure.
>
>
> Vy 72 and please keep up the wonderfully dumb emails about this ...... ;
>
> - Bob
> w9ya
>
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 12:43 AM, S.Nordenstroem <sm3dyu at ji-net.com> wrote:
>
>   
>> This so SOC I have to break in...
>>
>> Ian did not say there was no crime problems in Oz or EU for that matter. It
>> certainly is, but they are normally not armed with guns as that is something
>> reasonably hard to get, unlike US where a driving license is the only
>> required documentation. In SM, to have a hunting rifle you must pass a
>> yearly shooting test to qualify for the elk-hunt. This is mainly to weed out
>> the blind, as numerous tractors and cows have been attacked by half-blind
>> old hunters.
>> To get a hand-gun license you have to be a member of a shooting club that
>> certifies your good standing in society. Guns and rifles have to be stored
>> in locked gun-racks or safes, or the weapon must be dismantled and critical
>> parts kept under lock.
>>
>> There are plenty of criminals around but not armed criminals as the targets
>> are seldom or never armed, hence no need to be armed.
>>
>> The Aussies have a somewhat different view on criminals, based on their
>> history but still the nation is very much built up the same as US, by
>> immigrants. They started out with no guns in hand and have continued from
>> there to build a nation where one do not need to lock the car for a dash to
>> the 7-11. New Zealand have a reputation of completely unlocked doors in
>> private homes (yes even the bathroom). Must be a nightmare to be a
>> lock-smith there!!
>>
>> My 2 satang (thai very small coin) worth.
>>
>> Sam
>> HS0ZDY
>>