Over Our Dead Bodies: Port Arthur and Australia's Fight for Gun Control
(Paperback, 2nd New edition)
Publishing Details
Over Our Dead Bodies: Port Arthur and Australia's Fight for Gun Control
By (Author) Simon Chapman
Sydney University Press
Sydney University Press
1st April 2013
2nd New edition
Australia
Classifications
Professional and Scholarly
Non Fiction
Weapons and equipment
363.330994
Physical Properties
Paperback
276
Width 148mm, Height 210mm, Spine 14mm
380g
Description
The Port Arthur massacre on 28 April 1996, when 35 people were shot dead by Martin Bryant, transformed Australia's gun control debate. Public outrage drove politicians from all sides of politics to embrace gun control. Non-violent 'people power' galvanised government resolve to outlaw semi-automatic weapons, register all guns and tighten gun ownership laws. Simon Chapman's book gives an insider's view of the struggle for gun control, highlighting the public discourse between shooters determined to preserve the right for civilians to bear military-style weapons, and activists dedicated to getting Australia 'off the American path' of gun violence. Law reform is not inevitable. It requires the planned, strategic use of media and advocacy to convert anger into action. The story of the campaign for gun control is a practical guide to achieving humane social change for activists everywhere. With the recent mass shooting at a primary school in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, which has stimulated an unprecedented momentum for meaningful gun controls in the US, the lessons of Port Arthur should be revisited. Simon Chapman is professor of public health at the University of Sydney. He has won multiple awards for his national and international advocacy for tobacco control.
Reviews
The publication of his book confirms Simon Chapmans place as
Australias pre-eminent public health lobbyist and has lessons for every
country in the world that seeks to reduce the number of deaths and
injuries from firearms.
'Over Our Dead Bodies comes highly recommended to anyone interested in the controversial debate surrounding the ownership of firearms in society, social scientists in general, and those who are just looking for a thought-provoking and riveting read.'
-- Mike Newman * International Journal of the Sociology of Law *Author Bio
Simon Chapman is professor emeritus of public health at the University of Sydney. In 2013 he was made an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) for his contributions to public health.
