Rebel Wilson Thinks America Should Follow In Australia’s Footsteps In Relation To Gun Laws, Answer Not That Simple

Rebel Wilson has put her neck on the line and insisted that America take a page out of Australia’s gun reform book. However, it is not quite as simple as just changing the laws like it was in Australia. Right up front, I will say I am an Australian, and I am in support of Australia’s gun laws and I love Rebel Wilson. But, I do strongly believe there are many aspects of the U.S. gun laws that Australian’s don’t take into consideration when claiming the U.S. should follow in Australia’s footsteps.

Rebel Wilson is completely right in saying Australia has had no major shooting sprees since massive gun law reforms were made after Martin Bryant went on a killing spree in Port Arthur in 1996 resulting in Bryant receiving 35 life sentences, plus 1,035 years without parole. However, Rebel Wilson forgets there was a recent siege involving Man Haron Monis, a man who clearly shouldn’t have had access to a weapon under Australian gun laws.

As Rebel Wilson points out, the gun laws in Australia are tight. People applying for a license now have to go through an extensive process that includes applying for a license as well as a police and medical background check. There is also a delay of 28 days between submitting a gun license application and obtaining one.

According to SBS and a spokeswoman for the Australian Institute of Criminology, the following criteria must be met:

• 18 years or over
• Judged as a fit and proper person
• Have undergone a firearms safety training course and;
• Have provided documentation about the storage arrangements in which they will secure the firearm.

Licences will not be granted to people:

• Under the age of 18
• Who have been convicted in the previous 10 years in the current or another state/territory of an offense prescribed by the regulations
• Is subject to an apprehended violence order or at any time in the previous 10 years has been subject to an order (unless the order was revoked), or;
• Is subject to a Good Behavior Bond to an offence prescribed by the regulations

Once a gun license is obtained, a “permit to acquire” needs to be completed every time a gun licensee wants to purchase a weapon. There is also a strict handle on the types of weapons permitted within Australia for purchase.

But, while Rebel Wilson is adamant gun law reform in the U.S. would help curb the amount of homicides caused by weapons, she forgets just how much gun culture is embedded in the U.S. mindset. This may be a bad thing, something that needs to be changed, but without getting into that area of debate, it exists and is part of the reason why Rebel Wilson’s idealistic approach to gun reform in the U.S. is not as clear cut as she thinks it might be.

One thing Rebel Wilson forgets to calculate in the equation is just how many guns exist in the U.S. In Australia, owning a gun is not part of our Constitution, it is not an ingrained part of our personal belief system that every person should carry arms. Therefore, there were not nearly as many weapons to deal with when the gun law reform took place. Many Australians were happy to offer up their unused weapons in the gun buyback scheme implemented after the Port Arthur shooting. As a result of this 700,000 guns were handed over.

In the U.S., there is no definite number of how many guns are in circulation although conservative guesses start at 300 million. This number is based on known privately owned firearms. However, considering just how easy it is to obtain a gun in the U.S., it is expected this number is considerably lower that the actuality.

In order for the U.S. to do as Rebel Wilson insists means, potentially, taking the guns out of the hands of the very citizens who need them to protect themselves — the law-abiding ones. For the U.S. to truly follow in Australia’s footsteps, the guns need to be taken out of the hands of criminals, something that is very hard to do — even in Australia, which lacks the gun culture the U.S. has. So, potentially, if the U.S. were to tighten their gun like Rebel Wilson wants, the ones it would dramatically affect in a negative way is the law abiding citizens who give up their weapons in the name of gun reform.

While Rebel Wilson is right in saying gun reform is necessary in the U.S., it is not as simple as taking guns out of people’s hands and placing down rules. As well as the sheer amount of weapons available in the U.S., there is also the ingrained culture Australians like Rebel Wilson will never truly understand; the god-given right most American feel to carry arms. The honest belief – to the majority of Americans – that weapons will protect individuals from harm. Without this change in mindset, there is absolutely no point in changing the laws. To do this would be to endanger the very people Rebel Wilson wants to protect.

What are your thoughts on gun control and what Rebel Wilson had to say about the U.S. following in Australia’s footsteps? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below.

[Image credit: Scott Olson / Staff]