Politicians chase their tails as bullets pepper suburbs

Where the shootings are happening in Sydney.
An interesting distribution, don't you think?

"There is a very real risk that someone spraying bullets at a house will kill an innocent person," federal Justice Minister Jason Clare told reporters in Sydney. He will get the Australian Crime Commission to investigate the illegal firearms market.


And NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell wants to tighten gun laws and increase penalties, locking away offenders for up to 16 years.


There have been 20 shootings in Sydney alone this year, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

But, as explained in simple terms previously in this blog, and in the SMH letters pages, such band-aid solutions will do nothing to address the root cause of most of it - the prohibition of illicit drugs. Trade in these artificially expensive substances provides the lion's share of income to the gangs doing the shooting, and provides ample cash to buy guns. 


There is no legal redress in an illegal trade, so if someone is ripped off, fails to deliver, loses their contraband or supplies dud product, the only recourse left to the gangs is either a noble and amicable remedy or - violence.


The pollies are typically ignoring the root cause of the problem and, in classic vertical thinking, are increasing penalties to solve a problem that is caused largely by similar penalties.


Truly the law is an ass and so are politicians with their heads in the sand.