Gun-toting Olympians forced to leave London early, banned from social media

About the title, just for clarity:

Australian Olympic swimmers criticized for Facebook gun photo (Thu, Jun 7, 2012 11:45 AM EDT)

Gun-toting Olympians forced to leave London early, banned from social media (Mon, Jun 11, 2012 1:29 PM EDT)

reply to post by James1982

I'm definitely not calling Brits or any other nationality cowards,

Good.

just the anti-gun crowd.

What - so just because someone believes in gun control they are automatically a coward?

My issues with this thread originally had absolutely nothing to do with gun control at all - they were about how the OP had mistakenly linked to the wrong article, the thread title was misleading and several posters were using the thread for a bit of Brit bashing when the reality is that this incident has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the UK.

Did you actually read my posts?
If you did could you please tell me what's so confusing about them that people would completely ignore the content and continue to rattle on about something I never commented on?

.... but the certain group which share the same ideals regardless of what country they are in.

You seem insistant in turning this into thread about gun control.

Not that this has any relevance as far as I can see on this topic but personally I have absolutely no desire to see any relaxation of the UK gun control laws - and I assure you, I am no coward, not by any stretch of the imagination.
And the vast majority of people in this country agree with me.
As do most continental Europeans as far as I'm aware.

But I fully understand that it is completely different in the USA and gun culture is engrained in the national psyche and that you wish to retain your Right To Bear Arms.

I respect that, it's your country do as you see fit and what is right for you - please respect our support for our gun control laws.
But I really wish Americans would stop rattling on about it at every given opportunity, especially when it has absolutely no relevance whatsoever.

I honestly think it's a HUGE stretch to say that Aussies holding guns in America is somehow them showing allegiance to the USA

Yeah, I agree with you entirely, but I never said that it is?

. And I don't see what China has to do with this

Neither do I?

. Are you implying that China is going to get angry with Australia because it's Olympians are showing some none existent pledge to America allegiance by holding guns?

I don't think I've been implying anything of the sort.
In fact, I've never mentioned China.

What on earth are you talking about?

As if China doesn't already know Australia would ally with the west over China anyway?

Probably, but some of our Australian members may disagree with you there.

But again, where is the relevance with the topic of this thread?

Look, I get what you are saying, in the same way that I get every other PC related incident.

Obviously you haven't got a clue - look at my second post in this thread where I clearly state;

Yip, PC gone mad - but my opinion is completely irrelevant.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I Just don't agree with it, and am not going to condone such things simply because that's how it goes. Even you agreed that it's stupid PC crap. So why not be against such things, instead of simply going along with whatever is the status quo at the time?

Look this is pretty straight forward, I couldn't really give a toss - Australia are quite free to choose and do as they feel fit and right to do so, exactly the same as America - I am not arrogant enough to propose imposing my opinions on anyone.

It seems to me that people are attacking these two guys, not for the gun thing, but for their past.

Excuse me and please don't think I'm being arsey so don't take it the wrong way but maybe it's you who is supporting these two guys just because it's a 'gun thing'?

Trumping up something like this in order to get a dig at someone you don't like isn't any better than considering holding guns some big deal in the first place.

But that's the thing - holding up guns like they did IS a big thing in a lot of places outside the USA - just because it's acceptable to you and your culture doesn't mean that it's acceptable everywhere else.

I don't think this is about the guns. I think it's about the Aussie Olympians being role models for younger generations and by them posing with guns looking like a couple of bogans (thats rednecks for you Americans) they tarnish the image that the AOC is trying to present to the world.

As an Aussie though, I do agree it's bloody ridiculous.

Originally posted by JAK
About the title, just for clarity:

Australian Olympic swimmers criticized for Facebook gun photo (Thu, Jun 7, 2012 11:45 AM EDT)

Gun-toting Olympians forced to leave London early, banned from social media (Mon, Jun 11, 2012 1:29 PM EDT)

Thanks. Wish I could change it.

To those that defend this sort of punishment.

I hate people that try and make the world fit into their dumbass points of view. It is backwards and tyrannical to try and impose PC BS and other forms of liberal radical idealism.

These people are not public figures. They are athletes. SO if I am a great athlete but a terrible person, I can't compete? Like if I can run faster than a cheetah, but love guns and hunting, I can't go and win medals for my country, is that it?

