AUSTRALIA, GUNS and COVID: Choices we make are ours

T Martin, choices are a condition of responsible living, and not all are considered good, palatable or easy. As your LTE demonstrates, our choice of words and where we travel are great examples. Citing Adolf Hitler. Eh, not such a great choice. Likewise, traveling to a country with closed borders also has consequences related to our choice. To be clear, the Australian government frustrated by avoidance of their self-isolation options opened the Howard Springs arrival camp in 2019. Surprisingly Aussies tend to be a lot like Americans, bullheaded. So, the government repurposed a mining town where if you “chose” to travel to Australia during COVID, well, you were obligated to spend two weeks at this government run resort; a choice, not a concentration camp.

With respect to mass murder. It took only one modern day mass shooting in 1996 for Australian citizens to wake up and demand sensible changes to gun ownership. Contrary to internet rumors, gun ownership is allowed in Australia. With a population 14 times smaller than America, Aussies own 3.5M firearms. No assault weapons, you must state your reason for owning them, and you can’t run to Big W to stock up because Obama is coming. The choices we make are ours exclusively — G’Day Mate.

REID HARLOCKER

Coeur d’Alene