Firearms owners not the problem

Ray Peck, from leafy Hawthorn in Victoria thinks the job of Territory coppers is hard enough without Australians having a rifle and cartridges in store, according to the letter to the editor on May 6.

Ray will be happy living far enough away from the front line if China gets serious.

The Japanese never had plans to invade Australia because of the inhospitable country and the fact that so many of the “home guard” were experienced with firearms and had ammo at hand.

My grandfather was one of them.

He lead his local “militia” and had a Tommy gun in the shearing shed back at Lake Rowan.

Another of my mentors, while recovering from grenade wounds to his skull sustained on the Kokoda Track, was alerted by his stockmen that there was a group of Japanese just back from the beach at Point Blaze. With his Aboriginal stockmen he crept up on the camp before dawn and when the first emerged the locals let fly with every rifle and shotgun they had.

Max would have had the Luger pistol that he took from a German in North Africa running hot as well. Result of Japanese incursion on Australian soil was Territorians - 6, Japanese - nil.

Ray, your remark that the police have enough to do without more Australians having a rifle and ammo in store is off target. The top drawer in your kitchen has all the weapons of choice angry young men are looking for and wielding with abandon these days.

The 600,000 law-abiding firearm owners in this land are not committing crimes, it’s the nut job, the radical, the anarchist, the drunk, the doped zombie with a knife that is keeping the police and security guards busy these days. Thanks for popping your head up again, Ray.

Clay target practice is on at NT Field and Game from 9am to noon.