Should there be sensible 'gun control'

Following a discussion on this topic - over at Mr Cranky's (initial discussion here) then via email. Mr Cranky left this comment on my last post and I thought it would be good to pull it out and put it in it's own post for (polite & respectful) discussion:

Julie, I lost your email address, I think I owe you some answers re gun control in the US.

According to my friend a semi-expert I could buy an AK47 today in less than an hour (except currently there has been a run on them and the supply is very low). A pistol might take me 2 weeks.

My expert once worked at a sports store that sold guns. One day a person came in wanting to buy a gun. He was very upset and clearly looking for revenge on someone who had beat him up. My friend could not talk him out of buyung a gun and could not turn him down legally. He informed me that he was able to sell him a gun with the wrong ammunition and thinks he saved someones life by doing so.

Personally, living in a country with very strict "gun control" and seeing that it really doesn't make a shred of difference - there are shootings here weekly across the country - I do not see the benefit of it.  Other than it makes it harder for those who choose to follow the law.

Would I be concerned that someone could buy a fully automatic gun over the counter?  Not really.
Would I be concerned that a gun shop employee HAD to sell a gun to someone that was obviously going to use it to kill someone?  Yes, because AFAIK no one HAS to sell anything to anyone.  Shop owners / employees always have the right to refuse a sale.

Maybe that's different in the US?

Technology ...

Miss 9 and Miss 11 are watching Gilligan's Island - the apeman episode.  On the show the tape recorder he used was described as ...

... miniature.

The girls were amused!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finding a high school for Miss 11

I know I’ve been neglecting my blog over the last couple of months.  This is mainly due to “life” – and in particular most of my spare time has been taken up with a hunt for a suitable high school for Miss 11.

She is currently in year 6.  Our schools in this state are structured as year 1 – 7 is primary school (yes there is pre-school / kindergarten before that) and then year 8 – 12 is high school.

From 2015, year 7 will change to being “high school”.  Well actually it will be mandatory for year 7 to be part of high school from 2015, many of the private schools have already made the change and are now structured as year 7 – 9 being middle school and 10 – 12 being upper school.

But state (public) schools aren’t doing this yet.  They won’t have be taking year 7 children into the high schools until 2015.

Miss 11 is in a private school and from latest rumours no other students in year 6 will be going into year 7 at the school, they’re all going into year 7 at private high schools.

We could do the same for Miss 11.  HOWEVER, in our public high school system there are a number of specialist programs that sound interesting.

The first is the “Gifted and Talented Program” (referred to as “GATE”).  There is a possibility that she could get into this and undertake the program at one of the local high schools.  We visited the school last week and she really like it and the Principal.  It’s a BIG school – current school population of 1500 but it didn’t feel crowded.  In fact, we were wondering where all the kids were (the Principal said he thought that they were all playing truant!).

Entrance to the GATE program is via a series of tests held on one day (May), with offers for places in August / September.  Last year there were 850 places across the state with 2400 children sitting the exam.

As this program is relatively difficult to get into, and comes down the child’s performance on the day we have also looked at alternatives.  The other programs offered by the public school system are known as “Specialist Programs”

There are three that interest Miss 11:

• Lesmurdie – Maths and Science
• Kalamunda – Outdoor Adventure
• Kelmscott – Specialist Agriculture

All of these programs are offered to the students in the school district first (we aren’t in any of these districts) and then if there are places available out of area students can apply.

For two of these (Lesmurdie & Kelmscott) entrance is via an exam and the third (Kalamunda) entrance is via a written application and portfolio.

For Lesmurdie the exam will be held around September, for the other two schools applications will be processed in March next year.

And this is where the difficultly lays.

If she doesn’t get into any of these four programs (GATE & the Specialist ones) then we will not know this until mid-next year, by which time all of the private schools (we would not consider sending her to a public school outside of these programs) would have commenced their “middle school” structure.

Now we have found one private school – that Miss 11 liked a lot - that was happy to take her in year 8 if she wanted to stay at her current school until then, IF there are places available once the year 7 intake has been finalised.

So basically now it’s “wait and see”.  She’s sitting a trial exam next Saturday to give her an idea of what the GATE exam (and those for the Specialist Programs) would be like.  But realistically we may not know the outcome until mid-next year.

