I am
settling back into life in this cold northern country.
I am not
sure if it was the cold weather, I went from +31in Bali to -20 in Edmonton;
returning to my house still in upheaval with men in suits in the sealed off
basement removing asbestos; or my daughter, a teacher, in tears telling me about
the horrific Newton Connecticut school shooting the morning following my
landing in Canada; or all three that made me sick. I came down with a bad flu.
 |
| My backyard |
In
February I posted a blog about Port Arthur, the 19th century
penitentiary in Tasmania Keith and I visited.
On the grounds of the prison was a memorial to the 35 tourists and
employees killed by a gunman on April 28, 1996. In response, conservative Australian Prime
Minister John Howard oversaw the passage of sweeping gun control legislation.
Semiautomatic and automatic rifles and shotguns were banned, and a mandatory
government buyback program was enacted to collect weapons. The results were
striking: homicides by firearm decreased 59% between 1995 and 2006, with no
corresponding increase in non-firearm-related homicides. The drop in suicides
by gun was even steeper: 65%. Studies found a close correlation between the
sharp declines and the gun buybacks. Robberies involving a firearm also dropped
significantly.
I found Australians don’t trust America. This caused me to look more objectively at
my long held views, specifially American trade agreements and policies.
I can
deal with the weather, the basement is now clear of asbestos and awaiting
renovation but the American right to bear arms culture is too close for
comfort. The first item on the news today was that 5 schools around my province
were closed due to threats on social media.
Now I am
getting my energy back I will be advocating for tighter gun control but also
better support for people with mental health issues, which I know first-hand is
lacking.
And yes, it’s wonderful to be
back with family and friends. Cold
or not, there’s no place like home!
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