What is the common thread between modified cars, guns, and governments?
Easy! The government wanted to remove guns and acted against what is a minority group (sporting shooters) using media fueled public outrage to their advantage to achieve their ultimate goal.
The government is again using media-fueled public outrage to their outcome of forcing environmentally unfriendly modified cars off the road – in fact, out of existence if the hard-core green movement have their way!
I am a sporting shooter and was at the time Martin Bryant (allegedly) went nuts in Tasmania; so is/was Sharyn.
The kneejerk reaction by the then Howard government was only a pacifier for the bleeding hearts which did absolutely nothing to stop the illegal use of guns, it only hurt legitimate gun-owners.
What was avoided by media, police and the government in the aftermath of Port Arthur was the indisputable fact that it was the person behind the guns, and not the guns that was responsible for the deaths. Hundreds of thousands of people are killed every year by baseball bats, knives, axes, inconsiderate ‘good citizen’ drivers and pharmaceutical companies, but none of these issues were then nor ever have been addressed.
In short, the hooning outrage is being used by the government as an opportunity to win points at the expense of the truth; and unfortunately, modified vehicles are being targeted – their owners are paying the penalty of their passion.
It is vital that we, as car enthusiasts, stay united and committed to ensure that the present day governments are not allowed to erode our basic constitutional rights as citizens of this great country.
Just because we are seen as a minority doesn’t mean we can’t make a difference. Look, for example, at what other one-time minority groups have achieved… greenies, homosexuals, anti-smokers, animal liberationists etc.; against the odds, they managed to have the laws changed to suit themselves. They infiltrated government, they courted the media; ultimately, they gained the power to change public opinion by standing united and making a lot of noise.
We, as car enthusiasts, need to stand united; make our point in positive way and make our own kind of noise.
Then we can win…