Well, F your backwards thinking. The world will never be the way you want it to be since your way is impractical and a lie. You would rob people of happiness and freedom for your twisted compensation for the little imperfections of life.

Extremism is not healthy any way you swing it. Noble ideas or not.....you are delusional and a liar. That way will never work, never has, never will.

People need to be free to hurt themselves, insult each other, and just be human. To try and rob us of that is sick.

I wish all these dumbasses would wake the hell up. The world is beautiful in its imperfections. Don't mask your own personal inadequacies with broad strokes of your idealist brush.

just as bad as a dictatorship....your liberal garbage radicals......you suck and should feel bad.

hateful, spiteful little people.

Having read both articles thanks to JAK posting them both I can see how the confusion arose.

Both articles have the same prominent picture at the start and have similar terminology etc throughout.

It seems pretty straight forward what's happened.

Two Australian swimmers posed for some photo's whilst in California and posted them on Facebook.

For some reason the Australian Olympic Committee took offence and have decided that the two swimmers will return home to Australia as soon as the swimming events are finished in London instead of staying on until the closing of the games like all the rest of the Australian swimming team.

Seems to me like the guys in question may have been a little bit naive in posting the pictures but it's not a biggy really, then the Sydney Daily Telegraph has blown it all out of proportion and as a result the AOC has over reacted for fear of upsetting the PC brigade.

Mountain out of a mole hill springs to mind.

Oh, and absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with whinging Poms or Liberal anti-gun Europeans.

Originally posted by Rockpuck
reply to post by becomingaware

 

The crazy Liberal Euro's hate guns. They prefer their public weak and subdued.. I'm not really surprised by this action.

Hey [Snip] .... Why don't you read the article, get a clue and understand that the crap you post is just that.... crap.










Mod Edit: Personal comments removed. Please see Terms and Conditions of Use section 16) Behaviour and remember to go after the ball, not the player. Thank you - Jak

just to add to what i have already said.....to those that are saying you dont care how the athelete behaves as long as they win, dont forget these two numbnuts are supported by the australian taxpayer. WE pay their wages, support them for all the time in between olympic games. so YES, if the public is paying their way, they have a say in their behaviour.

this is the next part where i could rabbit on about trying to have our kids grow up with good role models, instead of what u.s.a kids look up too .... the likes of the kardashians, lindsey lohan, paris hilton etc etc, but i have never lived there so therefore cant pass judgement on what you kids look up too. just as you should not pass judgement on my country.

one last thing is that for the last 12 months we have had a massive bikie war going on here. barely a night goes by where there is not a drive by shooting of some bikie house in sydney. all performed with illegal weapons i might add, so yes....we are a bit gun shy here at the moment only because we all fear that they will get the wrong address soon and someone innocent will die. lets face it...these are not the smartest people we are talking about.

so in short...if these two grubs with previous history of extremely bad behaviour want to realise their dreams of olympics its easy. toe the line, try to be good role models and we will have no problem with paying wages till the next olympics. if you dont...then piss off, get a job, pay your own way and you can tote guns and get pissed and cause havoc and deal with the police.

they ought to thank their lucky stars it wasnt my decision...they wouldnt just be missing the closing party of the olympics if it was me, they would be watching it from some pub in sydney and watching some hard working, well behaved kid whos dream it is to represent their country to the best of their ability try to win the medal.

reply to post by Freeborn


Depends on what kind of gun control they support. As I said, it's your responsibility to defend yourself and your family to the extreme. That is owning and being knowledgeable and responsible with firearms. Being a Chuck Norris type isn't going to do you any good against someone with a gun, or more than one person with bats who are really trying to hurt you. A firearm is, bar none, the most effective means to defend one's self and family.

A background check before purchase to stop violent felons from buying a gun is the ONLY form of gun control I support. ANYTHING past that is the realm of cowards. They are terrified of people owning pistols, or owning select fire firearms, or magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, or short barreled shotguns or rifles, or pistols with stocks, the list goes on and on. Supporting such oppressive gun control says only one thing, you are scared of people owning such guns, thus cowardly. Felons resigned their innate right of extreme self defense the second they committed a violent felony. They have already proven they cannot be trusted with such force.

As far as Brit bashing goes, I didn't participate in any, nor do I have any desire to, so I can't really comment on that.

The stuff about China and other parts of my post that don't make any sense to you, it wasn't directed at you, it was directed at FractalChaos. That's where the talk of China and and the other stuff unrelated to your posts came from. Hope I cleared that up.

