Will Australia Ban Nail Guns Now?

Seems only the reasonable thing to do after this incident, doesn't it?

Police Release Graphic Photograph in Hunt for 'Nail Gun' Killer

SYDNEY - Police are appealing to the public for help in solving the gruesome killing of a Chinese man who was shot 34 times in the head and neck with a nail gun before being dumped in a river.

Chen Liu's badly decomposed body was found in Sydney on Nov. 1, about two weeks after a friend reported him missing, but police have yet to say whether they've identified any suspects.

reply to post by Ferris.Bueller.II


I disagree. A nail gun is a construction tool - it wasn't intended as a weapon. You ask people in the construction industry (including austraila) if they would like to see a ban on this tool, the answer would be no as it is a device designed to help complete the job faster.

It is terrible what has happened, but a ban would leave the construction trade disadvantaged - a licence may not be a bad idea though?

reply to post by MCoG1980


Should anything that has ever been used as a weapon to kill someone also be serialized and licensed? Like kitchen knives, pillows, hammers, tire irons, fishing line, plastic bags, etc?

[edit on 4/26/09 by Ferris.Bueller.II]

With how oppressive the Australian government is, I will laugh when they do and the construction workers go on strike.

reply to post by Ferris.Bueller.II


I see where you're going with this.

If people were being regularly murdered from a nail gun (and what's the chances of that??), then there is a probably a good chance that restrictions could be placed on can buy them but they'll never ban nail guns and you know it.

[edit on 26/4/09 by Chadwickus]

reply to post by Chadwickus


What I'm getting at is it the governments responsibility to safeguard all citizens against each other and themselves by controlling and banning anything that can be used to take a human life? And if so, how effective would that be against those who live outside civilized society and do not care about laws and rules? Would the government simply be providing an easier crop to be harvested by them?

[edit on 4/26/09 by Ferris.Bueller.II]

Originally posted by Ferris.Bueller.II
reply to post by MCoG1980

 

Should anything that has ever been used as a weapon to kill someone also be serialized and licensed? Like kitchen knives, pillows, hammers, tire irons, fishing line, plastic bags, etc?

[edit on 4/26/09 by Ferris.Bueller.II]

That is not what i was saying now is it, what are you saying? - they should ban everything and wrap the world up in cotton wool????
I have one sat in my kitchen - and i aint intending to go shooting it off at anyone.

I certainly do not think they should ban industrial power tools for the sake of one person who has abused the use of that tool outside the environment it was intended to be used in.
Like i said, if they need to tighten availabilty up on nail-guns, then a licence could be an option. The construction trade is full of over the top safety regs that they must adhere too - whats one more eh?


edit:

Cartridge guns DO require a license
Gas powered nail guns currently do not.

But still even then, if someone wanted to use this as a weapon they would, like with anything. To put it in perspective though, maybe you should check into how many Nail Gun related crimes have taken place compared to that with the use of weapons.

[edit on 26-4-2009 by MCoG1980]

Originally posted by MCoG1980
But still even then, if someone wanted to use this as a weapon they would, like with anything. To put it in perspective though, maybe you should check into how many Nail Gun related crimes have taken place compared to that with the use of weapons.

Weapon: any instrument or device for use in attack or defense in combat, fighting, or war

As I said before, lots of different, normally innocuous, everyday items can be used as weapons, including Nail Guns. It's when a person decides to use them in a way to harm another individual that it turns into a weapon.

In other words, it's the person that kills, not the gun. If the person didn't have a gun handy, he'd find another implement that is at hand to do the same.