The other issue we face is that she might be the only year 7 in her current school next year.  Currently there are 13 children in year 6 and only 5 in year 7 (they’re all in a combined year 6/7 class).  I am not sure how well this structure will work (and even if it’s possible) if she is the only year 7 (the current year 5s are in a mixed 4/5 class).

Eeekkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have ordered a rifle

After many (many) months of hesitation I have bitten the bullet, so to speak, and have ordered myself a Tikka T3 .223 rifle (synthetic stock, stainless barrel).

Shooting Buddy is getting the same rifle (wood stock, blued barrel) in .308.  His rifle is in the shop and I'm hoping mine will be there in a week or two.

I spoke to Firearms Branch on Friday to see what was required so that we could co-licence the guns (otherwise storage and transportation could be an issue).  The guy at Firearms Branch was very helpful and, after putting me on hold to double check his information, said the best way to proceed was the following:

1. Put both applications in for firearm additions at the same time. (It's called a firearm's addition as we both currently hold firearms licences).
2. Put both firearms on each application.
- on mine put the .223 down as 'owner'
- and put the .308 down as 'co-licensed' (apparently there's a drop down on the online form for this option).
(reverse this on Shooting Buddy's)
3. Along with each application the following would be needed:
- property letter (with both calibres listed)
- co-users permission form (this is a new one on me - but apparently needs to be submitted now if the guns are to be co-licenced).  I will need to have one from Shooting Buddy and he needs one from me
- the serviceability certificate for the gun we're 'owning'
- a copy of the serviceability certificate for the gun we're 'co-licensing'

So once I have the serial number of my firearm we will be able to proceed with this process.  He did say it might take a bit longer than usual for the applications to be processed but it shouldn't be too much of an issue.  So here's hoping!

I will let you know how I go.

Overheard in the lounge

Miss 11 (as she walks out the room):"I'm off to get my computer to see what's good on ebay!"

Um, okay then ....

Does this make up for me not posting for ages?

The Grim Reaper came for me last night , and I beat him off with a vacuum
cleaner. Talk about Dyson with death.

I was at an ATM yesterday when a little old lady asked if I could check her
balance , so I pushed her over.

I start a new job in Seoul next week. I thought it was a good Korea move.

I was driving this morning when I saw an RAC van parked up. The driver was
sobbing uncontrollably and looked very miserable. I thought to myself that
guy's heading for a breakdown..

Statistically , 6 out of 7 dwarves are not Happy.

My neighbour knocked on my door at 2:30am this morning , can you believe
that , 2:30am?!  Luckily for him I was still up playing my Bagpipes.

I saw a poor old lady fall over today on the ice!!  At least I presume she
was poor - she only had $1.20 in her purse.

My girlfriend thinks that I'm a stalker. Well, she's not exactly my
girlfriend yet.

A wife says to her husband you're always pushing me around and talking
behind my back.  He says what do you expect? You're in a wheelchair.

I was explaining to my wife last night that when you die you get
reincarnated but must come back as a different creature.  She said I would
like to come back as a cow. I said you're obviously not listening.

The wife has been missing a week now. Police said to prepare for the worst.
So I have been to the charity shop to get all her clothes back.

Local Police hunting the 'knitting needle nutter' , who has stabbed six
people in the arse in the last 48 hours , believe the attacker could be
following some kind of pattern..

Bought some 'rocket salad' yesterday but it went off before I could eat it!

A teddy bear is working on a building site. He goes for a tea break and
when he returns he notices his pick has been stolen. The bear is angry and
reports the theft to the foreman. The foreman grins at the bear and says
"Oh , I forgot to tell you , today's the day the teddy bears have their
pick nicked."

Murphy says to Paddy "What ya talkin to an envelope for?" "I'm sending a
voicemail ya thick sod!"

Just got back from my mate's funeral. He died after being hit on the head
with a tennis ball. It was a lovely service.

An Asian fellow has moved in next door. He has travelled the world , swum
with sharks , wrestled bears and climbed the highest mountain. It came as
no surprise to learn his name was Bindair Dundat.

Back

Hi All

We're back from Jamboree - Miss 11 had a blast!  Here she is during the early stages of "Challenge It!" by the end of the activity she was head-to-toe in mud!

And this is what she thought of Jamboree ...

And yes, she's saving for the next one :)