Following the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, Australia banned all semi-automatic weapons and a national arms purchase was implemented.
Proponents of gun control believe the ban on Australia has been an impressive success, with the example frequently cited following the 2018 Parkland school massacre.
The AR-15 used in the Texas school massacre is the weapon of choice for most mass shooters. (AP)
But many in the United States believe the opposite, according to David Smith of the Center for U.S. Studies at the University of Sydney.
“There is all sorts of crazy misinformation claiming that Australian crime rates have skyrocketed and Australians are living in fear,” he told 9news.com.au.
“It’s all pure fantasy, but it’s circulating on social media.”
The myth has been bouncing around the Internet since the 1996 arms purchase, first through chain emails and then on social media.
“Australia has become this mythical example of what happens when a country gives up its weapons,” Smith said.
“There are a lot of Americans who think that Australia is a warning of what’s going on when they take up arms.”
Semi-automatic weapons number in the tens of millions in the United States. (AP)
Polls show that most Americans want more restrictions on who can buy weapons and what weapons can be sold.
But there has been no significant action on gun control nationwide since 1994, when the ban on semi-automatic rifles was enacted.
The bill, drafted in part by then-Senator Joe Biden, expired in 2000.
Since then, the number of mass shootings has skyrocketed.
Smith said that since the ban on assault weapons, gun policy has changed dramatically in the U.S.
“For Republicans, guns are a symbol of resistance against the state,” Smith said.
“And for Republicans, the ideal society is one where everyone is armed.
“Violence can happen, but if everyone is armed, the good will prevail.”
Texas will allow people to buy unlicensed guns, no training, or background checks. (AP)
The symbolism of opposing gun control means that few Republicans will vote against any significant measure.
The legislation that Democrats in Congress most hope they can pass is mandatory background checks.
This would require gun sellers to verify that a buyer has no criminal record or violent mental health issues.
But that rule probably wouldn’t have stopped the Uvalde school shooting.
“The gunman had just turned 18. He went and legally bought two rifles. Unless he had a criminal record or a violent record, a background check would have done nothing,” Smith said.
“The Buffalo gunman had passed a background check.”
Arms sales have a history of rising after the mass shootings. (Niko Kallianiotis)
Texas has some of the laziest gun laws in the United States, but even strict state gun laws could be repealed soon.
The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether to overturn a 100-year-old New York law that limits who can carry a gun in public.
If removed, it will set a precedent that could force the dismantling of state arms laws across the country.
Even if the U.S. government were able to enact an Australian-style arms repurchase, implementing it would be a different matter.
“There are more than 70 million semi-automatic rifles in circulation,” Smith said.
“Any government that wants to ban semi-automatics should now worry about a violent backlash.”
The NRA has a huge influence on maintaining the famous lax weapons laws of the United States. (AAP)
It would take 60 votes to pass a bill in the Senate. Democrats currently have 50 votes.
They could technically pass the bill with an absolute majority of 50 if you overturn the filibuster rule.
But Joe Manchin, a Democrat who has promoted his support for gun rights in his campaign, has already ruled out ending the filibuster.