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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW What did you make of the Republican debate? ... Omar's chef wins statewide title ... Ticket Availabilty ... What did you make of the Republican debate? ... Omar's chef wins statewide title ... Ticket Availabilty ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Guns: a down-under solution? Comment By Bruce Borgerson DailyTidings.com By Bruce Borgerson Posted Jun. 27, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Bruce Borgerson Posted Jun. 27, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News After every mass shooting, the National Rifle Association trumpets the same solution: more guns. If we simply make sure the “good guys” — pastors, teachers, movie theater employees — are armed to the teeth, the problem will be solved. The only alternative, insist the gun rights extremists, is to sacrifice all our freedoms to a government essentially no different than North Korea, Stalinist Russia or Nazi Germany. There can be no compromise, we’re told. Either tolerate lax gun laws or submit to a repressive totalitarian regime. To that, I modestly propose a third option. Australia. Portraying Australia’s government as an iron-fisted tyranny would be a tough sell. To begin with, most Americans stereotype Aussies as free-and-easy (perhaps a bit rowdy) outdoor enthusiasts who surf by the sandy beaches, throw another shrimp on the barbie and hunt wild beasties in the Outback. Not surprisingly, these images are anchored in reality — including those portraying big game hunters with high-powered rifles in hand. Further, if you examine statistics relating to personal and economic freedoms, Australia ranks very high, often ahead of the USA. The conservative Heritage Foundation places Australia fourth in the world for economic freedoms, with America lagging behind in 12th place. Other sources rank Australia high for personal freedoms (including speech and religion) as well as for limited government and low taxation. In sum, we Americans feel a close kinship with Australia. We’ve been allies in nearly every war for over a century, and we share much in terms of history and traditions. We’re cultural cousins. However, our two nations differ dramatically in regarding gun violence. Because of the disparity in populations (roughly 10:1), per capita figures are most meaningful. Clearly troubling is the disparity in firearm homicide rates per 100,000: 0.11 for Australia and 3.55 for the USA. That’s a rate 32 times higher in the USA. In total numbers, we have over 11,000 gun homicides each year in America. But if our gun homicide rate were as low as Australia’s, the total would plummet to around 400 — or about 10,600 fewer gun homicides per year. That’s the entire populations of Talent and Phoenix combined. When we compare mass shootings (five or more deaths per incident), we must again be mindful of population differences. So instead of comparing the two nations as a whole, we will compare Australia to the 10 U.S. states west of the Rockies, excluding California. Australia is larger in territory, but populations are comparable: about 24 million for Australia and 31 million for the 10 states combined. With that in mind, note that Australia also experienced an increase in mass shootings from the 1970s through mid-1990s, culminating in the horrific Port Arthur Massacre in 1996. Later that year, Australia’s parliament enacted the National Firearms Agreement, which led to a ban on all semi-automatic rifles and a restrictive system of licensing and ownership controls. In the 19 years since Port Arthur, there have been no mass shootings in Australia. None. Zero. In that same period, there have been four mass shootings (Columbine, Tucson, Salt Lake City, Aurora) with a total of 35 dead in those 10 comparable U.S. states. Even compensating for the population differential, we would still have 29 American dead compared to zero in Australia. And what freedoms have Australian gun owners sacrificed to lower the death toll? I suppose they’ve given up some “freedom from bureaucracy” as they deal with fees and drudgery similar to what we endure to register our cars and obtain drivers’ licenses. Nevertheless, they remain free to shoot pistols at gun club ranges and target big game in the Outback with high-powered rifles. And they also are free from the fear of sudden and bloody carnage in their schools, churches, shopping malls and movie theaters. Perhaps the time has come to follow the lead of our cultural cousins Down Under, and seriously consider a comprehensive solution. Bruce Borgerson is a technical writer and Peace House board member living in Ashland.   By Bruce Borgerson DailyTidings.com By Bruce Borgerson Posted Jun. 27, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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