From: charlesanderson@optushome.com.au   
      
   David Smith wrote:   
      
   > Self defence is un-reasonable in Australia? What has happened to the   
   > Aussies? My dad spent some time there while waiting to ship out to   
   > several hell hole islands during WW 2, and he told me the people there   
   > were among the kindest, toughest, strongest people he had ever met, and   
   > how fiercely independent they were. Not the kind of people who let   
   > others take care of them and keep them safe. Even in Australia you don't   
   > have a policeman in your back pocket to save you if you are attacked.   
   >   
   >  Best regards,   
   >  David   
      
   Self defense is, of course, reasonable.  You can beat the living   
   daylights out of an attacker, as long as they make the first move.   
      
   WW2 was a long time ago, and you are correct we have gotten a little   
   softer.  We do rely on our Police forces, a lot, at least in the cities.   
      
   Saying that, we will pull together in a pinch, and we'll always have a   
   friends back, if there's ever a situation, it's in our nature.  You can   
   rely on us in a fight.   
      
   These days we wont have a bar room brawl at the drop of a hat ;-)   
      
   "F*ck off ya' c*nt!", wont see you in the Dentist chair, as it used to.   
     It'll be laughed off.   
      
   You really have to try these days to get us to blow our stacks.   
      
   I've walked through very nasty areas (and what we consider nasty areas   
   is a pale shadow of the nasty areas in the States), at night without issue.   
      
   I'm not large, by Australian standards, 6'1" 108 kg, I am fit though for   
   my age... average.  So I'd be considered a legitimate target for a   
   mugging, yet I haven't been mugged.   
      
   I personally know of only two people that have been mugged.  One was on   
   a train in Australia, before the transport Police were upgraded.  The   
   other was mugged in America, at gun point, and she tried to talk the   
   mugger down.  At least she got the mugger laughing enough to walk away   
   with just her money.   
      
      
      
   Regards Charles   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)