Gun control laws disarm victims, not criminals. That’s common sense to everyone but the politicians who promise peace, rainbows, and dancing unicorns if only you’ll give up your firearms.
New Zealand’s gun control advocates — including Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern– remain slow on the uptake of that fundamental principle of life. The Kiwi government grabbed most of the good guys’ guns in multiple gun confiscation drives. And now, a year after the final confiscation push, gun-related violence has reached new, record levels.
Try to suppress your shock and surprise.
Remember this gem from the National Rifle Association back in February 2021?
New Zealand’s beleaguered gun owners are bracing for a second round of gun confiscations following a raft of new gun control measures enacted last summer that are set to take effect on February 1. Kiwi shooters will have until August 1 to turn over their prohibited items or face severe criminal penalties.
On March 21, 2019, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern targeted New Zealand’s law-abiding gun owners by unilaterally halting the sale of semi-automatic centerfire firearms that utilize detachable magazines to normal gun owners. The Arms Amendment Act 2019 was passed into law on April 10 and received royal assent the following day. The key provision of the legislation outlawed possession of all semi-automatic centerfire rifles and their magazines. The legislation also prohibited pump-action and semi-automatic shotguns with detachable magazines or a non-detachable magazine capable of accepting more than 5 rounds and any .22 caliber and lower rimfire semi-automatic rifle “that has a magazine, whether or not detachable or otherwise externally fed, that is capable of holding no more than 10 cartridges.”
In order to enforce the ban, the legislation provided for a firearm confiscation scheme. As with Australia’s 1996 national firearms “buyback” program, law-abiding New Zealand gun owners were forced to turn their lawfully-acquired property over to the government for a set amount of compensation. The program ran from June 20-December 20, 2019. Compliant gun owners were treated to poor compensation and a breach of their personal data.Â
“Trust us,” their leaders said. By “surrendering” lawfully held guns, New Zealand gun owners would make their nation much safer. That was the pitch made by Ardern and her merry band of simple-minded fools government officials.
A year later, the reality has again proven that gun control only disarms victims, not the criminals who would prey on them. The most recent data has firearm injuries and deaths at historic highs reported by MSN.
Rates of injury and death caused by firearms are tracking higher than ever.
Data released by police under the Official Information Act show ten murder or manslaughter deaths in 2022, up until 31 July. There were 11 in total in 2021.
Injuries are also running at a record rate, on track to exceed 300 firearm-related injuries for the first time. In 2021, there were 298 gun-related injuries recorded by police, the highest ever.
How much worse have things gotten?
If you compare the past 12 months to a decade earlier, there was a 53 percent increase in gun crime and a 327 percent increase in injuries caused by guns.
Again, that’s after two rounds of gun confiscations designed to do something about New Zealand’s “gun violence.”
The gifted analytical minds at MSN did their usual stellar job of distilling the data, resulting in this gem.
It shows a growing willingness of people to use their guns against other people.
No kidding, huh? When criminals know their victims are unarmed and helpless, that tends to embolden bad guys to act with impunity.
But don’t let reality get in the way of feelings, emotions, and liberal utopian experiments. Surrendering your safety is a small price to pay for the (empty0 promise of security, right?
You’ll be comforted to know that PM Ardern will have plenty of armed security protecting her and her family. Those who legislate gun control for the little people typically do.