You say I'm turning this thread into a thread about gun control and not being relevant to the thread. I disagree completely, it's totally relevant to discuss the opinions and laws about guns when the incident this thread is about is solely about guns. Those two guys are in trouble because of posing with guns, the only reason they got in trouble is because of their country's opinion on guns. Hence the discussion of opinions and laws about guns.

You say you don't want the UK's gun control relaxed, why? Is there any reason other than being scared that your fellow law-abiding Brits can own more and better weapons easier? Relaxing the laws won't cause criminals to carry guns, they are already doing that. Changing the law only means more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens that can defend themselves, and come to your defense if need be. Maybe fearful is a more appropriate word than cowardice, they basically mean the same thing to me but I guess fearful sounds less offensive.

If you disagree with my opinion that being anti-gun is cowardly, then explain to me a reason for being anti-gun that doesn't revolve around quaking in your boots at the thought of law-abiding citizens being well armed.

I'm not forcing my opinions on your country. The people of your country should decide your gun laws. But the thing is, I know for a fact there are many Brits, as well as Canadians and Aussies that wish they had the right to own guns as we do in America. My participation is many Gun forums on the web with members from such countries saying as much is proof of that. So I am speaking on behalf of your own citizenry that doesn't want scared people (whether the minority or majority doesn't really matter) to dictate that they aren't allowed to defend themselves by any means possible.

reply to post by bellagirl

just to add to what i have already said.....to those that are saying you dont care how the athelete behaves as long as they win, dont forget these two numbnuts are supported by the australian taxpayer. WE pay their wages, support them for all the time in between olympic games. so YES, if the public is paying their way, they have a say in their behaviour.

As a US taxpayer, and a fan of athletics, and an athlete myself although nowhere near any Olympic caliber, I have to say that I DO want my taxpayer dollars going to fund the best athletes at all costs, regardless of their personal flaws.

Also, for the role models, it is our job as parents to teach what is or isn't a good role model, and make sure we teach it in a way they can understand. In fact, it is important to have examples of bad role models as well.

My 5 year old has learned to eat broccoli, green beans, limit his sugar, and practice his karate all in pursuit of becoming a Power Ranger! Then, some kid at school tells him power rangers aren't real, they are make believe, and he comes home disheartened, but I find youtube videos of free-runners, extreme pull-ups, and the American Ninja Warrior competitors, as well as some extreme kata's at the last karate tournament, and I convince him Power Rangers are real, they just don't always wear uniforms.

Originally posted by getreadyalready
reply to post by bellagirl

 

just to add to what i have already said.....to those that are saying you dont care how the athelete behaves as long as they win, dont forget these two numbnuts are supported by the australian taxpayer. WE pay their wages, support them for all the time in between olympic games. so YES, if the public is paying their way, they have a say in their behaviour.

As a US taxpayer, and a fan of athletics, and an athlete myself although nowhere near any Olympic caliber, I have to say that I DO want my taxpayer dollars going to fund the best athletes at all costs, regardless of their personal flaws.

edit on 27-6-2012 by bellagirl because: (no reason given)

just a simple question. you wouldnt happen to be a stockbroker would you...or did you work for lehman bros...or the u.s treasury ????

your willy nilly attitude to money is why i ask....

edit on 27-6-2012 by bellagirl because: (no reason given)

reply to post by bellagirl


HAHA!

I don't mean fund them at all costs, I mean find the best athletes at all costs, even if that means looking in the prison systems. I'm not advocating spending more money on athletes! Athletes are doing just fine with the exorbitant amount of money they already get!

reply to post by getreadyalready


do i detect that maybe you were amused by my last post

look...maybe we can meet halfway. in all honesty if i came to the u.s it would probably be a picture i would take. its a novelty for us here. i have never seen a gun shop in my life. it would be an amusing photo for friends and family to see me draped in guns and amo .......BUT just not these two idiots. we have lived through the terrible images of what D'arcy did to Cowells face. he absolutely smashed his face with a coward king hit then declared bankrupt so he didnt have to pay a cent. he is from a well to do family who has never had to be responsible for any of his actions as mummy and daddy always bail him out.

reply to post by James1982


First of all, I'd like to re-iterate - I fail to see what two swimmers who posed with guns in California, posted those photo's on Facebook and were then punished by the Australian Olympic Committee for doing so has got to do with UK gun control laws.

