What some say the U.S. can learn from Australia about gun control: In 1996, after 35 people were killed in a mass shooting, the Australian government enacted strict gun control laws. Since then, there has been one mass shooting in the country.
Carolyn Loughton flung herself on top of her daughter when a gunman with a high-powered rifle opened fire on a group of tourists in Australia, but it was not enough to save Sarah's life. The shooting, in a café in the Tasmanian town of Port Arthur in April 1996, resulted in 35 people killed, and another 23 wounded.
"I thought to myself, if I don't use the authority of this newly-acquired office to do something, then the Australian people are entitled to think, 'Well, this bloke's not up to much,'" said John Howard. So, the then-prime minister, a conservative politician and close friend of George W. Bush, pushed through sweeping gun control legislation just 12 days after the shooting.
Howard told Doane,"People used to say to me, 'You violated my human rights by taking away my gun.' And I'd tell them, 'I understand that. Will you please understand the argument, the greatest human right of all is to live a safe life without fear of random murder?'" Senator David Leyonhjelm left Howard's political party in protest over the strict gun laws. He insists they've had little effect."It's clutching at straws," he said of the reasoning behind the gun laws."John Howard just simply didn't like guns.
"Well, I can say that, because all the surveys indicate it," he replied."The number of deaths from mass shootings, gun-related homicide has fallen, gun related suicide has fallen. Isn't that evidence? Or are we expected to believe that that was all magically going to happen? Come on!"
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