The just announced changes to the New Zealand gun laws don't really do that much. It's all a bit of a damp squib. This is my assessment, despite many gun websites screaming their tits off. All that is being banned are MSSA rifles and parts to make them; MSSA are Military Style Semi-Automatics.
The .22 semi-auto, the most plentiful semi-auto in NZ appears unchanged in status. Maybe more changes are on the way, because what has not been announced is exactly what the police are doing to revamp their gun license issuing system following the ability of the terrorist gunman in Christchurch to work around a very flawed license issuing system. Then to top it off, he was able to easily alter his MSSA from an A category rifle to an E category with the simple addition of a 30 round magazine.
Readers can check out the changes here: https://www.police.govt.nz/advice/firearms-and-safety/changes-firearms
Update: The new legislation has been produced and it's tougher than the original announcements. All semi-auto rifles over .22 are effectively banned. Read the bill before parliament here http://legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2019/0125/latest/LMS181180.html
Showing posts with label Christchurch shootings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christchurch shootings. Show all posts
March 22, 2019
March 17, 2019
Christchurch and South Island Terrorism
The terrorist who committed the atrocity on March 15, 2019 was an Australian. Looking into his background there is nothing to suggest he came to New Zealand to commit an act of terror. NZ must face the ugly truth; it is likely he was radicalised in Aotearoa.
Is this a gun control issue? It appears he may have broken the law in getting his gun license and one of the rifles he used looks to have been modified into an advanced E category semi-automatic, not the lowest classification A category the terrorist had a license for. Bad people can get guns any time, further gun controls just make it harder to shoot the pests which damage the environment. So more gun controls won't work.
What will work? NZ needs to address the climate of xenophobia and racism that permeates its society. In particular, the South Island where white supremacist groups have operated my whole adult life. They have extreme views and are readily violent. It is highly likely that the terrorist did not act alone. There was a great degree of planning in the attack and while he was the sole shooter, others out there aided and abetted him, find them and bring them to justice.
Then we need to be intolerant towards intolerance. Every day in NZ, the media give platforms to so-called 'hosts' on the TV and radio who foment unrest with their dog-whistling comments. These people are very sly, they're as slippery as eels, never going too far and changing direction or flipping quickly to the cause or talking point of the day, they're always chasing headlines and ratings. They don't care who gets hurt, today they've got blood on their hands. Call the media companies and let them know they have to rid NZ of their voices. Kiwis - you know who they are.
March 16, 2019
Christchurch Mosque Shootings
By now the world will be aware that Christchurch has had a terrible terrorist attack. White supremacists have attacked and killed 49 people across two sites, the mosque on Deans Ave by Hagley Park and the mosque on Linwood Ave.
Many more are in Christchurch Hospital and are in a critical condition. Twelve operating theatres are in use trying to save people.
Arrests have been made but given the level of planning involved in the attacks, I suspect there are others behind this. We need to know who these co-conspirators and instigators are.
Schools were in lock-down all afternoon and they may have been targeting schools as well. I notice that in the TV footage of the arrests, one suspect was arrested outside Papanui High School, while another was driven off the road and arrested near Addington Primary School. This appears to be a remarkable coincidence, both suspects near or right outside schools and the police were telling all schools to go into lock-down.
Also, on Thursday James Shaw the Green Party co-leader was punched in Wellington and hospitalised. The assailant was reported to say something about the UN before punching Shaw. One of the suspects in Christchurch, Brenton Tarrant had UN Convention on Migration scrawled across the magazine of his rifle in photos posted online. This also seems to be a remarkable coincidence.
It could be New Zealand has a far-right terrorist cell operating in the country right now. The police have cordoned off Somerville Street in Dunedin (4.5 hours south of Christchurch by car) and nearby residents were being evacuated. Does this property have explosives? Or is this where the terrorists were making the bombs found in Christchurch on Friday? Police have confirmed this property is connected to the Friday events.
A bomb threat was reported at the Britomart in Auckland on Friday, the police neutralised the two suitcases.
Is anyone seeing a pattern here? If anyone sees anything suspicious or knows anything, please report it to the police pronto.
Many more are in Christchurch Hospital and are in a critical condition. Twelve operating theatres are in use trying to save people.
Arrests have been made but given the level of planning involved in the attacks, I suspect there are others behind this. We need to know who these co-conspirators and instigators are.
Schools were in lock-down all afternoon and they may have been targeting schools as well. I notice that in the TV footage of the arrests, one suspect was arrested outside Papanui High School, while another was driven off the road and arrested near Addington Primary School. This appears to be a remarkable coincidence, both suspects near or right outside schools and the police were telling all schools to go into lock-down.
Also, on Thursday James Shaw the Green Party co-leader was punched in Wellington and hospitalised. The assailant was reported to say something about the UN before punching Shaw. One of the suspects in Christchurch, Brenton Tarrant had UN Convention on Migration scrawled across the magazine of his rifle in photos posted online. This also seems to be a remarkable coincidence.
It could be New Zealand has a far-right terrorist cell operating in the country right now. The police have cordoned off Somerville Street in Dunedin (4.5 hours south of Christchurch by car) and nearby residents were being evacuated. Does this property have explosives? Or is this where the terrorists were making the bombs found in Christchurch on Friday? Police have confirmed this property is connected to the Friday events.
A bomb threat was reported at the Britomart in Auckland on Friday, the police neutralised the two suitcases.
Is anyone seeing a pattern here? If anyone sees anything suspicious or knows anything, please report it to the police pronto.