Depends on what kind of gun control they support. As I said, it's your responsibility to defend yourself and your family to the extreme.

It is my responsibility to do so whilst remaining within the law.

Now the simple FACT is that very, very few criminals go about their business here in the UK armed with anything more than just enough to do whatever it is they intend to do - the vast majority of criminals would never carry a gun and to be caught doing so would result in a relatively long stretch inside.

People who wish to legitamately own guns are more than entitled to do so as long as certain security criteria are met.

The UK people are more than happy with this arrangement.

It has limited the amount of guns in circulation - the vast majority of Brits have never seen a gun and have no desire to do so - and that includes criminals!

Believe it or not certain sections of UK society are exceptionally violent and we know that if guns were more readily available then they would be used, resulting in more gun related crimes and deaths.

A background check before purchase to stop violent felons from buying a gun is the ONLY form of gun control I support.

Then how come every two bit, crack head, wannabe, gangster, criminal in the USA has a gun?
Not exactly working is it?

But that is by the by - I don't care what you do in the USA - it's your country do as you see fit - exactly the same as this is my country and we will do as we see fit - it has nothing to do with cowardice etc and everything to do with a different opinion and approach.
There is simply a different culture towards guns here and the fact that you fail to recognise or understand that speaks a damn sight more about you than it does anything else.

ANYTHING past that is the realm of cowards.

You seem to use that word with the impunity and arrogance of someone with the false confidence gained by carrying a gun.

As far as Brit bashing goes, I didn't participate in any, nor do I have any desire to, so I can't really comment on that.

I didn't say you had - I said some people in this thread had - read what I said not what you think I said.

The stuff about China and other parts of my post that don't make any sense to you, it wasn't directed at you, it was directed at FractalChaos.

Ok - then why rattle on about it in a

reply to post by Freeborn

?

You say I'm turning this thread into a thread about gun control and not being relevant to the thread. I disagree completely, it's totally relevant to discuss the opinions and laws about guns when the incident this thread is about is solely about guns.

So if anything it would be to do with US and Australian gun control laws and nothing whatsoever to do with the UK or even those liberal Europeans.

You say you don't want the UK's gun control relaxed, why?

I refer The Honourable Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier.

Relaxing the laws won't cause criminals to carry guns, they are already doing that.

Yes it will and no they aren't - well, not many of them.

...... I guess fearful sounds less offensive.

Quite full of yourself aren't you - pretty easy with a gun at your side and from behind a keyboard - but then again maybe that's one of the key differences between us - and you just won't ever get that will you?

......then explain to me a reason for being anti-gun that doesn't revolve around quaking in your boots at the thought of law-abiding citizens being well armed.

Listen pal, I've done and seen things that would have had you crapping in your pants and going running home crying to Mammy - seems to me like the sole reason for your gun advocation is to enable you to legally carry a penis extension.

I'm not forcing my opinions on your country. The people of your country should decide your gun laws.

We have done so - what's your problem?

This is the UK not USA and we do as WE see fit not how YOU see fit - get it?

But the thing is, I know for a fact there are many Brits,.....that wish they had the right to own guns as we do in America. My participation is many Gun forums on the web with members from such countries saying as much is proof of that. So I am speaking on behalf of your own citizenry.....

Yes, a few do - there's lot's of laws I don't agree with that I have to abide by - that's life.

Can't these people speak for themselves?

I have really got to laugh at how the US gun-nuts turn a story about how AUSTRALIA recalled its own athletes from the olympics over a photograph taken in CALIFORNIA, and then try and twist it to talk about gun laws in the United Kingdom, and how the UK'ers are cowards because we choose not to be walking arsenals.

Just a point of note, guns are not illegal in the UK, only handguns are. People can, and do, still own shotguns and rifles. All you have to do in the case of a shotgun, is pass a police criminality check, and a firearms officer will inspect your home to ensure that you have appropriate secure storage for them.

The same applies for a rifle with the addition that you have to demonstrate a need to own one (sports shooting will do, if you are a member of a shooting range).

The only legal issue is that we are not allowed to walk down the road with them slung across our backs, or to discharge them in a public area.

Anyway, this thread is not about UK gun laws, or the UK citizens attitudes towards guns. Its about how AUSTRALIA recalled its olympians over a photograph taken in CALIFORNIA.

Can we get back on track now?